- Prices rise in the US and Europe
- LME futures show a slight uptick w-o-w
Indian ferro molybdenum prices rose slightly by INR 37,000/t ($410/t) w-o-w to INR 2,644,000/t ($29,271/t) ex-works on 17 December, boosted by a rise in demand from end-user sectors, according to BigMint’s assessment. Regular domestic trading activity and balanced supply-demand dynamics kept prices broadly rangebound, with about 67 tonnes traded over the week in the price range of INR 2,550,000-2,700,000/t ($28,231-29,891/t) exw.
Market updates (11-16 December 2025)
Weak demand pulls down Chinese prices: Ferro molybdenum (Mo 60%) prices in China edged down by RMB 2,000/t ($284/t) w-o-w to RMB 237,500/t ($33,726/t) exw-Inner Mongolia amid weak domestic demand. Although raw material costs continued to provide some underlying support, steel mills, pressured by narrowing profit margins, pushed for lower tender prices for ferro molybdenum and other alloys and adopted a controlled procurement strategy.
Meanwhile, traders showed a stronger willingness to sell, which softened actual transaction prices and led to a slight overall fall in prices. Spot market activity slowed as year-end neared, with participants focusing on closing their trading books.
Additionally, European ferro molybdenum (Mo 70%) prices edged up by $1/kg w-o-w to $53/kg, supported by tight supply and resistance to lower bids. In the US, (Mo 70%) prices climbed by $3/kg w-o-w to $56/kg.
LME futures edge up w-o-w: On the London Metal Exchange (LME), molybdenum futures edged up by $0.28/lb w-o-w to $21.45/lb on 16 December.
Indian market holds firm w-o-w: Indian ferro molybdenum prices rose, supported by improvement in demand from end-user sectors, though adequate material availability capped price gains. Trading activity remained strong, despite mild price corrections in global markets. Strong export demand helped prevent any sharp falls in prices. Overall, these factors provided stability to the Indian market despite global price fluctuations.
Indian stainless steel market strengthens on price hike: Prices of 316-grade stainless steel hot-rolled coils (HRCs) inched up by INR 2,000/t ($22/t) w-o-w to INR 335,000/t ($3,706/t) exw – Mumbai. Demand improved slightly during the week. A leading stainless steel producer announced a price hike effective 17 December 2025, marking its first increase this month, raising 316-grade prices by INR 2,000/t ($22/t). The revision comes amid a strengthening US dollar and China’s new export licence regime for stainless steel products, effective from 1 January 2026.
Outlook
Domestic ferro molybdenum prices are likely to remain firm over the course of the week, supported by strong demand, despite continued volatility in global markets.
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