Asianmetal.com's annual Indium and Germanium Forum concluded last week in Kunming, China, with the mood amongst germanium producers and traders much more downbeat compared to a year earlier.
With germanium prices dropping again in early April in the face of slow sales, prices have now shed their increases from late 2010 and early 2011.
However, with germanium prices nearing their 2010 nadir, rumblings continue that major Chinese producers may move to increase offer prices in order to stimulate purchasing.
If this is the case, prices can be expected to move upward in May and June. Otherwise, germanium prices may begin to flat-line. Since 2006, germanium sellers have shown repeated resistance to prices below US$ 1000/kg, indicating that they are closing in on production cost values.
