Ferro-vanadium prices ticked up slightly in Europe on Wednesday May 7, on a marginal improvement in demand.
5月7日周三，由于市場需求出現小幅提高，歐洲釩鐵價格略有上調。
5月7日周三，由于市場需求出現小幅提高，歐洲釩鐵價格略有上調。
Opinions were mixed on how dramatic the move upwards has been as some suggested prices are edging closer to $28 per kg, while others stated they are still below $27 per kg.
產品價格攀升至一定高位，商家后市分歧較大。部分商家認為后期價格有望向28美元/千克的水平靠近；也有參與者表示，釩鐵價格或繼續維持在27美元/千克以下的水平。所以，業內商家對于后市行情該如何運行意見不一。
Metal Bulletin's price moved up to $26.90-27.50 per kg in Europe, from $26.90-27.30 previously, with suggestions that there may be further rises in the coming days.
根據外盤報價顯示，歐洲釩鐵價格由之前的26.90-27.30美元/千克上移至26.9-27.5美元/千克。有參與者認為，接下來的數天內價格仍有望進一步提高。
"There is something popping underneath. The Chinese are not willingly putting down prices even though it's a bit quiet [there]," a distributor said.
“值得一提的是，盡管中國市場表現平靜，但供貨商不愿意下調產品價格”，消息人士稱。
A producer added that there is some optimism and even enthusiasm in the market, suggesting demand is improving.
有生產商補充到，市場樂觀心態和操作熱情尚存，后市需求或有望提高。
"All our long-term customers are taking as much as they can. It's tight and we have no possibility of a surplus in May," he said.
“執行長期訂單的客戶都盡量多采購，現貨供應偏緊，5月份暫無供應過剩的風險”，他說。
Market participants generally agreed, however, that the threat of sanctions imposed by the USA on Russia over the situation in Ukraine is unlikely to have a direct impact on prices.
市場參與者普遍認為，雖然烏克蘭局勢急轉，且西方國家對俄羅斯實行制裁，但不會對釩產品價格產生直接影響。
Vanadium is not considered a strategic material - or at least less so than titanium - according to market participants, meaning sanctions are not likely to be imposed on it for some time to come.
根據市場參與者所述，釩資源不是戰略資源，其重要性甚至不及鈦資源。所以，美國對俄羅斯的經濟制裁不太可能牽涉到釩行業。
"The US is not likely to want to put sanctions on it… for a long time. Titanium [on the other hand] has military applications [making it a more likely target]," a trader said.
“釩資源不太可能成為美國長期制裁俄羅斯制裁的內容之一。從另一方面來說，鈦在軍事領域的應用，使其更可能成為目標” ,一位商家表示。
The main risk now is of a shift in sentiment, as fear among buyers could cause them to change their approach to the spot market, although this has not happened yet.
盡管這種情況不會發生，但買家的擔憂情緒可能使他們改變在現貨市場中的操作策略，所以，這種情緒應該得到轉變。
"Sentiment can shift these markets a long way. If enough people are thinking the same thing, it could happen," the trader said.
“擔憂情緒可能影響市場很長時間，如果大家都對此事所有顧慮，該種情況發生的可能性機會很大”，上位商家說。
"We can still buy from China, duty unpaid, at [about $26], though. We don't see any change [in sentiment] and demand is steady," he added.
“我們仍然可以從中國購買到貨源,不含稅價格在26美元/千克。我們沒有看到大家情緒有任何改變，需求依舊穩定”。
（原文翻譯自英國《金屬導報》，如有疑問請參照原文為主）