Views: 0 Author: Site Editor Publish Time: 2026-02-10 Origin: Site
Upstream mines and smelters have gradually entered holiday maintenance and reduced production, leading to tight supply. holders are reluctant to sell, while downstream enterprises in tungsten materials and cemented carbide have mostly finished pre-holiday restocking and slowed procurement.
Since the start of 2026, tungsten raw material prices have jumped by more than 50% within just two months, with current levels roughly five times those at the beginning of 2025. Manufacturers are cautious about rising costs and potential price corrections, resulting in slow transactions and a supply-demand stalemate.
Rising Hard Alloy Costs Create Pressure for the Drilling Tools Industry
As tungsten carbide powder prices continue climbing, the cost of producing hard alloys is rising in parallel.
Tungsten carbide is one of the core materials used in the drilling tools industry, and cost increases directly affect the following products:
DTH drill bits
Button bits
Chisel bits
Cross bits
Threaded bits
PDC products that include a hard-alloy matrix
For manufacturers, high raw material prices are compressing profit margins and forcing an adjustment in product pricing structures across the industry.
QIDELI Outlook: Industry Trends in a High-Cost Era
Based on feedback across the supply chain, there is still no clear sign of price correction in the short term.
Tight resource availability, strong market sentiment, and active capital inflows together indicate that tungsten prices will remain at elevated levels.
Against this backdrop, the drilling tools industry is expected to enter:
A cost-sensitive period
A product restructuring period
A phase of rising demand for high-quality products
QIDELI will continue to closely monitor upstream raw material price changes and provide clients with timely market insights and professional guidance.
QIDELI remains committed to quality-first principles, maintaining high standards in raw material sourcing and production process control.
Even in volatile market conditions, QIDELI will ensure stable product quality and reliable supply—a promise we uphold for our global customers as we face this new industry cycle together.
