Views: 0 Author: Site Editor Publish Time: 2026-02-09 Origin: Site
Against the backdrop of tight ore supply, firm costs and limited smelter output, the global tungsten market maintained a strong upward trend in the final trading week before the Spring Festival. Notably, ammonium paratungstate (APT) prices officially broke through ¥1 million per ton, while tungsten scrap also rebounded to near historical highs after a short correction.
Key tungsten products have seen substantial year-to-date gains: 65% wolframite and scheelite concentrates rose around 49%, APT jumped 49.3%, tungsten powder and tungsten carbide powder surged over 54%, ferrotungsten increased more than 44%, and scrap tungsten rods and drill bits climbed over 43%.
Despite the strong price momentum, market trading has slowed significantly due to rising costs, the upcoming holiday and weaker restocking demand, leading to an increasingly cautious and wait-and-see sentiment across the industry.
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.
