Asian Metal visits Yichun Jinyang, Kingtan Tantalum, Yichun Tantalum and Niobium Mine, Jiangxi Tan king

June Cai, associate analyst of tantalum and niobium market from minor metal business department of Asian Metal, visited Yichun Jinyang Rare Metals Co., Ltd., Jiangxi Jingtai Tantalum Co., Ltd., Yichun Tantalum & Niobium Co., Jiangxi Tan king Trade Co., Ltd. on May 16-17, 2013.

Asian Metal visited Yichun Jinyang Rare Metals Co., Ltd. and was warmly welcomed by Gui Xianyou, the general manager, Leng Weimin, the factory manager, Lv Changhua, the chief engineer, Xujun, the vice general manager and Shuaitao, the sales manager of the company on the morning of May 16. Jinyang Rare Metals was founded in 2008 and specializes in deep processing and selling rare metals of tantalum and niobium, purchasing scrap of the two metals as well as importing and exporting. The company has about hundreds of employees. Its products such as ferroniobium, high purity tantalum oxide, high purity niobium oxide, niobium oxide, tantalum powder are widely applied in aerospace, military industry, IT industry as well as high-tech science and technology sectors like special steel, magnetic materials, welding electrode, optical glass, lithium niobate, tantalum wire and bars. Mr. Gui led the group to visit workshops and introduced production processes and technologies of products. The several senior leaders discussed with Asian Metal toward current market, and Mr. Gui suggested that Asian Metal had better consider about high offers instead of low ones and take both producers and end users into account. He also hopes that Asian Metal can continue to provide positive information for the industry as a media amid unfavorable market environment.

Asian Metal visited Xiong Xuejin, the vice general manager of Jiangxi Kingtan Tantalum Co., Ltd. on the afternoon of May 16. The company was ever named Jiangxi Guizu Tantalum and Niobium Company and was founded in April, 2002. It specializes in exploring, exploiting, processing and trading rare metal mineral resources of tantalum and niobium, and it mainly trades and processes tantalum and niobium metal products, processes rare metals and alloy, explores and exploits minerals, recycles and develops metal scrap as well as invests with production capacity of 100tpy of high purity and ultra high purity niobium oxide, 300tpy of niobium oxide, 30tpy of niobium carbide, 30tpy of high purity and high purity tantalum oxide, 30tpy of tantalum carbide, 300tpy of potassium fluotantalate and 300tpy of ferroniobium. On current market, Mr. Xiong introduced that the company mainly produces niobium oxide, while he is optimistic about future market with sufficient supply of raw materials and is ready to expand factories when the market recovers. After visiting the workshops, Mr Xiong led Asian Metal to visit the new planned area, which will be used to expand production.

Asian Metal visited Yichun Tantalum and Niobium Company and was received by Yuan Mingcai, the newly-appointed mine manager, Mu Jianshu, the vice mine manager, Fengfeng, the vice sales director and Pengxuan, the sales manager on the morning of May 17. The company is the largest existing mining enterprise of tantalum and niobium as well as production base of raw materials of tantalum, niobium and lithium in China. It is well-known at home and abroad with good mining conditions, large reserves and numerous useful metals with various nonferrous metals of tantalum, niobium, lithium and rubidium in its mineral deposits. With RMB225 million of assets and 1,100 employments, the company was built in 1970 with the name of 414 Mine, and it was officially named Yichun Tantalum and Niobium Company in 1972 which specializes in tantalum and niobium concentrate, lepidolite, feldspar powder and kaolin. It will expand the processing capacity from 1,500tpdto 4,000tpd. Mr. Yuan, Mr Mu and Mr. Feng discussed about the market with Asian Metal who interviewed Mr. Yuan afterwards.

Asian Metal visited Xinyu-based Jiangxi Tan King Trade Co., Ltd. and met with Zhonglei, the president, Lai Jianfeng, the vice general manager, Wu Jiangfeng, the marketing director on the afternoon of May 17. The company was constructed in 2012 and aims for long-term development with planned infrastructure construction. It mainly trades ores. The president has visited countries and regions in African Rwanda and Zimbabwe with abundant reserves of tantalum and niobium, and he is full of confidence toward future tantalum and niobium markets. Mr. Wu noted that the whole market shows some negative signs, while demand for some products still keep stable, and the company will survive on developing more downstream end users. He also hoped that the company will continue to communicate with Asian Metal in the future.