Figures released by the International Molybdenum Association (IMOA) show that global production rose 3% to 148.2mlbs when compared to the previous quarter of 2020 and the same quarter of 2019.

Global use of molybdenum also rose by 3% to 126.9mlbs when compared to the previous quarter, but fell by 14% when compared to the same quarter of the previous year.

South America is the largest molybdenum producer at 49.4mlbs overtaking China which became the second largest at 47.2mlbs.

South American production was 11% higher than the previous quarter and 12% higher than the same quarter of the previous year. China’s production was 1% lower than the previous quarter and 8% lower than the same quarter of the previous year.

Production in North America fell 7% to 36.8mlbs when compared to the previous quarter, down 3% when compared to the same quarter of the previous year.

Other regions saw a significant percentage rise in production to 14.8mlbs, a 26% increase when compared to the previous quarter and a 39% increase when compared to the same quarter of the previous year.

China is the only region to see a rise in use and remained the largest user of molybdenum at 58.9mlbs, a rise of 46% when compared to the previous quarter and up 7% when compared to the same quarter of the previous year.

Europe remained the second largest user at 26.4mlbs, although this represented a 15% fall when compared to the previous quarter and a 28% fall when compared to the same quarter of the previous year.

For the second quarter Japan usage of molybdenum was 10.2mlbs, although this represented a 20% drop in usage when compared to the previous quarter and a 28% drop in comparison to the same quarter of the previous year.

The USA and CIS saw the largest falls in usage. The USA used 9.5mlbs, down 25% when compared to the previous quarter, and a 34% drop when compared to the same quarter of the previous year. The CIS used 3.2mlbs, a fall of 44% when compared to the same quarter of the previous year and a 25% fall when compared to the previous quarter.

Other countries used 18.6mlbs, a 17% drop in comparison to the previous quarter and a 13% drop when compared to the same quarter of the previous year.