Chinese silicon export prices rose again in the pricing session last week due to continuing dollar weakness and tightening spot availability.
The weakening dollar has forced Chinese silicon exporters to frequently refresh their quotations in the past week to keep their order book balanced. The dollar index was recently at 89.07, down on Friday but up slightly from a low of 88.43 on January 25. Metal Bulletin's Chinese grade 553 silicon export price moved up on the high end to $1,980-2,020 per tonne on Friday February 2, from $1,980-2,000 per tonne previously. The extensive price gains seen since mid-January, partly as a result of the weak dollar against the yuan, brings prices for the light metal even closer to the 2017 high of $2,080-2,130 per tonne reached on September 1. If the dollar continues to creep lower, it will...