HC Deb 07 August 1975 vol 897 cc513-4W
Mr. Skeet

asked the Secretary of State for Industry if he will identify the leading tungsten producers by country; whether any international cartel exists to adjust the supply of the metal to demand; and if he will identify the nations which are members of the Tungsten Committee of UNCTAD and the quantity of metal produced by each.

Mr. Gregor Mackenzie

Tungsten is produced and traded in the form of ores and concentrates which are processed for a variety of end-uses. There is no international cartel regulating supplies or prices, although a Primary Tungsten Association has recently been formed by important producer companies in a number of countries. The table below lists the available information published in UNCTAD Tungsten Statistics relating to the production of ores and concentrates by substantial producers in 1973.

The present membership of the UNCTAD Tungsten Committee is Argentina; Australia; Austria; Belgium; Bolivia; Brazil; Canada; China; Cyprus; Germany, Federal Republic of; France; Gabon; Italy; Japan; Mexico; Nether- lands; Peru; Poland; Portugal; Republic of Korea; Romania; Rwanda; Spain; Thailand; Turkey; Union of Soviet Socialist Republics; United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland; United States of America.

Tungsten ores and concentrates Production in 1973
Source: UNCTAD Tungsten Statistics metric tons, tungsten content
Africa
Rhodesia 154
* Rwanda 259
Ueanda 109
Zaire 234
America, North and Central
"Canada 1,669
Guatemala 158
*Mexico 306
*USA 3,202
America. South
*Bolivia 2,075
*Brazil 995
*Peru 795
Asia
Burma 500
*China 8,000
*Japan 831
Korea, North 2,155
*Korea, South 1,915
Malaysia 125
*Thailand 2,602
Europe
*France 695
*Netherlands 289
*Portugal 1,502
*Spain 312
*Sweden 234
*USSR 7,400
Oceania
*Australia 1,239
Total World 37,700

Notes:

  1. (1) Full information not available for 1974.
  2. (2) Countries with a production of under 100 metric tons tungsten content are excluded,
  3. (3) Certain figures, chiefly relating to Sino-Soviet countries, are estimated.
  4. (4) *—member of the UNCTAD Tungsten Committee.