In order to strengthen management and guide to development, utilization and export of tungsten, tin and stibium industries and promote industrial upgrading, the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) recently published the conditions for access to the three metal industries.

   The access conditions stipulate that for newly constructed and expanded projects, the comprehensive annual production capacity of ammonium tungstate should not be lower than 5,000 tons; that for tungsten powder and tungsten carbide should not be lower than 2,000 tons; that for tungsten billet rod, no less than 100 tons; and that for hard alloy, no less than 200 tons.

   Similarly, the annual production capacity of newly constructed and expanded tin smelting projects should not be lower than 8,000 tons each.

   Meanwhile, the conditions require newly constructed and expanded tungsten, tin and stibium smelting and processing projects tally with the State industrial policies, overall mineral resources planning and industrial development plans, and have stable raw materials supply channels. The rate of investment owned by the projects themselves should not be lower than 50 percent.

   The conditions also involve requirements in the fields of environmental protection, energy consumption, comprehensive utilization of resources, and product quality, safe production, prevention of professional diseases and labor insurance.

   It is learned that NDRC will regularly publish the list of qualified tungsten, tin and stibium production enterprises.

   Tungsten, tin and stibium are important mineral resources where China has advantages.