According to the Commodity Market Analysis System of Shengyi Society, the price of domestic sodium metabisulfite has risen this month. The average price of industrial grade sodium metabisulfite at the beginning of the month was 1850 yuan/ton, and the average price at the end of the month was 1926 yuan/ton, with a weekly increase of 4.14%.
This week, the price of industrial grade sodium metabisulfite in the domestic market has increased. The upstream price of sodium metabisulfite, soda ash, has fallen by 1.21% this month, sulfur prices have risen by 16%, and downstream caprolactam prices have fallen by 8.03%. Although the upstream and downstream prices have fallen, the sales of sodium metabisulfite in the market have accelerated, and the industry is mostly optimistic about the future market. (The above prices refer to the quotes provided by mainstream domestic enterprises, and some unreported enterprises are temporarily not within their scope. The prices are for reference only and are not related to the final pricing of the manufacturers. For details, please contact each manufacturer for consultation.).

Future forecast
At present, the transaction volume of sodium metabisulfite market is accelerating, and it is expected that the domestic market price will mainly fluctuate with a strong trend in the short term.

This week, the domestic fluorite price trend has risen. As of the weekend, the average domestic fluorite price was 3775 yuan/ton, an increase of 0.17% from the beginning of the week price of 3768.75 yuan/ton and a year-on-year increase of 12.48%.

Supply side: Mining operations are limited, fluorite supply remains tight

The current situation of the game in the domestic fluorite industry still exists. Overall, the operating rate of enterprises has not changed much. Upstream mining is tight, backward mines will continue to be eliminated, and new mines will be added. Mineral investigation work is still difficult. In addition, national departments need to rectify fluorite mines, and fluorite mining enterprises are facing increasingly strict safety and environmental protection requirements. The difficulty of operating fluorite mines has increased, and the shortage of raw materials has limited the operation of fluorite enterprises. The supply of fluorite sources is still tight, and the inventory of fluorite enterprises is low. Some fluorite manufacturers are gradually recovering. However, the fluorite supply in northern regions is obviously insufficient, and the fluorite market trend has slightly risen this week.

Demand side: Hydrofluoric acid price temporarily stable, refrigerant market rising

This week, the domestic price of hydrofluoric acid has remained stable, with mainstream prices ranging from 11300 to 11800 yuan/ton in various regions of China. The downstream hydrofluoric acid equipment is still in shutdown, and there is little change in the spot supply of hydrofluoric acid. Manufacturers mainly purchase hydrofluoric acid on demand, and the overall production of hydrofluoric acid remains at more than 50%. Fluorine enterprises maintain essential orders, mainly consuming inventory. The market price trend of hydrofluoric acid is temporarily stable, and the price of fluorite is not affected by this news.

The downstream refrigerant market is on the rise, coupled with the strengthening of terminal policies in the refrigerant industry, demand is expected to achieve substantial improvement. Fluorine chemical enterprises within quota control have strong confidence in raising prices in the refrigerant market. Currently, the main trend in the foreign trade market is price increases, and upstream products are mainly purchased on demand. The trend of refrigerant market is rising, which has led to an increase in domestic fluorite market prices.

In addition to the traditional demand in the refrigerant industry, fluorite, as an important mineral raw material for modern industry, is constantly developing in emerging fields. It is also applied in strategic emerging industries such as new energy and new materials, as well as in national defense, nuclear industry and other fields, including lithium hexafluorophosphate, PVDF、 Graphite negative electrodes, photovoltaic panels, etc., have received certain support in the application of fluorite due to the demand for new energy and semiconductors.

Market forecast: In the near future, it is difficult to improve the supply of domestic fluorite mines, and some mines have stopped production to undergo safety inspections. The tight supply of fluorite mines is a major positive support for the fluorite market. In addition, the downstream refrigerant market has risen, but the acceptance of hydrofluoric acid enterprises is limited. Overall, the domestic fluorite market price is mainly fluctuating.

1、 Price trend

According to the commodity analysis system of Shengyi Society, the price trend of soda ash has slightly decreased this week. As of March 14th, the average market price of soda ash was 1512 yuan/ton, a decrease of 0.40% compared to the March 7th soda ash price of 1518 yuan/ton, and an increase of 0.93% compared to the beginning of the month.

2、 Market analysis

This week, the soda ash market has been consolidating and declining. The on-site equipment remained stable with small movements, and the utilization rate of soda ash production capacity was slightly reduced during the week. Overall, the manufacturer’s quotation remained firm, but the downstream market performance was weak, and the price trend was lowered. Follow up on soda ash demand was necessary, and actual market transactions were limited. Some companies had poor shipments, and the focus of soda ash transactions shifted slightly downwards.

As of March 14th, the reference price for the soda ash market in East China is around 1420-1550 yuan/ton for light soda ash, with a price reduction of 60 yuan/ton within the week; The reference price for the soda ash market in Central China is around 1350-1550 yuan/ton for light soda ash, with a price reduction of 50 yuan/ton.

According to the commodity analysis system of Shengyi Society, the downstream glass market continues to decline. From March 7th to 14th, glass prices fell from 15.28 yuan/square meter to 14.92 yuan/square meter, a decrease of 2.36%. The downstream glass market has seen an increase in production, an increase in market inventory, weak downstream demand, insufficient market transactions, accumulation of glass inventory, and continuous decline in market prices.

In the future forecast, there will be little change in domestic soda ash facilities, and the utilization rate of production capacity will remain at a medium high level. The increase in market supply is limited, and the downstream market is weak. The enthusiasm for entering the market for procurement is not high, and the supply and demand in the market are relatively balanced. It is expected that soda ash will operate smoothly in the short term, and specific attention will be paid to downstream demand follow-up.

1、 Price trend

According to data monitored by Shengyi Society, as of March 14th, the average price of industrial grade high-quality cyclohexane in China was 7600 yuan/ton. The cyclohexane market is mainly balanced in supply and demand, with insufficient downstream demand and a narrow and weak overall market operation. Currently, the mainstream market price remains at around 7700 yuan/ton.

2、 Market analysis

In terms of cost, the upstream cost side lacks support for cyclohexane, and overall market shipments are slow. The upstream pure benzene market is mainly stable, and in the short term, the pure benzene market is operating in a range of consolidation.

3、 Future forecast

The cyclohexane analyst from Shengyi Society believes that the upstream cost support is poor, and it is expected that the cyclohexane market will remain stable in the short term.

This week, the price of plasticizer DOP fluctuated and fell

According to the Commodity Market Analysis System of Shengyi Society, as of March 7th, the DOP price was 8138.75 yuan/ton, a fluctuating decrease of 2.25% compared to the DOP price of 8326.25 yuan/ton on March 1st. Plasticizer DOP enterprises are operating at a low level, and the supply of plasticizer DOP is tight; The price of phthalic anhydride fluctuated and fell, the price of isooctanol fluctuated and fell, the cost of plasticizer DOP decreased, and the downward pressure on plasticizers increased.

This week, the price of raw material isooctanol fluctuated and fell

According to the Commodity Market Analysis System of Shengyi Society, as of March 7th, the price of isooctanol was 7466.67 yuan/ton, a decrease of 2.61% from the price of 7666.67 yuan/ton on March 1st. The new production capacity of isooctanol has been put into operation, and the supply of isooctanol has increased, shifting from supply shortage to oversupply. The price of isooctanol has fluctuated and fallen, and the cost of plasticizer DOP has decreased.

Decreased demand for plasticizers

The slow start of terminal demand and weak demand for plasticizers have led to a certain degree of inventory pressure in the plasticizer industry. Unsaturated resins and other downstream industries are also facing problems such as slow terminal delivery and insufficient consumption. The growth of plasticizer demand is slow, and the support for plasticizer price increases is insufficient.

Future expectations

According to the data analyst of Shengyi Society’s plasticizer products, in terms of cost, the price of isooctanol has fluctuated and fallen, the price of phthalic anhydride has dropped significantly, and the cost of plasticizer DOP has decreased; In terms of demand, downstream production is slowly recovering, and the demand for plasticizers is decreasing. In the future, with the decrease in costs and weak demand for plasticizers, it is expected that the price of plasticizer DOP will remain weak and stabilize.

According to the Commodity Market Analysis System of Shengyi Society, the xylene market will first rise and then fall in February 2025. From February 1st to 28th, the domestic xylene market price fell from 6670 yuan/ton to 6640 yuan/ton, with a cumulative price drop of 0.45% during the period.

First half of the month: The xylene market first rose and then fell, and after the holiday, downstream buyers actively entered the market to purchase and drive the xylene market up. As downstream replenishment came to an end and market demand declined, the xylene market entered a downward trend. There are also some differences in various markets, among which the mixed xylene market in Shandong region is overall declining. Due to insufficient downstream demand, the market procurement enthusiasm is limited, and the overall operation of the Shandong market is weak. Affected by low inventory, market prices in the East China region have slightly increased. Affected by tight supply in the South China region, Sinopec raised its ex factory prices. However, due to insufficient downstream receiving capacity, the market prices slightly declined, with an overall increase followed by a decrease.

In the second half of the week, the xylene market experienced a volatile downward trend, with slight differences in performance across regions. In Shandong, prices first fell and then rose, while downstream demand first weakened and then strengthened during the week. PX and oil blending industries actively entered the market for procurement, driving prices in Shandong to first fall and then rise. Affected by high inventory, the spot market in East China is under pressure and experiencing a slight decline. The overall inventory in southern China is high, and the market is under pressure to decline.

Cost aspect: The crude oil market has fluctuated and fallen this month, with price ranges fluctuating in the first half of the month. After entering the second half, prices first fell and then rose. On February 27th, the settlement price of the main contract for WTI crude oil futures in the United States was $70.35 per barrel. The settlement price of the main Brent crude oil futures contract is $73.57 per barrel.

Supply side:

Sinopec’s xylene quotation summary shows that the company is currently operating normally, with stable production and sales. The company’s quotation remains unchanged from the previous day. As of February 28th, East China Company quoted 6700 yuan/ton, North China Company quoted 6500 yuan/ton, South China Company quoted 6750-6800 yuan/ton, and Central China Company quoted 6400 yuan/ton.

Demand side:

On February 28th, the execution price of xylene by the petrochemical sales company was 7500 yuan/ton, and this price was implemented in East China, North China, Central China, and South China. Yangzi Petrochemical, Zhenhai Petrochemical and other units operated stably and sold normally, with a price increase of 200 yuan/ton compared to January 31st. As of February 27th, the closing prices of the xylene market in Asia were 841-843 US dollars/ton FOB Korea and 866-868 US dollars/ton CFR China.

Market forecast: The crude oil market trend is weak and lacks guidance for the market. On the supply side, the construction in Shandong region is relatively low, and the supply is tight. The port inventory in East China is relatively high, and the supply is loose. The purchasing intention for chemical and oil blending in Shandong region on the demand side is still acceptable, but the downstream trend has been weak recently, which has insufficient boost to the market. Affected by the weakening of PX futures in other regions, the overall purchasing intention is low, and the overall performance of the demand side is slightly bearish. Overall, it is expected that the market will maintain a range oscillation trend in the short term due to the lack of demand support.

1、 Price trend

According to the monitoring of the commodity market analysis system of Shengyi Society, the domestic PVC market fluctuated in February and closed flat at the end of the month, basically returning to the price level at the beginning of the month. According to the Commodity Analysis System of Shengyi Society, PVC saw a slight increase of 0.12% in February.

2、 Market analysis

Basic trend: At the beginning of the month, the PVC spot market continued its upward trend from the previous month, showing strong performance. With the continuous rise of crude oil and the driving force of the PVC futures market, the linkage between the spot market was obvious, and prices continued to rise. But in the second week of the month, prices fluctuated downward without the support of supply and demand. From mid month to the end of the month, the market returned to calm, supply and demand remained relatively stable, and prices remained moderate and flat.

In terms of inventory, there has been a temporary increase in market transactions recently, and enterprises have rationalized their inventory. This is mainly due to the return after the holiday, the increase in downstream market entry, and the improvement of procurement. But social inventory has also slightly increased, mainly due to manufacturers increasing their operating rates, and there is still some supply pressure in the market.

Cost side and demand: Since February, the sluggish performance of calcium carbide market prices has to some extent limited the strengthening trend of PVC. According to the Commodity Analysis System of Business Society. As of the 28th, the domestic price of calcium carbide has dropped by 5.45%. On the demand side, the increase in downstream operating rates is average. On the one hand, there is inventory pressure, and on the other hand, the resumption of work for hard plastics is slow, with downstream operating rates generally below 50%. In terms of exports, it exhibits strong rigidity. To some extent, it has alleviated the dilemma of insufficient demand.

3、 Future forecast

The PVC analyst from Shengyi Society believes that fundamentally speaking, supply and demand will continue to recover in March, with both the supply and demand sides showing some improvement, but high supply materials will outweigh the increase in demand. On the one hand, the high operating rate of manufacturers will lead to increased production, which in turn will push up inventory. On the other hand, although downstream PVC product manufacturers are gradually resuming work, their inventory is high, and market procurement remains mainly for essential needs. The export situation will continue to improve. Combined with the March meeting, driven by favorable policies, PVC prices are expected to maintain a strong trend.