1、 Price trend

According to monitoring data from Business Society, the overall price of soda ash increased in May. The average market price of light soda ash at the beginning of the month was 2030 yuan/ton, and the average market price at the end of the month was around 2170 yuan/ton, with a price increase of 6.9%, an increase of 2.36% compared to the same period last year. On May 30th, the commodity index of light soda ash was 110.77, unchanged from yesterday, a decrease of 41.42% from the highest point of 189.10 points (2021-11-07) in the cycle, and an increase of 75.41% from the lowest point of 63.15 points on November 18th, 2015. (Note: The cycle refers to the period from September 1st, 2011 to present)

2、 Market analysis

According to the commodity analysis system of Shengyishe, the overall price of soda ash has been relatively strong this month. The price of soda ash in the central China region is strong, with a mainstream market price of around 2000-2200 yuan/ton for light soda ash. The price of soda ash in the eastern China region is strong, with a mainstream market price of around 2150-2300 yuan/ton for light soda ash. The data shows that the operating rate of soda ash during the week was around 82%. In terms of inventory, this week’s pure alkali inventory is about 810000 tons, and the production of pure alkali is about 680000 tons.

In terms of demand: According to the commodity analysis system of Business Society, the spot price of glass has been rising this month. At the beginning of the month, the average price of glass was 18.65 yuan/square meter, and at the end of the month, the average price was 19.86 yuan/square meter. The price increased within the month, with a magnitude of 6.49%. The spot prices in the glass market fluctuate. The main focus is on replenishing inventory in case of urgent needs, with a strong resistance to high prices.

According to the price monitoring of Business Society, in the 21st week of 2024 (5.20-5.24), there were a total of 3 products that rose, 1 product that fell, and 3 products that rose or fell to 0 on the chlor alkali industry price list. The main rising commodities include: light soda ash (1.91%), PVC (1.28%), and caustic soda (0.25%); The main commodities falling are baking soda (-0.84%). The average increase and decrease this week is 0.37%.

Analysts from Business Society believe that according to the Commodity Analysis System of Business Society, the price of light soda ash has been relatively strong recently, and the production of soda ash enterprises has decreased. In terms of downstream demand, with the recent increase in prices, more purchases have been made on demand, with moderate replenishment of inventory. However, there has not been much pressure on enterprises to ship goods in the near future. Based on the comprehensive analysis of supply and demand, it is expected that soda ash will continue to operate steadily in the later stage, depending on downstream market demand.