1、 Price trend

Taking the sulfuric acid method gold red stone titanium dioxide with a large volume of goods in the domestic market as an example, according to data monitoring by Business Society, the domestic titanium dioxide market remained stable with small fluctuations in August. On August 1st, the average price of titanium dioxide was 15783.33 yuan/ton, and on August 29th, it was 15750 yuan/ton, with a price reduction of 0.21%.

2、 Market analysis

In August, the domestic titanium dioxide market was mainly stable, with little upward fluctuation in market prices. In the first half of the year, the price of raw material titanium concentrate continued to rise, and the price of sulfuric acid remained high and firm. Longqi had more orders on hand, and the new order quotation was slightly increased. Most manufacturers’ quotations were mainly stable. The production cost pressure of titanium dioxide is still significant due to the influence of raw materials. Mid month manufacturer quotations are mainly stable, while on-site quotations are relatively flexible. In the latter half of the year, terminal demand continued to be poor, with stable quotes from manufacturers and flexible quotes from traders. The market had a strong wait-and-see attitude, and trading conditions were light. As of now, the domestic quotation for sulfuric acid method pyrite type titanium dioxide is mostly between 14800-16300 yuan/ton; The quotation for rutile titanium dioxide is mostly around 14200 yuan/ton; The quotation for chlorinated titanium dioxide is mostly around 18000 yuan/ton. The actual transaction price is negotiable.

According to customs data, the import volume of titanium dioxide in China in July 2024 was 9089.08 tons, a year-on-year increase of 13.36% and a month on month increase of 20.42%; Among them, the import of sulfuric acid titanium dioxide in July was 3055.21 tons, an increase of 3.18% compared to the previous month; In July, the import of titanium dioxide by chlorination method was 6033.87 tons, a month on month increase of 31.56%. From January to July 2024, China imported a total of approximately 56800 tons of titanium dioxide, a year-on-year increase of 41.09% compared to last year, with an increase of approximately 16500 tons in import volume; From January to July, a total of 17100 tons of sulfuric acid titanium dioxide were imported; From January to July, a total of 39700 tons of chlorinated titanium dioxide were imported.

According to customs data, China’s titanium dioxide exports in July 2024 were 159600 tons, a decrease of 49% compared to the previous month and an increase of 17.50% compared to the same period last year; In July, the export of sulfuric acid titanium dioxide was 134200 tons, a decrease of 8.66% compared to the previous month; In July, the export of chlorinated titanium dioxide was 25500 tons, a decrease of 13.67% compared to the previous month. From January to July 2024, China’s cumulative export of titanium dioxide was about 1.1322 million tons, an increase of 16.47% year-on-year, and the export volume increased by about 160100 tons; From January to July, the cumulative export of sulfuric acid titanium dioxide was 924000 tons; From January to July, the cumulative export of chlorinated titanium dioxide was 208300 tons.

According to customs data, China imported 463900 tons of titanium ore in July 2024, a year-on-year increase of 18.34% and a month on month increase of 53.82%, with a monthly average price of 299.31 US dollars per ton; From January to July 2024, China imported a total of approximately 269.09 tons of titanium ore, a year-on-year increase of 4.61%, with an increase of approximately 118700 tons in import volume.

In July 2024, China exported 1888.97 tons of titanium ore, a year-on-year increase of 86.84% and a month on month decrease of 79.32%; From January to July 2024, China’s cumulative export of titanium ore was about 46200 tons, an increase of 159.10% year-on-year, and the export volume increased by about 28300 tons.

3、 Future forecast

The titanium dioxide analyst from Shengyi Society believes that the price of titanium concentrate has remained firm this month, while the price of sulfuric acid has risen, putting pressure on costs. Downstream market demand remains weak. It is expected that the titanium dioxide market will continue to remain stagnant in the short term, depending on downstream market demand, and the actual transaction price will be negotiated on a case by case basis.