January China Titanium Dioxide Market Prices Increase

January 29th, News

I. Price Trends

Taking the sulfuric acid method rutile titanium dioxide, which has a large volume of transactions in the Chinese market, as an example, according to data monitoring, the price of titanium dioxide in China increased in January. The average price of titanium dioxide on January 1st was 13,740 CNY per ton, and on January 29th, it was 13,900 CNY per ton, with a price increase of 1.16%.

II. Market Analysis

In January, titanium dioxide prices in China saw an upward adjustment. In the first half of the month, demand for titanium dioxide remained moderate, and trading activity in the market was slightly subdued, with prices generally stable. In the middle of the month, sulfuric acid prices—the key raw material—remained stubbornly high, putting significant cost pressure on companies. As a result, titanium producers maintained firm, upward price quotes. By the end of the month, market sentiment was strongly bullish, with many players anticipating further price hikes. TiHai Technology issued a notice announcing a price increase of 500 CNY per ton for domestically produced rutile-grade titanium dioxide and an increase of 70 USD per ton for international grades. As of now, the quoted prices for sulfuric acid-based rutile-grade titanium dioxide in China generally range from 13,200 to 14,300 CNY per ton, while anatase-grade prices are around 12,200 to 12,800 CNY per ton; actual transaction prices are negotiated on a case-by-case basis.

According to customs data, China exported 171,800 tons of titanium dioxide in December 2025, a year-on-year increase of 8.49% and a month-on-month increase of 12.88%. Among these, 127,700 tons were exported using the sulfate process, a month-on-month increase of 8.49%; and 44,200 tons were exported using the chloride process, a month-on-month increase of 27.83%. From January to December 2025, China's total titanium dioxide exports amounted to approximately 1,816,900 tons, a year-on-year decrease of 4.46%, or about 84,800 tons. This marks the first decline in annual export volume since 2016. Of these, 366,500 tons were exported using the chloride process, a year-on-year increase of 5.95%; and 1,450,500 tons were exported using the sulfate process, a year-on-year decrease of 6.77%.

According to customs data, China imported 6,691.21 tons of titanium dioxide in December 2025, a decrease of 7.71% year-on-year and an increase of 25.27% month-on-month. Among these, chlorination method imports amounted to 3,549.67 tons, a decrease of 7.41% month-on-month, and sulfuric acid method imports amounted to 3,141.54 tons, a decrease of 2.49% month-on-month. From January to December 2025, the total import of titanium dioxide was 74,500 tons, a decrease of 18.92% year-on-year. Among these, 30,200 tons of sulfuric acid method titanium dioxide were imported, a decrease of 3.99% year-on-year, and 44,400 tons of chlorination method titanium dioxide were imported, a decrease of 26.67% year-on-year.

III. Future Market Forecast

Titanium dioxide analysts believe that, due to the impact of this month's production costs, titanium dioxide manufacturers are under considerable pressure. Currently, the market atmosphere is dominated by a wait-and-see approach, with most companies adopting a wait-and-see stance. It is expected that, in the short term, the market will remain stable with a slight upward trend, and actual transaction prices will be negotiated on a case-by-case basis.