This week, the domestic anhydrous hydrogen fluoride market maintained a high-level consolidation operation (3.16-3.19)

March 19th News

This week, the market for anhydrous hydrogen fluoride in China maintained a high-level consolidation. According to the analysis system, as of March 19th, the benchmark price of hydrofluoric acid was 13,166.67 CNY per ton, an increase of 0.77% from last month.

Raw Materials: This week, prices of fluorite and sulfuric acid—key raw materials—have risen across the board, providing strong cost support. The sustained pressure on upstream costs has severely squeezed the profit margins of hydrofluoric acid producers; some companies have even fallen into loss-making territory. This fundamentally limits the room for hydrofluoric acid prices to decline and is fueling market bullish sentiment. According to analysis systems, as of March 19, the benchmark price of fluorite stood at 3,475.00 CNY per ton, up 1.28% from the beginning of this month (3,431.25 CNY per ton).

On the demand side: Downstream demand remains weak, and buyers are not very receptive to high-priced raw materials. Procurement is mainly driven by urgent, small-scale orders. In particular, production rates for certain refrigerant grades have declined, leading to insufficient follow-up purchases of hydrofluoric acid and making it difficult to effectively absorb the market supply. Moreover, the hydrofluoric acid market has long been characterized by an oversupply situation; most producers operate on a make-to-order basis, resulting in low overall industry utilization rates. It is expected that anhydrous hydrogen fluoride will likely remain stable in the short term.

Market Forecast: The price of fluorite and sulfuric acid, as key raw materials, remains supported at high levels; however, downstream demand is weak, with buyers primarily driven by essential needs. As a result, demand-side support is insufficient, and the market shows limited receptiveness to higher-priced raw materials. It is expected that, in the short term, the market price of anhydrous hydrogen fluoride will likely remain relatively stable. Further attention should be paid to changes in market supply and demand.