March China Titanium Dioxide Market Prices Rise

April 1st news

I. Price Trends

Taking the sulfuric acid method rutile titanium dioxide, which has a large sales volume in the Chinese market, as an example, according to data monitoring, the price of titanium dioxide in China rose in March. The average price of titanium dioxide was 13,900 CNY/ton on March 1st and 15,260 CNY/ton on March 31st, with an increase of 9.78%.

2. Market Analysis

This month, the market price of titanium dioxide has increased. Due to the impact of the international situation caused by the war in the Middle East, the price of sulfuric acid has risen due to a tight supply chain. The sharp increase in the cost of upstream raw materials has, in turn, pushed up the production cost of titanium dioxide. Titanium dioxide manufacturers are under significant cost pressure, and they have raised prices three times within the month. In China, the cumulative increase is 2000 CNY/ton, while internationally, it is 350 US dollars/ton, setting a new high for the frequency and magnitude of price adjustments in a single month in recent years. As of now, the quotations for sulfate process rutile titanium dioxide in China mostly range between 14,800-15,800 CNY/ton; anatase type is around 14,000-14,300 CNY/ton, with actual transaction prices negotiated on a case-by-case basis.

According to customs data, in January 2026, China exported approximately 183,800 tons of titanium dioxide, a year-on-year increase of 15.96%; in February, it exported about 151,500 tons, a slight decrease of 3.81% year-on-year. The cumulative exports for January-February were 335,300 tons, a year-on-year increase of 6.11%. Among these, the sulfate process exports amounted to about 250,500 tons, a slight decrease of 2.76% year-on-year; while the chloride process exports reached about 84,800 tons, a significant increase of 45.21% year-on-year.

According to customs data, the import volume of titanium dioxide in January 2026 was 6,124.92 tons, a decrease of 16.15% year-on-year and 8.46% month-on-month; in February, the import volume further dropped to 3,517.86 tons, a sharp decrease of 32.36% year-on-year. The cumulative import for the first two months was 9,600 tons, a decrease of 22.89% year-on-year. In terms of product types, the import of chloride process titanium dioxide was 6,408.43 tons, a decrease of 12.67% year-on-year; the import of sulfate process titanium dioxide was 3,234.57 tons, a significant decrease of 37.41% year-on-year.

III. Future Market Forecast

Titanium dioxide analysts believe: This month, due to the impact of geopolitical conflicts in the Middle East on the prices of upstream raw materials for titanium dioxide, the production costs of titanium dioxide have been pushed up. It is expected that in the short term, the price of titanium dioxide may continue to rise.