June 18th, news:
I. Price Trends
According to the commodity analysis system, the price of caustic soda has risen this week. The average market price at the beginning of the week was 646 CNY/ton, and by the end of the week, it had increased to 666 CNY/ton, a rise of 3.1%. Compared to the same period last year, the price has fallen by 23.18%. On June 17, the chlor-alkali index was 752 points, unchanged from yesterday. It has decreased by 64.66% from its highest point of 2128 points (on October 24, 2021) and has risen by 6.36% from the lowest point of 707 points on February 27, 2026. (Note: The cycle refers to the period from December 1, 2011, to the present.)
2. Market Analysis
According to the commodity analysis system, the price of caustic soda has risen this week. In Shandong, the price of caustic soda has increased, with the mainstream market quotation for 32% ion-exchange membrane caustic soda around 610-690 CNY/ton. In Zhejiang, the price of caustic soda remains stable, with the mainstream market quotation for 32% ion-exchange membrane caustic soda delivered to Xiaoshan around 760-820 CNY/ton. In Inner Mongolia, the price of caustic soda is consolidating, with the mainstream market quotation for 32% ion-exchange membrane caustic soda (on a 100% basis) around 1900-1950 CNY/ton. Recently, regions such as northern and central Shandong have maintained active shipments, leading to a decrease in enterprise inventory, which provides some support for prices in the short term. In the downstream alumina sector, due to a red mud pond issue at an alumina plant in Shanxi, there is a risk of production cuts or even shutdowns, driving market sentiment towards price increases and providing some support for spot prices. The downstream alumina sector is showing good enthusiasm for receiving goods, which is expected to be beneficial for caustic soda prices in the future.
Analysts believe that in the recent period, this week's caustic soda prices have maintained an upward trend. Recently, downstream demand in China has been good, and the current alumina purchase price is favorable. The inventory of caustic soda companies has decreased, supporting the rise in caustic soda prices. It is expected that caustic soda prices may continue to increase next week. However, due to average demand from non-aluminum enterprises, caustic soda companies generally hold an optimistic view of the future market, are holding back on selling, and are maintaining large inventories of caustic soda. Overall, it is expected that after the rise, caustic soda prices may tend to stabilize, depending on the specific downstream market demand.
