July 10th News
I. Price Trends
According to the commodity analysis system, the caustic soda prices showed a generally weak trend this week. The average market price at the beginning of the week was 652 CNY/ton, and by the end of the week, it was around 643 CNY/ton, a decrease of 1.37%, and a 24.09% decline compared to the same period last year. On July 9th, the chlor-alkali index was 740 points, unchanged from the previous day, down 65.23% from the highest point of 2128 points (October 24, 2021), and up 4.67% from the lowest point of 707 points on February 27, 2026. (Note: The period refers to December 1, 2011, to present.)
2. Market Analysis
According to the commodity analysis system, the caustic soda prices in China showed a weak trend this week. In Shandong, the price of caustic soda increased, with the mainstream market quotation for 32% ion-exchange membrane caustic soda around 610-660 CNY/ton. In Zhejiang, the caustic soda prices remained stable, with the delivered-to-Xiaoshan mainstream market quotation for 32% ion-exchange membrane caustic soda around 780-820 CNY/ton. In Inner Mongolia, the caustic soda prices were consolidating, with the mainstream market quotation for 32% ion-exchange membrane caustic soda (on a 100% basis) around 2000-2050 CNY/ton. This week, the accumulation of inventory in caustic soda enterprises was unfavorable for the caustic soda prices. The price of alumina fell, and the futures price of alumina continued to decline. Most buyers were in a wait-and-see mood, while some aluminum plants made moderate restocking based on their own inventory levels. Alumina producers were not very active in spot trading and quoted prices cautiously. The demand from non-aluminum downstream sectors remained sluggish, with most purchases made on an as-needed basis, and there was no improvement, putting pressure on the market.
Analysts believe that the caustic soda prices have been weak recently, this week. Recently, downstream alumina purchases in China have been moderate, with non-aluminum enterprises showing average demand. However, the load of chlor-alkali production in Shandong has hit a new low for the year, increasing expectations for a price floor. The overall supply and demand dynamics suggest that caustic soda prices may trend towards consolidation, depending on the specific downstream market demand.
