Market Report
1. Price Trends
- Ilmenite prices remained stable with a slight decrease in some high-priced ilmenite. The current transaction price for ilmenite from small and medium-sized manufacturers is around $314.94 – $317.69 per ton.
- Prices for imported ilmenite remained stable, with Mozambique ilmenite priced at around $51.09 per ton and Kenyan ilmenite (47%-49%) priced at around $49.76 per ton.
- Titanium dioxide prices remained weak. The current factory price for rutile titanium dioxide is around $2320- $2470 per ton, while the price for anatase titanium dioxide is around $2120 – $2190 per ton.
2. Market Influences
- Due to high ilmenite prices and weakening downstream titanium dioxide market, companies are under significant cost pressure and are cautious about ilmenite procurement.
- Yunnan ilmenite supply has decreased due to environmental inspections, but the market price remains stable.
- The titanium dioxide market is operating at high capacity, but domestic demand is weak which may lead to increased inventory for companies.
- Although the export market demand is good, the EU and India have launched an anti-dumping investigation against China. The future situation remains to be observed.
3. Future Predictions
- With high ilmenite prices and weak downstream demand, some prices are expected to weaken.
- Given the weak demand in the titanium dioxide market, titanium dioxide prices are expected to weaken.
- With stable demand for sponge titanium, prices are expected to remain stable.
