Titanium Dioxide Market in the Doldrums, Peak Season Expectations Weak [SMM Spot Titanium Report]

SMM, August 28:  

SMM, August 28: The SMM titanium dioxide index price was 14,080 yuan/mt. Rutile titanium dioxide closed at 12,500-14,800 yuan/mt, with an average price of 13,650 yuan/mt; anatase titanium dioxide closed at 12,000-13,000 yuan/mt, and chloride-process titanium dioxide at 15,300-17,000 yuan/mt. Prices across the titanium dioxide product series were all unchanged today from the previous trading day.

Titanium dioxide prices held stable overall today, with the core market contradiction still concentrated on the demand side. Supply side, overall industry output was relatively large; only a few large producers were able to balance production and sales, while most enterprises continued to see inventory buildup. Some enterprises chose to wait and see or sell at low prices due to uncertain market conditions. Demand side, weighed down by downstream consumption from real estate, coatings and other sectors, end-user procurement was mainly based on rigid demand, with no concentrated restocking for the time being. Meanwhile, raw material side, titanium concentrate and sulphuric acid prices pulled back, further weakening cost support from raw materials. As a result, the market held cautious expectations for the upcoming "September-October peak season"; many industry participants were not even optimistic about a near-term improvement and believed that a substantive reversal of the current industry situation would be difficult. Overall, the supply-demand pattern is unlikely to improve significantly, and the titanium dioxide market is likely to remain in the doldrums in the short term.