Some Titanium Dioxide Enterprises Announce Price Increases Against the Trend: What Is the Market Outlook? [SMM Analysis]

This week, the titanium dioxide market prices generally remained relatively stable. However, since Taihai and Yutu issued notices to raise prices by 500 yuan/mt against the trend, few producers have followed suit, with most setting prices based on their own circumstances. Currently, the price of sulphuric acid process rutile titanium dioxide is quoted at 14,000-14,900 yuan/mt, while anatase titanium dioxide is quoted at 12,500-13,000 yuan/mt.

In terms of raw materials: Pangang has suspended external shipments of raw ore, leading to an increasingly tight supply of Sinomine Resource Group in the market. Many hydraulic beneficiation plants have been forced to halt operations for maintenance due to this impact, and the supply of refined ore in the market has also begun to tighten. It is expected that titanium ore prices will remain stable in the future.

This week, trading activity in the titanium dioxide market improved compared to earlier periods, mainly driven by intensified stockpiling and hoarding operations ahead of the Chinese New Year, which exacerbated supply tightness. It is understood that low inventory levels among traders and downstream players have caused supply shortages for some titanium dioxide producers, leading to a slight increase in domestic titanium dioxide prices. However, considering the overall market demand remains weak, the sustainability of the price increase still requires market validation. SMM expects the titanium dioxide market to remain generally stable but exhibit a slightly weak operating trend.