SMM News on June 19: Today, the market quotes for rutile titanium dioxide are 13,000-14,300 yuan/mt, while those for anatase titanium dioxide are 12,000-12,800 yuan/mt.
Currently, the titanium dioxide market is in the off-season, with downstream enterprises purchasing cautiously and mostly placing orders on a need basis. Despite some factories implementing production restrictions, which have alleviated inventory pressure for individual enterprises, the industry's overall inventory has still increased by approximately 20% compared to the same period last year. On the raw material side, titanium ore prices remain high due to supply and shipping costs. Imported titanium ore has been priced at 180-200 US dollars/mt for 8 consecutive weeks. Sulphuric acid prices have surged by 15% in the past three months, leading to a sharp increase in enterprise costs. Some enterprises are on the verge of incurring losses, making it difficult to further reduce prices. On the demand side, the sluggish domestic real estate and infrastructure sectors have led to a contraction in paint demand. Exports have been affected by the global economy and trade protectionism, with exports declining by 12% YoY. New order transactions are stagnant, and there is significant pressure to ship goods. The market remains sluggish, with market participants generally bearish. Some enterprises have adopted a strategy of negotiating prices on a case-by-case basis.
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