Author Archives: lubon

The market price of isopropanol first rose and then fell in April

1、 Price trend

Gamma-PGA (gamma polyglutamic acid)

According to the monitoring of the commodity market analysis system of Shengyi Society, the market price of isopropanol first rose and then fell in April. On April 1st, the average price of isopropanol in China was 9283.33 yuan/ton, and on April 29th, the average price was 8716.67 yuan/ton, a decrease of 6.1% compared to the beginning of the month.
In April, the market price of isopropanol first rose and then fell, indicating an overall decline in prices. In the first half of the year, the market price of isopropanol first rose and then fell, with the rise being the main trend, supported by the increase in raw material prices, and the market trading was still acceptable. In the middle of the month, the market price of isopropanol fell, downstream terminal demand was weak, and new orders from production factories were poorly traded, resulting in a decrease in quotations. The domestic isopropanol market fell first and then rose in the latter half of the year. Supported by raw material costs, some production factories have experienced narrow price increases, mainly driven by rigid demand. As of now, most of the isopropanol market prices in Shandong are around 8500-8600 yuan/ton; The majority of isopropanol market prices in Jiangsu region are around 8800-9000 yuan/ton.
In terms of raw material acetone, the domestic acetone market price first rose and then fell in April, and overall the price fell. On April 1st, the average price of acetone was 8012.5 yuan/ton, and on April 29th, the average price was 7737.5 yuan/ton, with a price reduction of 3.43%. At present, the overall trading atmosphere is good, and it is expected that the acetone market will operate strongly in the short term.
In terms of raw material propylene, the domestic propylene market price fluctuated and rose in April. On April 1st, the market average was 8784.33 yuan/ton, and on April 29th, the average price was 9351 yuan/ton, with a price increase of 6.45%. At present, international oil prices continue to rise, and propylene market trading is good. It is expected that the propylene market price will be strong in the short term.
3、 Future forecast
Isopropanol analysts believe that the market price of isopropanol rose first and then fell in April. At present, the mentality of the cargo holders is stable, and downstream purchases are made according to demand. It is expected that the isopropanol market will maintain stable operation in the short term, and more attention should be paid to the trend of the raw material market.

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The weak supply and demand dynamic persists, with antimony ingot prices fluctuating downward in April

In April 2026, the domestic 1 # antimony ingot market experienced a volatile downward trend. At the beginning of the month, the average market price was 168000 yuan/ton, and at the end of the month, the average price was 161250 yuan/ton, with a cumulative decrease of 4.02% throughout the month. In April, the overall performance of the domestic antimony ingot market showed an increase in price decline, weak supply and demand, and intensified long short game. The sustained weakness of terminal demand became the core factor leading to the weakening of the market. The supply side gradually formed a bottom support force under the support of factors such as mine shutdown and refinery active production reduction. The price difference between domestic and foreign markets returned to a high outside and low inside pattern. The market trading atmosphere was more active than before, but the overall situation is still in a weak adjustment stage, and the price center continues to shift downwards.

Gamma-PGA (gamma polyglutamic acid)

Supply side:
Due to control measures and accidents, domestic antimony mines have been shut down for rectification, resulting in a contraction in raw material output. Coupled with a decrease in overseas raw material sources and an inverted price difference between domestic and foreign sources, the import replenishment efforts are limited; Although the import volume of antimony raw materials was relatively high in the first quarter and the short-term supply of goods was relatively loose, the continuous decline in antimony prices this month has compressed the profits of smelting enterprises. Refineries have generally adopted operations such as shutting down furnaces and reducing production, and reducing inventory and production. Coupled with the overall higher overseas antimony prices than domestic prices, the export circulation of goods is restricted, and the overall market supply pressure is gradually easing. The industry’s proactive production control has brought certain bottom support to antimony prices.
Demand side:
Flame retardant materials account for about 55% of the traditional downstream demand for antimony, while glass accounts for about 15%. Antimony is an essential element in photovoltaic glass production and cannot be replaced. With the continuous development of China’s photovoltaic industry, the main increment of antimony metal in the future will be in the photovoltaic field.
Antimony oxide: Antimony oxide is the core downstream application field of antimony ingots, mainly used in the production of flame retardants. The overall transaction volume of antimony oxide this month is relatively weak. Affected by a shortage of orders in downstream industries such as plastics and electronics, flame retardant companies have a low purchasing willingness. Although bromine prices have significantly decreased this month, easing the cost pressure on flame retardant companies, there has been no substantial improvement in terminal demand. Companies only maintain essential replenishment, with weak willingness to actively stock up. The continued weak purchasing demand for antimony oxide has indirectly transmitted to the antimony ingot market, resulting in insufficient support for antimony ingot demand.
Photovoltaic: The photovoltaic field is an emerging demand growth point for antimony ingots, mainly used for photovoltaic glass production. In April, the demand in this field continued to be weak, which failed to effectively stimulate the antimony ingot market. The current photovoltaic glass industry is in a weak operating situation, with continuously low capacity utilization, high inventory pressure, and a strong atmosphere of production reduction and cold repair in the industry. The strong expectation of price reduction in the terminal market, slowdown in overseas shipments, and lower than expected module production have led to a synchronous contraction in the procurement demand for antimony ingots by photovoltaic glass enterprises, further exacerbating the weak situation on the demand side of antimony ingots.
Market outlook: In the short term, the domestic antimony ingot market is intertwined with bullish and bearish factors, and the weak demand trend is difficult to change in the short term. The recovery of core downstream demand such as photovoltaics and flame retardants is weak, which still exerts pressure on antimony prices; However, the expectation of supply side contraction continues to strengthen, with refineries proactively reducing production, mines shutting down for rectification, and the inverted price difference between domestic and foreign markets suppressing imports, providing bottom support for antimony prices. It is expected that the domestic antimony ingot market will be in a stage of supply-demand rebalancing in May, with prices likely to fluctuate in a narrow range, limited downward space, and insufficient rebound momentum. In the future, it is necessary to focus on the recovery of downstream demand, the implementation of refinery production cuts, and the impact of international antimony price fluctuations.

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A sharp drop of over 20% within the month! When will the market bottom out when the price of melamine breaks through 7500 yuan?

1、 Market Review
This week, melamine has emerged from an extreme market trend of “sharp decline followed by sideways trend”. The benchmark price of Shengyi Society fell from 8050 yuan/ton at the beginning of the week to 7025 yuan/ton over the weekend, with a cumulative decline of 12.73% for the whole week, almost wiping out most of the previous gains and becoming the week with the most severe decline since this round of rise.
Core driving factors for decline
1. In the early stage of price surge on the supply and demand side, the market is overly optimistic about the peak season demand for downstream boards and coatings. However, terminal demand has not shown any improvement this week, and downstream enterprises only maintain essential procurement, resulting in a complete collapse of their willingness to accept high priced orders; At the same time, the equipment that was shut down for maintenance in the early stage resumed production, and the market supply quickly rebounded. The supply-demand contradiction shifted from tight balance to loose, and prices lost their upward support.
At the beginning of the week, a sharp drop of nearly 10% in a single day broke the market’s bullish expectations, and pessimism quickly spread. Some traders chose to clear inventory at low prices to avoid risks, exacerbating the downward pressure on the market.
Trend prediction
Based on this week’s technical signals and market fundamentals, the following are the predictions for next week’s trend:
Short term (1-2 weeks): Due to the “negative expansion” stage of the mean, the momentum of inertia decline still exists. There is a strong pessimistic sentiment in the market, and downstream buyers are mostly adopting a wait-and-see attitude. It is expected that the price will repeatedly compete around the 7450 yuan/ton line. If the support is weak, there is still a risk of further exploring the 7000 yuan integer level.
Mid term (1 month): Pay attention to when the 10 day moving average will level. Only when the price stops falling and stabilizes, and the moving average shifts from “negative expansion” to “negative contraction”, is it a signal of slowing down the decline and market bottoming out.

Melamine

In April, the domestic natural rubber market saw a slight rise in prices

Since April 2026, the natural rubber market has seen a slight increase. As of April 27th, the spot rubber market in China’s natural rubber market was around 17150 yuan/ton, an increase of 3.52% from 16566 yuan/ton at the beginning of the month.

Gamma-PGA (gamma polyglutamic acid)

Due to weather disturbances, the rubber cutting process at home and abroad is slow, and the overall supply is tight. The main production areas of Yunnan and Hainan in China continue to experience high temperatures and little rainfall, and some areas in Yunnan have temporarily stopped cutting due to drought. After cutting in Hainan, the release of glue is slow. Southeast Asian countries such as Thailand and Vietnam have also been affected by drought disturbances, leading to higher prices for raw material adhesives. Raw material prices in Thai production areas have reached a new high in recent years, with strong cost support. ANRPC data shows that global natural rubber production may slightly contract in 2026, with a supply and demand gap of about 400000 tons for the whole year, and the expectation of tight supply is rising.
Downstream tire companies experience narrow fluctuations in production, with strong demand support being the main factor. As of the week of April 24th, the construction rate of semi steel tires by domestic tire companies was 7.7%; The construction of all steel tires by Shandong tire enterprises started at 6.90%. The demand for natural rubber has some support, but tire inventory continues to rise. The turnover days of all steel tires are nearly 40 days, and the turnover days of semi steel tires are over 43 days. Enterprise procurement is mainly based on rigid needs, and the willingness to replenish inventory is low. ​
Port inventory has slightly increased: as of April 26, 2026, the total inventory of Tianjiao bonded and general trade in Qingdao area was 716300 tons, an increase of 7500 tons compared to the previous period, with a growth rate of 1.06%. ​
Market forecast:
Overall, if the precipitation in the production area continues to be low in the later stage, the expectation of tight supply will be strengthened, and the price is expected to be tested at 17500 yuan/ton; If the drought situation eases, the amount of new glue added accelerates, and the inventory turnover slows down, the price may fall back to around 16500 yuan/ton. ​

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Weak supply and demand, Copper prices mainly fluctuate widely

1、 Trend analysis

Gamma-PGA (gamma polyglutamic acid)

According to monitoring data from Shengyi Society, copper prices have fluctuated widely this week. As of the 24th, copper prices were reported at 102618 yuan/ton, a decrease of 0.28% from the beginning of the week and a year-on-year increase of 31.36%.
According to the weekly rise and fall chart of Shengyi Society, in the past three months, copper prices have fallen by 7 and risen by 6, with a slight decrease this week.
LME copper inventory
According to data released by the London Metal Exchange (LME). LME copper inventory has slightly decreased, with 396000 tons of LME copper inventory as of the weekend, down 0.61% from the beginning of the week.
Macroscopically, the initial value of the US manufacturing PMI in April directly hit 54.0, far exceeding expectations and setting a new high in nearly four years. What does this mean? The US economy is so hot that there is no need for the Federal Reserve to urgently cut interest rates. The employment data is also very hard, with only a slight increase in the number of initial jobless claims. The US dollar index rebounded in response, approaching the 99 level, and the US stock market closed down across the board. For non-ferrous metals priced in US dollars, this is undoubtedly a blow.
Supply side: The acid shortage problem in Chile and the Democratic Republic of Congo continues to ferment, and the accident at the Grasberg mine in Indonesia casts a shadow over the recovery of production capacity in the second half of the year. Although the news of the resumption of production at the Lu’anxia copper mine in Zambia has brought a slight easing, the global surplus reversal predicted by ICSG indicates that the background of tight supply-demand balance remains unchanged.
On the demand side: The traditional sector is showing signs of fatigue, with insufficient consumption of “gold, silver, and four”. Traditional consumer sectors such as real estate, construction engineering, infrastructure construction, and white goods have shown sluggish performance. Due to limited profit margins in these industries, it is difficult to digest the pressure of raw material costs of up to 100000 yuan, which in turn has a very limited driving effect on copper consumption. However, the explosive power of emerging fields is filling this gap. According to data from the International Energy Agency, the global increase in photovoltaic power generation leads renewable energy, coupled with the construction of domestic AI computing centers, the expansion of PCB production, and the strong growth of “new three types” exports (electric vehicle, lithium battery, and solar cell exports increased by 77.5%, 50.4%, and 30.5% respectively in the first quarter), opening up a new growth pole for copper consumption. In addition, the double increase in the transaction area of new and second-hand houses in 10 key cities last week also revealed a weak signal of recovery in the real estate sector.
In summary, copper prices are currently in a game of “strong expectations” and “weak reality”. Goldman Sachs maintains its forecast of copper oversupply in 2026, but also warns of supply risks that may arise from sulfuric acid shortages. The upper part is constrained by the fear of high spot prices and the strength of the US dollar, while the lower part is supported by the shortage of mining resources and geopolitical risks. There is no basis for unilateral skyrocketing or plummeting. For the future market, short-term copper prices are likely to experience wide range fluctuations.

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Cost and consumption both weak, ABS price continues to decline

Fundamental analysis

Gamma-PGA (gamma polyglutamic acid)

Supply level: In mid April, the domestic ABS industry experienced a combination of maintenance and resumption of work, with an overall low and stable level. The overall operating level of the industry is slightly increasing at around 60%, with an average weekly output of nearly 130000 tons and finished product inventory rising to 200000 tons. In the short term, there is still a slight expectation of incremental changes in production in the future, and the supply on the market is generally abundant. Overall, the support for spot prices from the ABS supply side has remained flat.
Cost factor: In early April, the situation in the Middle East was volatile, and the mentality of oil market operators was divided. Since mid month, the core logic of the market has rapidly shifted from the previous geopolitical conflict premium to negotiating easing expectations and resonating with negative fundamentals. Combined with the four factors of IEA lowering supply and demand expectations and API inventory surge, international oil prices have plummeted. Affected by it, the upstream three materials of ABS, which belong to the petrochemical chain, all fell. Although the industry load of acrylonitrile is not high, the arrival of cargo at the port is low. But the shrinking domestic demand in the market and the sluggish spot trading have dragged down the price center of gravity. A pattern of weak supply and demand, with prices falling. In late April, the domestic ABS market continued to decline, with most spot prices gradually decreasing. According to data from Shengyishe Spot News, as of April 23, the average price of ABS sample products was 10916.67 yuan/ton, a decrease of 14.49% from the beginning of the month.
There has been a significant decline in the butadiene market. The gradual loosening of cost support and the weak boost of downstream demand have become the core factors driving the market trend. Even if the overall supply of spot goods is tight, it is difficult to hedge the downward pressure brought by weak demand. The industry as a whole presents a game pattern of strong supply and weak demand, with prices falling and adjusting in stages.
The styrene market continues to decline. In the short term, there is an expectation of a reduction in petroleum benzene on the raw material side, especially with a continuous decrease in imported sources. The domestic supply and demand pattern of pure benzene tends to be strong, but it is difficult to offset the guidance brought by the heavy decline in crude oil. However, the current consumption of styrene lacks effective driving force, and the market lacks the motivation to continue rising, which may put prices in a dilemma.
In terms of demand: As we enter late April, downstream ABS enterprises are showing a flat trend in production, with the main terminal electrical housing industry experiencing average consumption and no improvement in terminal enterprise profitability. The atmosphere inside the venue has shifted from chasing gains to killing losses, and there has been a significant reduction in operations to replenish and build positions. Merchants offer lower profits in their profit taking positions, causing a drag on the price center. The current ABS finished product inventory position continues to rise, and the buyer camp’s resistance to high priced goods is expanding. Overall, the demand side has poor support for the ABS market.
future market forecast
In early April, the domestic ABS market continued to decline. The production load of the aggregation plant has generally leveled off, and the on-site supply is still abundant. The cost and material prices have all fallen. The current ABS market is in a dual negative situation of high cost decline and weak demand. Under high production capacity, centralized maintenance has limited suppression on inventory accumulation. At present, spot prices are declining at a high level, and trading on the market is relatively quiet.

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Raw materials are declining, and the PA66 market has recently fallen from its high level

1、 Market Review of the Past Week

Gamma-PGA (gamma polyglutamic acid)

In the past week (April 15-21), the PA66 market has shown a high volatility trend with a slight decline after a surge. On April 14th, the benchmark price of PA66 in Shengyi Society rose to 25100 yuan/ton, setting a new high in price in a year; On April 21st, the benchmark price of PA66 was reported at 24100 yuan/ton, which was slightly lower than April 14th. However, it still rose by 4.93% in 10 days, 20.50% in 30 days, and 52.85% in 60 days, maintaining a high overall trend.
2、 Cause analysis
Cost side – high raw material prices, strong cost support is the core driving force
The raw material side continues to remain at a historically high level, which is the core driving force behind the price increase of PA66 in this round.
In terms of hexamethylenediamine, the execution price of NVIDIA in April has been raised to 26000 yuan/ton, a significant increase from the beginning of the year. In the first quarter, the market price of hexamethylenediamine in East China rose from 16300 yuan/ton in early January to 28000 yuan/ton at the end of March, with a cumulative increase of 11700 yuan/ton, or 71.78%.
In terms of adipic acid, the cumulative increase in the first quarter exceeded 50%. Although the benchmark price of adipic acid slightly decreased by 0.63% in mid April compared to the beginning of the month, the overall trend is still relatively high in history. Adipic acid in East China increased from 7025 yuan/ton in early January to 10800 yuan/ton at the end of March, an increase of 53.74%.
Although the geopolitical conflict in the Middle East has eased recently, the energy premium in the early stage has been deeply embedded in the industrial chain, making it difficult for the short-term cost center to move downwards, and the cost pressure on production enterprises is still relatively high.
Supply and demand side – supply contraction, weak demand, forming a stalemate pattern
The tight supply side supports prices. Recently, there has been a decrease in imported goods, resulting in tight spot circulation in the market and a strong reluctance among traders to sell. Both manufacturers and traders have overall low inventory levels. Supply contraction provides support for spot prices.
Weak demand suppresses upward potential. The downstream textile industry has a low acceptance of high prices and generally adopts the strategy of “small order demand, on-demand procurement”. Large order purchases are rare, and trading activity is insufficient, forming a stalemate pattern of “supply side control and demand suppression”. Some traders have started to sell at a discount in their profit taking positions, which has weakened market confidence.
3、 Short term forecast for the future market
It is expected that the PA66 market will maintain high volatility in the short term, and there is little possibility of a significant unilateral increase or decrease in prices. Overall, strong cost support and weak demand will continue to play a game, with price trends highly dependent on changes in the raw material side and downstream order recovery progress. If there is no significant improvement in terminal demand, high prices or suppression of production will lead to the continuation of the “price but no market” situation.

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Supply rebound is limited & cost values decline, leading to fluctuating PP prices with potential downward trends

According to data from Shengyi Society’s spot trading platform, the domestic PP market fluctuated at a high level in late April, with prices of various product brands falling more and rising less. As of April 21st, the benchmark price for PP wire drawing offered by Shengyi Society is 9183.33 yuan/ton, an increase of 0.18% from the beginning of the month.

Gamma-PGA (gamma polyglutamic acid)

price trend
In terms of raw materials:
Currently, the market’s concerns about the production and transportation of Middle Eastern crude oil under the influence of geopolitical factors have eased, and the international oil price premium is rapidly shifting towards negotiations to ease expectations and resonate with negative fundamentals. The signals of US Iran peace talks continue to rise, with intermittent resumption of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz. The IEA has lowered its supply and demand expectations, while API inventories have surged. Under the combination of multiple factors, a pattern of weak crude oil has emerged, and the remote cost value of PP has fallen at a high level. In the early stage of propylene production, the centralized maintenance of enterprise equipment has been implemented, and the demand side has steadily received goods. Spot prices have risen to a high level, but the price center has recently rebounded. Although there are still not many shipments of propane at the port, overseas prices have been significantly lowered in the early stages, while domestic spot prices have remained strong in recent days. Overall, the prices of various PP raw materials have fluctuated, which has loosened the support for PP costs.
Supply side:
In mid April, there was a mutual occurrence of maintenance release and return of domestic PP enterprises, and the overall operating rate position was said to have rebounded. As of press time, the overall load of the domestic industry has risen to around 71%. The industry’s loss of production capacity has shrunk, and the current inventory level has rebounded to around 800000 tons, while imports to the port are at a low level. Overall, the supply side still has support for spot prices.
In terms of demand:
Affected by the high mid-term spot prices, the overall trading atmosphere in the downstream market of the industry is cautious. Last month, oversold contracts and chasing orders from refineries were basically delivered, but the current transaction pace has slowed down and warehouse building operations have decreased. Buyers often use and take as you go, with scattered small orders being the main focus. Some terminal small and micro enterprises that have reduced production and stopped production due to high cost pressures have limited resumption of work, while large and medium-sized enterprises continue to stabilize and acquire goods. The overall demand side is in a wait-and-see situation, with performance falling short of market expectations and average support for PP.
future market forecast
In late April, the domestic PP market prices fell sharply from high levels. Fundamentally speaking, the industry’s load position has basically moved out of the historical low range, but the recovery of supply still requires time. The position of social inventory has rebounded, and port imports remain low. However, with a large production capacity base, the supply of goods can still meet the demand. In terms of futures prices, they have recently fallen, and the widening basis has dragged down spot prices. Business Society PP analysts believe that the current PP market is torn between long and short positions, with ambiguous guidance and insufficient market action in the future, and there may still be downward space.

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Indonesia’s new policy takes effect, driving a significant surge in nickel prices

1、 Trend analysis

Gamma-PGA (gamma polyglutamic acid)

According to the monitoring of nickel prices by Shengyi Society, nickel prices have risen significantly this week. As of the weekend, the spot nickel price was 144000 yuan/ton, an increase of 6.65% from the beginning of the week and a year-on-year increase of 12.86%.
Nickel weekly fluctuation chart
According to the weekly chart of Shengyi Society, nickel prices have fallen 6 times and risen 5 times in the past 12 weeks, with a strong rebound in nickel prices recently.
Nickel industry chain
Macroscopically, the international macro is generally warm, but there are still hidden concerns: the US dollar index continues to decline for eight consecutive days, now at the 98 level, marking the longest continuous decline cycle since June 2020; Positive progress has been made in the US Iran negotiations, and market risk aversion has significantly cooled down; The US stock market continues to be strong, with the Nasdaq recording 11 consecutive gains and reaching a new historical high, and the S&P 500 index breaking through the 7000 point integer mark for the first time. Domestically, the GDP growth rate for the first quarter released today meets market expectations, which has boosted market confidence to a certain extent. However, the improvement in downstream demand is limited and has not formed a strong price drive.
On the supply side, China’s refined nickel production in March was 37337 tons, an increase of 14.53% month on month and 1.83% year-on-year. The estimated refined nickel production in China for April is 38830 tons, an increase of 4.00% month on month and 6.53% year-on-year. The pressure of rising supply side costs is significant, and Indonesia’s policy tightening has become the biggest variable. The country has successively introduced multiple industrial control policies, systematically pushing up the cost curve of the global nickel industry; At the same time, the prices of key upstream raw materials have significantly increased, and the supply of intermediate goods continues to be tight, further raising the production costs of the smelting process.
On the demand side: The overall performance of the demand side is weak, with only the improvement of profits in the stainless steel industry providing relatively stable support; The production and sales of new energy vehicles are stable, but the demand growth for ternary batteries is weak, and the industry is currently in the off-season of traditional consumption; Downstream enterprises generally adopt a cautious purchasing attitude, mainly focusing on replenishing inventory for essential needs, and the high inventory pattern continues to suppress the upward space of prices.
In summary, the tight supply of upstream intermediate goods and weak terminal demand coexist, and the serious imbalance of profit distribution in the industrial chain greatly limits the volatility elasticity of nickel prices. Macroscopically, the implementation of Indonesia’s new policies has brought about a rise in the bottom support of nickel mines, and the actual supply pressure combined with insufficient inventory digestion constraints is expected to lead to strong fluctuations in nickel prices.

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Cost support drives up the market price of light rare earths

Recently, the domestic light rare earth market prices have risen. On April 16th, the Shengyi Society Rare Earth Index was 685 points, an increase of 18 points from the 11th, a decrease of 31.98% from the highest point of 1007 points during the cycle (2022-02-24), and an increase of 152.77% from the lowest point of 271 points on September 13th, 2015.

Gamma-PGA (gamma polyglutamic acid)

Domestic prices of neodymium oxide, metallic neodymium, praseodymium oxide, metallic praseodymium, praseodymium neodymium alloy, and praseodymium neodymium oxide have all shown an upward trend. As of the 17th, the price of neodymium oxide was 845000 yuan/ton, with a price increase of 3.68% this week; The price of neodymium metal is 1.05 million yuan/ton, with a price increase of 5.0% this week; The price of praseodymium oxide is 835000 yuan/ton, with a 4.05% increase this week; The price of praseodymium metal is 1.045 million yuan/ton, with a price trend of 6.63% this week; The price of praseodymium neodymium alloy is 985000 yuan/ton, with a price increase of 5.35% this week; The price of praseodymium neodymium oxide is 812500 yuan/ton, with a 2.20% increase this week.
Recently, the domestic light rare earth market prices have risen, with core product prices continuing to rise, and the market atmosphere rapidly warming up. The core is the resonance of four major events: the sharp rise in concentrate costs triggering a full chain price adjustment, the depletion of spot inventory, the concentration of essential demand replenishment, and the tightening of supply expectations.
1、 Direct factor: Significant increase in concentrate prices
Baosteel Group and Northern Rare Earth have raised their concentrate prices to 38804 yuan/ton in the second quarter, an increase of 11970 yuan/ton month on month, marking the seventh consecutive quarter of price increases. After the pricing reform, the largest single quarter increase broke the expectation of “slow rise”, and traders and separation factories collectively held back on sales, resulting in a sharp decrease in spot circulation and an increase in the market price of light rare earths.
2、 Spot end: inventory bottoming out, no stock available for sale
The inventory of the entire industry chain is at a historical low, far below the 3-4 month safety line, and low-priced spot goods have basically disappeared. The orders for new energy vehicles and wind power have rebounded, and magnetic material factories have resumed work to replenish inventory. Coupled with overseas panic stocking, it is difficult to find a single item, which has pushed up the prices of rare earths in four markets.
3、 Supply side: rigid locking, expected to be tighter
Domestic quotas are strictly controlled, with a mining quota of 285000 tons by 2026. The growth rate of light rare earths has been suppressed to within 6%, the lowest in recent years, and the supply is inelastic. In addition, the sharp decline in imports from Myanmar has resulted in a month on month decrease of over 40% in port arrivals, insufficient replacement and supplementation of medium and heavy rare earths, and an expanding gap in light rare earths. As a result, the domestic market for light rare earths has risen.
4、 Demand side: Centralized release of new energy essential needs
The sales of new energy vehicles have increased, and the penetration rate of permanent magnet motors is over 95%, making it necessary to replenish the inventory in a centralized manner. Global new installed capacity has increased by 40%, with a surge in offshore megawatt wind turbines and orders scheduled for the second half of the year. Recently, European and American manufacturers have increased their stocking due to supply chain uncertainty, leading to a widening price difference between domestic and international markets and a surge in export orders.
In the short term, the rare earth market is prone to rise but difficult to fall, with a focus on maintaining high levels. With the gradual recovery of demand in downstream fields such as new energy vehicles, wind power installation, and industrial motors, coupled with the continuous tightening of rare earth industry control, the expectation of strategic storage, and the recovery of overseas high-end manufacturing demand, the supply and demand pattern of rare earths is expected to tighten again. At the same time, rare earths, as the core raw materials of high-tech industries, remain unchanged in the long-term demand growth logic under the background of carbon neutrality and high-end manufacturing upgrading, and the rare earth market is expected to strengthen in a long-term trend.

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