Recently, soda ash has been fluctuating with a weak trend. Most companies have maintained firm prices, with a few experiencing slight declines. Downstream demand remains lukewarm, with low-price restocking occurring. Futures prices have dropped, creating a price advantage for futures versus spot, leading to increased trading volumes. From the perspective of plant maintenance, as overhauls gradually conclude, supply has rebounded from its bottom, and the certainty of further supply increases is strong. With insufficient downstream demand driving factors, the overall outlook is hardly optimistic.

Key points to watch in the soda ash market:

1. Soda ash transaction volumes and pending orders.
2. The impact of high ocean freight costs on soda ash imports and exports.
3. Downstream inventory levels and plant operating conditions.
4. Soda ash plant maintenance schedules and production cuts.
5. Soda ash enterprise inventories and price adjustments.
6. Futures price fluctuations and macroeconomic drivers.

Currently, soda ash maintenance is gradually concluding, with supply expected to trend upward. Few plants are scheduled for maintenance in June, with only a handful planning overhauls at the end of the month, resulting in lower production losses compared to May. Based on current statistics, daily soda ash production stands at approximately 102,000 tons.

1. Maintenance recovery expected, operating rates to rise subsequently