Seawater Salt Harvesting in Progress; Mine Salt Producers Issue Notices for Price Increases (Oct 1–8, 2026)

1. Market Focus This Week

1. Production: Autumn harvesting of sea salt is underway, with the harvest expected to conclude in mid-to-late October. Mine salt enterprises in North China are operating normally, but upcoming maintenance plans will reduce supply. Well-mine salt inventories remain low, and producers have a strong inclination to raise prices. Import salt landed costs remain high, while domestic salt price declines have narrowed. Domestic salt prices are stable but slightly weak. Downstream chlor-alkali and soda ash enterprises show moderate procurement enthusiasm.

2. During this week (October 2–8, 2026), the average capacity utilization rate for sample Chinese caustic soda enterprises with capacities of 100,000 tons or more was 78.8%, down 0.7% week-on-week. No equipment start-ups or shutdowns were explicitly recorded during the National Day holiday. Early in the week, two chlor-alkali units underwent maintenance, with no recoveries reported; other adjustments were primarily load-related. By region, chlor-alkali loads declined in North China, East China, and South China, while increasing in Northwest and Central China. Notably, Shandong’s chlor-alkali load stood at 80.1% this week, down 3.5% week-on-week. Looking ahead, 7–8 chlor-alkali units are scheduled for maintenance and 2 are set to restart. The national chlor-alkali load is projected to drop to approximately 75.4% next week.

3. During this week (October 2–8, 2026), the comprehensive capacity utilization rate for soda ash was 75.44%, up from 73.83% last week, representing a 1.61% increase week-on-week. Specifically, the ammonia-soda process utilization rate rose by 1.82% to 71.10%, while the combined production (co-production) utilization rate fell by 1.39% to 61.32%. For the 16 major enterprises with annual capacities exceeding one million tons, the overall utilization rate increased by 2.03% to 83.47%.

2. Weekly Market Analysis

Weekly Price Change Table for Domestic Crude Salt

Unit: RMB/ton

Sea salt prices remained largely stable throughout the week, while sentiment for well-mine salt price increases was strong. Some mine salt enterprises in North China issued price adjustment notices raising prices by 10 RMB/ton, and East China well-mine salt producers announced adjustments of 20 RMB/ton. Autumn harvesting continues in key sea salt production areas, creating expectations for increased future supply. Sea salt producers are actively shipping goods, making further price cuts after current lows unlikely. Currently, consumption is drawing down existing sea salt inventories. Well-mine salt producers are operating normally with restored supply; inventories have slightly increased compared to previous periods but remain at low levels. Some enterprises anticipate price hikes, with notices issued for increases of 10–20 RMB/ton. However, downstream chlor-alkali and soda ash buyers have shown limited acceptance. Prices are expected to stabilize or rise slightly.

3. Market Influencing Factors

1. North China: During the National Day holiday, prices for 32% liquid caustic soda in the Shandong region showed mixed movements, while 50% caustic soda prices generally declined. In the Luxi area of Shandong, prices began rising on October 8 due to local chlor-alkali load reductions, which may provide short-term support. As low-priced transactions converged within the Luxinan market, high-end prices shifted downward. Mainstream negotiated prices for 32% ion-exchange membrane caustic soda in Luxinan ranged from 630–655 RMB/ton. In the Lunan area, mainstream spot cash negotiations for 32% caustic soda held at 620–630 RMB/ton, while the Lubei area saw mainstream prices between 585–655 RMB/ton. Weak overseas demand for 50% liquid caustic soda, combined with lower USD quotes and notable inventory buildup, led to significant price drops during the holiday. Current market prices for 50% caustic soda have fallen to 970–1,000 RMB/ton. In Hebei province, particularly around Cangzhou and Hengshui, prices remained basically stable, with Cangzhou quoted at 615–630 RMB/ton. (Unit: RMB/ton)

2. This week, the domestic soda ash market trended steadily with relatively stable prices and minor fluctuations in specific cases. Data monitoring from Chempricehub indicates that domestic soda ash production for the week totaled 710,000 tons. Comprehensive capacity utilization rose to 75.44% from 73.83% the previous week, an increase of 1.61 percentage points. Ammonia-soda process utilization increased by 1.82% to 71.10%, while co-production utilization decreased by 1.39% to 61.32%. Overall shipments slowed slightly due to holiday factors, leading to a modest accumulation in producer inventories.