The overall atmosphere is weak.

1. Daily Summary

① Sentiment in the domestic fluorspar market remains cautious today, with limited upside potential for the future. The mainstream reference price for 97% wet fluorspar powder in the domestic market is 3,300–3,750 CNY/ton.

② The mainstream contract price for downstream anhydrous hydrofluoric acid (AHF) for October currently references 14,500–14,800 CNY/ton.

2. Spot Market Overview

Table 1: Domestic Fluorspar Price Summary (Unit: CNY/ton)

Data Source: Chempricehub Information

The domestic market for 97% fluorspar concentrate powder showed overall weakness today. Trading activity in the fluorspar market has been limited. Suppliers are keen to sell, but mid-to-downstream buyers have limited capacity to accept goods. The slight recovery in prices during the previous period has deepened downstream wait-and-see sentiment, extending their entry cycle. Most traders had already built up inventory earlier; therefore, even if some downstream areas have procurement needs, their impact on upstream prices remains limited. In southern markets, the price center dropped by 50–100 CNY/ton after the holiday. There are still expectations of increased pressure from sulfuric acid in the future, which continues to weigh on fluorspar prices. Current spot delivered prices across domestic regions are as follows: Inner Mongolia at 3,300–3,400 CNY/ton; Zhejiang at 3,500–3,600 CNY/ton; Jiangxi and Fujian at 3,700–3,750 CNY/ton; Shandong at 3,500–3,600 CNY/ton; Northwest regions at 3,250–3,350 CNY/ton; Henan and Anhui at 3,250–3,350 CNY/ton. As of press time, the mainstream delivered price for domestic 97% wet fluorspar powder references 3,300–3,750 CNY/ton.

3. Production Dynamics

The monthly capacity utilization rate for anhydrous hydrofluoric acid (AHF) in September was 57%.

4. Price Forecast

Bullish sentiment in the fluorspar market is strong, but future upside space is limited. The AHF market is supported by robust costs.

5. Related Product Status

Anhydrous Hydrofluoric Acid Market: Sentiment in the domestic AHF market remains cautious today. Negotiations within the market are active, and the trading center for spot goods has risen significantly. However, order intake is limited, primarily because producers adopted a wait-and-see approach regarding post-holiday sulfuric acid rebounds, aiming to secure contracts while available. Sulfuric acid rebounded as expected after the holiday, squeezing profit margins again. As of press time, the mainstream delivered price for domestic AHF in October references 14,500–14,800 CNY/ton, with the Shandong market referencing 14,760–15,000 CNY/ton.

Sulfuric Acid: Today, the Chempricehub index for 98% sulfuric acid stood at 1,245 CNY/ton, down 7 CNY/ton from yesterday, consistent with morning expectations. The price center in many domestic sulfuric acid regions continued to shift downward. In Guangxi, recent consecutive price cuts in surrounding areas have clearly impacted the local market. Downstream buyers have become more cautious, showing limited willingness to take delivery, resulting in insufficient volume in actual transactions. To adapt to market changes, major acid plants in the region cut prices by 100 CNY/ton today, further pushing down the transaction center. In Henan, sulfuric acid prices declined locally, with the overall market operating weakly. Some acid enterprises in the Jiyuan region restarted units previously under maintenance, leading to a slight increase in regional sulfuric acid production. Combined with the approaching Mid-Autumn and National Day holidays, acid plants have a strong desire to reduce inventory before the holidays, causing prices in Jiyuan to decline this week. Demand-side performance has been flat, with downstream operating rates remaining low. Market sentiment is cautious, and negotiation room for actual orders has widened. The Hebei sulfuric acid market is running weakly, with the transaction center shifting slightly downward and strong wait-and-see sentiment prevailing. With the dual holidays approaching, some end-users expect reduced loads, making it difficult to see improvements in demand. Sulfuric acid enterprises in Henan lowered quotes again, enhancing the penetration of low-priced goods into the Hebei market. Some end-users shifted procurement to Henan, forcing Hebei acid plants to follow suit with discounts. In the short term, the domestic sulfuric acid market is expected to continue its weak downward trend, with the transaction center likely shifting further down.

Refrigerants:

Based on the bulk liquid market in East China, mainstream factories for fluororefrigerant R32 maintained high prices through volume control. As of press time, offers from major East Chinese manufacturers referenced 65,500 CNY/ton (coordinated domestic and export pricing); mainstream market offers in East China referenced 63,500–64,500 CNY/ton, consistent with morning expectations. Market intelligence indicates that inquiries in the channel market for bulk liquid have been passively long-term. Fixed supply guarantees are provided to main OEMs, and quarterly long-term contract negotiations among enterprises are active, with actual orders pending finalization. Small-packaging shipment frequency has slowed, so source factories are strictly controlling spot inventory increases. Statistics show that the overall industry operating load for fluororefrigerant R32 remains near 40%. Recently, factory production schedules and consumption forces have contracted further. Export volumes have declined. Under high-level consolidation for R32, channel stockholders are seeking opportunities to offload inventory and reduce stocks. Buyers show little interest in purchasing high-cost inventory and are waiting for clear pricing signals from major manufacturers. Chempricehub predicts that R32 will focus on volume control and price preservation in the short term, with negotiated contract pricing. Attention should be paid to industry unit dynamics and production scheduling rhythms.