Recently, the price trend of domestic fluorite has remained stable and slightly decreased. As of the 7th, the average price of domestic fluorite was 3136.25 yuan/ton, a slight decrease of 0.24% compared to the 1st. The price trend of domestic fluorite has slightly declined.
Supply side: slight increase in fluorite production and easing of supply
The current game situation in the domestic fluorite industry still exists, and overall, the operating rate of enterprises has slightly increased, leading to an increase in spot supply of fluorite. On the one hand, there is still tension in upstream mining, and outdated mines will continue to be phased out. In terms of adding new mines, mineral investigation work remains challenging. In addition, mining enterprises are facing increasingly strict safety and environmental requirements, making it more difficult to start fluorite mines. The shortage of raw materials has restricted fluorite enterprises from starting operations. On the other hand, the operating load of domestic hydrofluoric acid is around 60%, and there is still a rigid demand for fluorite procurement. Some hydrofluoric acid enterprises have reduced production, and the demand for raw material fluorite has weakened. As a result, the high transaction price trend of fluorite has declined. However, due to the tight supply of raw materials, the fluorite market still has some support, and the price decline is not significant.
On the demand side: The price of hydrofluoric acid is declining, and the refrigerant market is sluggish
The price trend of domestic hydrofluoric acid has declined, and the mainstream price of hydrofluoric acid discussed in various regions has dropped to 9400-9900 yuan/ton. Recently, some devices have been shut down for maintenance, and the spot supply of hydrofluoric acid has slightly decreased. The order situation of manufacturers’ hydrofluoric acid is weak, and the domestic hydrofluoric acid market trend is not good. The high price of raw material fluorite and the poor demand for downstream refrigerants have caused serious losses for hydrofluoric acid production enterprises, and some hydrofluoric acid enterprises have reduced their production burden, There has been a decrease in demand for fluorite.
The market for downstream refrigerant products at the terminal is sluggish, and the operating rate of the refrigerant industry remains low. Recently, there has been sufficient refrigerant supply, driving the domestic refrigerant R22 price to remain low. The load of refrigerant R22 manufacturers is not high, and the domestic market performance is weak. Inventory digestion is the main focus, and procurement demand has not yet been followed up. Domestic R134a manufacturers operate at low loads, and the price trend of R134a is weak and stable. Currently, on-demand procurement is the main trend, while downstream enterprises are not operating high. Traders have a strong wait-and-see attitude, and the demand for consumer orders has not yet warmed up. Market confidence is insufficient. Currently, the market quotation for refrigerant R134a is mostly in the range of 24000-25000 yuan/ton, and some enterprises have not resumed production. Demand orders are still small, and the market is stagnant and declining. Overall, the refrigerant market is not good, The operating rate is less than 30%, coupled with a decline in the export market, resulting in weak domestic and external demand. The refrigerant market is sluggish, and the procurement of upstream raw materials is scarce, causing a slight decline in the fluorite market price.
In addition to the traditional demand of the refrigerant industry in the downstream, fluorite, as an important mineral raw material for modern industry, is constantly developing in demand in emerging fields. It is also used in strategic emerging industries such as new energy and new materials, as well as in national defense, nuclear industry and other fields, including Lithium hexafluorophosphate, PVDF, graphite anode, photovoltaic panels, etc. With the demand of new energy and semiconductor and other fields, fluorite applications have been supported to a certain extent.
Future Market Forecast: Although the supply of fluorite ore has not improved recently, the market price of hydrofluoric acid continues to decline, and there is a downward trend in the operation of hydrofluoric acid plants. In addition, the demand for the refrigerant industry has not improved significantly, and the refrigerant market is sluggish. Affected by bearish factors, Chen Ling, an analyst at Business Society, believes that the price of fluorite will mainly decrease slightly in the future.
