MOSCOW (MRC) - Export prices of Chinese titanium dioxide (TiO2) increased by USD150/tonne for the consumers in the CIS countries compared with the from the level in the end of April and will continue to rise this week, according to ICIS-MRC Price Report.
Importers said that export prices have reached the level of USD1,800-1,850/tonne FOB China by the end of last week, while in the end of April export prices were in the range of USD1,650-1,700/tonne FOB China, excluding VAT.
This week the major producers of titanium dioxide in China have increased prices to USD1,900-1,950/tonne FOB China, excluding VAT, said importers.
The sharp increase in TiO2 prices in China resulted from the significant surge in demand in May. Major producers said they received orders until mid-summer. The rise in import prices this spring has fuelled demand for domestic TiO2 in Russia and Ukraine. However, local plants can not cope with the demand in the spot market and had to refrain from part of orders.
Ukrainian producer of titanium dioxide Sumykhimprom has switched to domestic market, having reduced export shipments and suspended supplies to Russia this year. Crimean Titan has not delivered TiO2 to mainland of Ukraine, so the Ukrainian consumers have actively used material by Sumykhimprom production. In its turn, the suspension TiO2 shipments from Sumykhimprom into Russia increases demand for Crimean Titan material in the domestic market of the Russian Federation.
MRC