Dwindling Downstream Consumption Pushes Titanium Dioxide Prices in Europe and USA at the Q2-End

Texas, USA: The prices of Titanium Dioxide have demonstrated a bearish run at the end of the second quarter in the US market. The slowdown in the Chinese economy has implied that the price tends of Titanium Dioxide to progress in the south direction for the importing countries, like the USA. The shortage of sufficient market momentum has lingered and weighed upon the price trends of key input raw materials required in the construction sector, including Titanium Dioxide. Furthermore, tightened credit conditions after getting clocked by Federal Reserve interest rate hikes in the second quarter of 2023 have significantly impacted the trade activities for Titanium Dioxide in the domestic market as it raised the challenges for manufacturing firms to start fresh construction projects in the US market.

As per the current market scenario, the recent strikes by Union members at Canada's west coast ports could potentially affect US trade as about 15% of the container trade passing through the Port of Vancouver is either bound for or originating from the USA. Additionally, nearly 2% of all laden imports arriving at West Coast ports in the US each year go through the Port of Vancouver. The shippers are working to mitigate the risk of relying on west coast ports by moving some exports through ports on the East and Gulf coasts. The transporters were also cautious as their ability to move goods easily through the West Coast would continue to be hampered by intractable issues even after ever had cleared, and a tentative longshore labor agreement had been reached.

On the other hand, the ChemAnalyst database has shown that the price of Titanium Dioxide has demonstrated a dip of approximately USD 90 per ton in Q2-end on a m-o-m basis in the domestic market of Germany. The slowdown in new domestic housing projects has resulted in limited market transactions for Titanium Dioxide. In addition, the Titanium Dioxide shipments to France and USA were also not satisfactory, supporting the downturn observed in the market fundamentals of Titanium Dioxide. In addition, electricity prices remain roughly 75% above the average from 2018 through 2023, making cost-conscious manufacturers and other key power users hesitant to increase output and commit to additional energy use.

According to the pricing intelligence of ChemAnalyst, the prices of Titanium Dioxide might progress southwards across the Western markets. The cost support from upstream Sulphuric Acid is also projected to remain lackluster across the regional markets. The market players were further cautious about building up Titanium Dioxide stocks, foreseeing that, to control the still buoying inflationary pressures, the Federal Reserve and European Central Bank have been considering increasing the interest rates in the near term.