Bromine Price Trend and Forecast

Regional Market Overview

Get the latest insights on price movement and trend analysis of Bromine in different regions across the world (Asia, Europe, North America, Latin America, and the Middle East & Africa).

For the First Quarter of 2022

Asia

In the first quarter of 2022, bromine prices in Asia-Pacific remained erratic. They fell in March due to low demand from the downstream flame retardant business and a ban on international shipments due to the return of Covid 19 in China.

During the month of March, bromine prices were estimated to be around 8876 USD/MT FOB Qingdao. To prevent a drop in offtakes within China, manufacturers were forced to lower prices. Prior to the last week of February, the price had been trending upward due to limited supplies and increased demand from downstream agricultural and pharmaceutical companies.

Europe

In the month of January, bromine prices in Europe remained stable due to sustained demand from the downstream flame retardant business. Geopolitical tensions between Russia and Ukraine resulted in production cuts and an energy crisis in Europe.

To make up for the conflict-related losses, traders and salespeople in the region were heard offering the product at a lower price to spot purchasers. Due to an inability to meet foreign demand, manufacturers were forced to lower prices in order to maintain stable offtakes in the domestic market. In Q1-2022, the price in Europe changed by about 2%.

North America

Bromine prices in North America remained steady in Q1-2022, owing to stable offtakes and abundant material availability in the US market. In the first quarter, stability in Chinese enquiries was seen due to market closures as a result of strong Covid restrictions, notwithstanding Covid's return in China.

Due to declining demand from China, bromine traders and manufacturers in the United States lowered prices to preserve stable offtakes in the domestic market. Throughout the first quarter of 2022, the demand-supply imbalance in the country remained tight. During the latter week of March, bromine prices were estimated at 4590 USD/MT FOB Houston.

For the Fourth Quarter of 2021

Asia

Bromine market sentiments remained mixed in the fourth quarter of 2021 in Asia. Prices soared in October as a result of a supply constraint and increased downstream demand. In China, the effects of the dual energy norms, such as increased traffic at Chinese ports and tightened freight vessel availability, have pushed up the price of elemental Bromine.

This was mostly due to the brisk trade following the holidays, which caught spot market participants off guard. Bromine prices, on the other hand, fell sharply by late-Q4 as purchasers resisted buying cargoes to absorb the significant surge in the price. Although it has been reported that bromine is readily available in India, significant cost pressure has made it difficult for specialised consumers to get cargoes.

Europe

In Q4 2021, the European market saw a large increase in bromine prices, owing to a lack of imports and strong demand from downstream industries. Climate disturbances continued to put a strain on the product's availability during times of high demand. Because Europe imports the majority of its bromine from other countries, incremental reductions in freight costs and increased supply resulted in a small decrease in prices at the end of the quarter. Prices, on the other hand, remained high in contrast to previous quarters.

North America

Bromine prices in the North American region followed the same pattern as the previous quarter, as rising freight and energy costs continued to put upward pressure on non-fuel mineral prices. Throughout the first two weeks of Q4, demand from downstream Hydrogen Bromide markets remained high.

Bromine prices were relatively low in November, owing to the United States' considerable investment in oil and gas drilling. Surging demand for Bromine derivatives from the flame retardants industry has kept sales volume robust in Q3, according to a leading manufacturer's quarterly reports, and the trend is set to continue into Q4. In late December, bromine FOB bulk prices in the United States hit 4580 USD/MT.

Procurement Resource provides latest prices of Bromine. Each price database is tied to a user-friendly graphing tool dating back to 2014, which provides a range of functionalities: configuration of price series over user defined time period; comparison of product movements across countries; customisation of price currencies and unit; extraction of price data as excel files to be used offline.