Calcium Carbonate Price Trend and Forecast

Regional Price Overview

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

Calcium Carbonate Price Trend for the H2 of 2022

Asia

Asia-Pacific recorded an oscillating price trend for calcium carbonate in the said period. The relaxed prices of upstream Coke and sufficient inventories kept the prices at bay. The offtakes from the construction sector were also limited. In China, the price of calcium carbonate went from 4000 RMB/MT in July to 1100 RMB/MT in  September 2022. With the Chinese government introducing of power rationing norms to tackle the heatwaves and energy crisis caused the country’s production rates to fall deeply impacting the prices.

The Indian domestic market mimicked the same pricing fundamentals where the calcium carbonate price trends kept towards the lower end of the scale in the said period. The prices went from 249 USD/MT (CIF India) in July’22 to around 228 USD/MT ( CIF India) (approx..) in December’22.

Europe

Calcium carbonate prices stood firm in the European region owing to the stable demand from the construction sector. Despite the rising prices of feedstock, the manufacturers did not raise their quotations as it was viable for the fragile market ecosystem. Hence, owing to the stable offtakes the prices remained somewhat unchanged.

North America

The prices in the US domestic market declined as speculations about the looming recession grasped the entire market. With the central banks raising the interest rates and the reduced inquiries from the construction sector, the market dynamics shifted.

Analyst Insight

According to Procurement Resource, the prices of calcium carbonate are expected to increase in the coming months provided factors like high inflationary prices, weak purchasing capacity, and high interest rates are kept in check.

For the Second Quarter of 2022

Asia

The price trends for calcium carbonate recorded an oscillating pattern due to changes in demand expectations from the construction sector. The zero-tolerance covid-regulations in China have severely hampered international trade, which has lowered the calcium carbonate market value. Additionally, downstream cement prices have declined as a result of the slowdown in construction activity.

Due to robust downstream demand, calcium carbonate price quotations in India surged at the start of Q2. But as the quarter came to a close, increased energy costs and a labour shortage lowered the market value of calcium carbonate. The typical cost of Calcium Carbonate Industrial Grade (PCC) Ex-Vadodara in June 2022 was 18050 INR/MT.

Europe

Prices of calcium carbonate rose in the second quarter along with the cost of key raw materials related to energy. The supply disruption brought on by the conflict between Russia and Ukraine seriously damaged Germany's economic activity.

In April, the market experienced high demand from the construction sector, which increased the price of calcium carbonate in the core European economy. However, as Q2 came to a conclusion, concerns about inflation and the rise in raw material prices made it difficult to predict the terminal demand for the downstream construction industry.

North America

Calcium carbonate prices skyrocketed in the first half of the second quarter owing to the strong downstream demand. The industrial sectors' decreased ability to function due to a lack of domestic labour, scarcity of truck drivers and raised logistics further impacted the domestic prices. Towards the end of the said period, the prices stabilized due to the decreased market sentiment.

For the First Quarter of 2022

Asia

The domestic calcium carbonate prices in China increased from 331.27 USD/MT in mid-January to 332.02 USD/MT by the final week of the month.

Europe

In Switzerland, a leading calcium carbonate producer, Omya International announced an increase in the price of the chemical as a result of increase in input costs such as raw materials, energy, packaging, transportation, chemicals, etc. Inflation in various countries and supply chain volatility are also major factors which drove up the calcium carbonate prices.

For the Fourth Quarter of 2021

Asia

Throughout Q4 2021, the Asia Pacific market remained stable, owing to adequate cost support from the demand projection and supply constraints in China. Dual-energy management, in conjunction with China's energy constraints, prompted suppliers to reduce factory run rates. However, the situation improved slightly in the second half, despite the fact that the resuscitation of COVID bolstered demand in Asia. Due to the ripple effect, the December quarter FOB Qingdao calcium carbonate prices increased.

Europe

Despite the supply-demand mismatch, market attitudes in Europe were optimistic in the fourth quarter of 2021. Operating loads remained stable in the midst of Europe's protracted energy crisis, which harmed domestic supply. Additionally, domestic enterprises were hesitant to inquire about international opportunities due to increased freight charges and a limited availability of freight boats. COVID's reintroduction bolstered Europe's domestic market.

North America

The fourth quarter of 2021 saw a slowdown in market activity in the North American region. Although bids decreased somewhat in the second quarter as industrial facilities recovered from Hurricane Ida's effects. Demand growth remained unchanged in the fourth quarter, and the area experienced some oversupply. 

For First, Second and Third Quarters of 2021

Asia

Asian market sentiments were mixed due to country-specific demand and supply dynamics. Whereas China saw high demand while keeping an appropriate supply to fulfil demand, high demand supported prices, which climbed by a modest 1.7 % in Q1 2021. On the other hand, India's strong demand from the cement and pharmaceutical industries led in price increases of 14.87 % and 14.98 % for construction and pharmaceutical grade calcium carbonate, respectively, during this period.

Consumption in the construction sector remained low as a result of the epidemic's second wave, cutting overall demand for the compound. In June, when new cases began to fall successfully, prices recovered on the back of improved economic confidence. As a result, prices in India rebounded substantially in June. In Asia, its prices increased exponentially in the third quarter of 2021. Calcium carbonate prices (industrial grade) ex-Mumbai was projected to be 208.89 USD/MT in September and ended at 165.05 USD/MT.

Europe

Demand remained stable across Europe in Q1 2021, fueled by downstream sectors such as building and pharmaceuticals. Due to a lack of local supply to match this demand, prices in various European countries have trended upward. FOB calcium carbonate prices in Germany grew 3.44 % to 150 USD/MT in Q1 2021, as rising freight and energy costs continued to have an effect on prices.

As a result, the price of the combination increased slightly throughout the European region. Prices grew gradually in the European market in Q3 2021, influenced by Asian market dynamics. Additionally, pricing was impacted by growing freight costs and a scarcity of available containers.

North America

Mid-February saw the devastation of a winter storm that raced throughout North America, disrupting virtually all manufacturing operations. Demand for calcium carbonate declined in the downstream cement sector, but climbed in the pharmaceutical sector, boosting its pricing. Calcium carbonate prices climbed from 485 US dollars per metric tonne in January 2021 to 495 US dollars per metric tonne in February 2021.

Demand was increased in the second quarter by the rebounding North American building industry. Between mid-April and May, prices in the United States of America increased dramatically, rising from 509 USD/MT to 520 USD/MT. Prices began to plummet later that month, owing to plentiful supply in the face of stagnating demand in the United States.

North America's market remained subdued in Q3 2021, owing to the product's limited availability in the face of significant downstream demand. In North America, supplies became curtailed as a result of the Ida hurricane, which generated an abrupt supply chain imbalance. 

For the Year 2020

Asia

Calcium carbonate consumption grew dramatically in Asia in Q4 2020, as a number of countries, including China and India, emphasised pharmaceutical and infrastructural development in response to 2020 Coronavirus concerns.

With the return of infrastructure activities in India over the November festival season, demand for paints, coatings, and adhesives recovered significantly. Thus, in Q4 2020, calcium carbonate price steadied at 320 USD/MT. With the recovery of industrial and civic activity, demand from the paper industry grew, resulting in an increase in the price of calcium carbonate throughout Southeast Asia.

Europe

In Europe, market sentiment has been bolstered by sustained rise in demand from the pharmaceutical, paper, and plastics industries. The increased focus on the green economy in Q4 as a result of multiple government initiatives needed infrastructure investment in Europe, which pushed the regional market even higher. Due to high demand from downstream sectors, prices in Europe stayed constant for Q4 2020. Increased demand from the steel and glass sectors aided in the price increase as well.

North America

Calcium carbonate prices climbed in the December quarter as the price of calcium feedstock increased. Thus, the key element driving the fourth-quarter 2020 price increase was a raw material supply limitation. As a result of the increased focus on healthcare, demand in the pharmaceutical business expanded dramatically, further boosting market fundamentals.

Latin America

In 2020, Mexico's total commercial exchange (which includes both imports and exports) was US$5.53 million. Mexico (US$2.62 million), Nuevo León (US$234 thousand), San Luis Potos (US$50.3 thousand), Mexico City (US$17.4 thousand), and Tamaulipas (US$7.08 thousand) were the states with the greatest exports of calcium carbonate.

Procurement Resource provides latest prices of Calcium Carbonate. 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.