Hydrochloric Acid Price Trend and Forecast

Regional Price Overview

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

For the Second Quarter of 2022

Asia

The Chinese hydrochloric acid (HCl) market fluctuated due to feedstock volatility in the said quarter. The price of primary feedstock chlorine fell owing to the stagnant demand in both upstream and downstream industries. The muted domestic demand coupled with the low global exports caused the price trends of HCl to weaken.

The price of HCl averaged 275-282 RMB/MT in the Chinese domestic market. However, the prices are expected to grow much faster as the factories are renewing production post the upliftment of covid-19 restrictions. Hence, the demand for feedstock HCl is likely to rise in the downstream sectors.

Europe

The continuing Russia-Ukraine war has unleashed economic and political backlash in Europe, causing inflation to rise uncontrollably. Due to the constant supply disruptions and reduced market activity, the prices of HCl suffered in the domestic arena. However, towards the end of this quarter, a slight price rise was seen due to the renewed demands from the steel sector. Per ton price of HCl averaged 140 USD FOB Hamburg during this quarter.

North America

The price trends for HCl remained stable across the US domestic market. The solid downstream demand and supply chain shortages caused the prices to inflate. The renewed construction activities further led HCl prices to rise.

Analyst Insight

According to Procurement Resource, the prices of hydrochloric acid are expected to rise in the upcoming quarter. With industries actively increasing production rates after dealing with covid aftermath, the demand for hydrochloric acid is growing as it is a platform chemical. Also, the depreciation of currencies against the US dollar is causing a rise in commodity prices in their respective market.

Hydrogen Chloride Price Trend for the First Quarter of 2022

Asia

In the third week of January, the domestic price of hydrochloric acid fell slightly. The quotation fell from 324 RMB/MT a week before to 276 RMB/MT, a 14.81% decrease and a 47.20% increase year on year.

From the perspective of the hydrochloric acid industrial chain's upstream and downstream industrial chains, the upstream liquid chlorine market fell slightly, reducing support for HCl. The price of downstream PAC increased slightly, with the quotation rising from 2,445.56 RMB/MT to 2,467.78 RMB/MT, a 0.91% increase. Overall, downstream products were uninterested in purchasing HCl, which had a negative impact on the price of the chemical.

Price Trend for the Fourth Quarter of 2021

Asia

After October, the majority of Asian countries' prices fluctuated within a limited range. The drop in demand for hydrochloric acid in India following the festive season had a direct impact on its cost. There was substantial production of caustic soda, which caused a decline in chlorine prices apart from its narrowed demand, which further affected overall hydrochloric acid prices in Q4.

Pricing for industrial grade HCl eventually settled at 54 USD/MT in December. In China, an unexpected drop in overall steel usage due to the construction sector's debt problems resulted in a significant drop in the chemical’s prices in the near term. Hydrochloric acid prices in China fluctuated throughout the fourth quarter due to a lack of demand for the commodity despite its plentiful supply.

Europe

Following the limited product availability, HCl market sentiment remained stable throughout Q4. Hydrochloric acid prices rose sharply at the start of November as the availability of chlorine remained limited, with companies looking for the best deal to offset increasing energy costs. Natural gas prices in Europe rose at an unprecedented rate, raising fears of a severe power shortage. Several European chemical companies raised their product prices in response to sharp increases in energy prices. As Q4 continued in November, HCl prices were estimated to be 125 USD/MT FOB Hamburg (Germany). With the restoration of operations at the Vinnolit Caustic Soda facility, the supply situation improved slightly by the end of December.

North America

Due to a prolonged shortage of chlorine in the region, the acid’s price in North America increased significantly in early Q4. Despite the fact that the steel sector's performance remained strong throughout Q4, the year-end downturn resulted in a significant decline in overall HCl consumption. In the United States, major steel producers such as Nucor, Steel Dynamics, and Cleveland-Cliffs reported a drop in sales in late November that continued into December. Hydrochloric acid prices (35-37%) began to fall in the United States in December, falling to 165 USD/MT ex-Works USCG.

Price Trend for the First, Second, and Third Quarters of 2021

Asia

During the first quarter of 2021, the Asian HCl market displayed a mixed attitude. The Chinese Lunar New Year vacations cut inventory levels among key Chinese manufacturers, causing prices to rise in Q1 2021. From January to March, FOB HCl prices for China increased from 245 USD/MT to 280 USD/MT. On the other hand, in the Indian market, an opposite pricing trend was observed, with the average price of HCl (33 percent grade) falling by 10% due to adequate stock availability and lower demand from the downstream sector.

In the second quarter of 2021, the downstream demand for HCl in China remained low, while supply remained plentiful enough to meet the overall need. Meanwhile, Kamira announced that it will enhance its production capacity for sodium hypochlorite and polyaluminum chloride, both of which use HCl as a crucial ingredient. These expansions further increased the demand for the chemical in the market. Prices in India fell sharply at this time to a lacklustre buying demand as a result of the country's pandemic and abundant inventory levels.

HCl prices increased throughout the Q3 2021 quarter, owing to a scarcity of feedstock and strong demand from downstream industries. Despite the supply chain interruption induced by congestion at numerous ports, a small increase in HCl pricing was seen in China due to the product's considerable availability in this timeframe.

In India, HCl prices rose significantly, owing to strong demand from downstream industries in both the domestic and foreign markets. During this quarter, manufacturers focused mostly on exports, which helped to keep the chemical’s market in India afloat. As a result, the price of HCl Industry Grade (33%) Ex-Depot Mumbai increased significantly in September, reaching 51.55 USD/MT.

Europe

HCl demand from downstream industries fell in the first quarter of 2021. Lower downstream consumption was one of the main explanations, notwithstanding an increase in COVID-19 instances across the region. The steel manufacturing sector saw a minor increase in demand as a result of marginal sectoral recovery across the region, which was aided by government programmes. As a result, prices fell marginally over this time period. FOB hydrochloric acid prices in Germany fell from 115 USD/MT to 113 USD/MT from January to March 2021.

During the third quarter, the European Hydrochloric Acid market remained constant. Throughout the quarter, demand grew steadily, but supply remained tight, allowing the price trend to continue. In Q3, the price in Europe increased steadily, owing to strong demand from downstream industries in both domestic and international markets. As a result of the energy crisis, an increase in the feedstock chlorine prices was seen as operations reduced at chlor-alkali facilities across Europe.

North America

Due to a lack of feedstock chemicals and interrupted production activity, HCl prices rose dramatically across the region. Multiple hurricanes had already caused a severe shortage of the chemical in Q4 2020, but devastating winter storms halted all manufacturing efforts again in Q1 2021.

Winter storms forced major factories, such as Olin Corporation's freeport Texas units, to declare force majeure in mid-February. Similarly, as a result of this unusual climate disaster, numerous additional HCl and feedstock chemical plants closed down, resulting in a 30% increase in average FOB costs within the quarter, which settled at 420 USD/MT in March 2021.

Prices were stable in the third quarter, owing to constrained supply and improving demand from downstream industries. Due to a severe lack of chlorine in the region, the prices in North America increased by a factor of ten during this quarter. When Hurricane Ida hit the Gulf Coast of the United States in late August, many chemical plants were still reeling from the effects of winter storm Uri. As a result, the price of HCl kept going up because there was a limited supply of feedstock and a lot of demand from downstream industries.

Price Trend for the Year 2020

Asia

The food and beverage industries, as well as the textile industries, were significantly impacted by COVID-19 in 2020. The drop in demand for chemicals and petrochemicals resulted in a drop in the chemical’s demand. During the projected period, however, increased demand for HCl in the steel and textile industries will boost its market. Due to the pandemic, there was an overall decline in demand as well as prices in both India and China.

Europe

Due to the dissolution of upstream isocyanate factories in numerous locations, the European region experienced an HCl supply crisis in 2020. Offers increased after Covestro and BASF announced the shutdowns of their isocyanate factories in August. Demand patterns were not strong, particularly in Iberia, due to restricted sectoral offtakes from the metallurgy and automobile industries. Because the tourism industry was suffering from the travel restrictions, consumption by downstream businesses such as water purification remained low. According to a market source, NWE (northwest Europe) hydrochloric acid prices increased 10% month over month, an extension of gains due to production problems.

North America

In 2020, HCl supply in the Americas decreased significantly as manufacturers lowered production rates due to a significant drop in demand for other chlor-alkali chemicals. As the car sector steadily recovered from the pandemic's blows, acid demand from the oil and gas industries was pressed due to restrictions on its use in hydraulic and fracturing processes. Trade difficulties pulled severely on HCl contracts due to limited demand for automotive gasoline and unnecessary delays in the start of steel operations due to coronavirus-related limits and seasonal storms.

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