Ample supply putting sustained pressure on prices on the caustic soda market

摘要

Caustic soda (NaOH) manufacturers in Western Europe are currently in negotiations on delivery terms for the fourth quarter of 2020. These price negotiations are taking place against a backdrop of good NaOH supply. EUWID sources report a wide variety of offers, citing special transactions and brisk activity on the spot market. Suppliers are underlining that current production downtime, as well as stoppages slated to take place in the next few weeks will limit caustic soda supply. This should alleviate the pressure on prices that has lasted for months now. Caustic soda suppliers want to raise their prices against this backdrop. Their sights were on increasing the distance to the €400 mark at the bottom end of the price bracket and opening it up at the top end. After all, price negotiations at the start of the third quarter of 2020 yielded some massive markdowns with prices on the upper end being cut drastically.