This week, the price trend of domestic fluorite has slightly declined. As of the weekend, the average price of domestic fluorite was 3343.75 yuan/ton, a decrease of 0.37% from the beginning of the week’s price of 3356.25 yuan/ton, and a year-on-year increase of 6.15%.

Supply side: Fluorite enterprises are gradually on holiday, and the market is weak and stable

The game situation in the domestic fluorite industry still exists, and overall, the operating rate of enterprises remains low. The main reason is the tension in upstream mining, and backward mines will continue to be eliminated. In terms of new mines, mineral investigation work is still difficult. In addition, fluorite mining enterprises are facing increasingly strict safety and environmental requirements, and some mines are conducting safety hazard inspections. The difficulty of operating fluorite mines has increased, and the shortage of raw materials has limited the operation of fluorite enterprises, In addition, as the Spring Festival holiday approaches, some enterprises are gradually taking a break, and the price of fluorite has slightly decreased.

On the demand side: The market for hydrofluoric acid is declining, and refrigerant production is at a low level

This week, the domestic price trend of hydrofluoric acid has declined, with mainstream prices negotiated in various regions of the country ranging from 10000 to 10300 yuan/ton. The hydrofluoric acid market has continued to decline this week, with some units still in shutdown. There has been little change in the spot supply of hydrofluoric acid, and manufacturers have fewer orders for hydrofluoric acid. The decline in hydrofluoric acid prices is detrimental to the domestic fluorite market. Some hydrofluoric acid manufacturers purchase on demand, but downstream business is not good, resulting in a slight decline in the domestic fluorite market.

The market for some downstream refrigerant products is temporarily stable, and the operating rate of the refrigerant industry remains low. The procurement of raw materials is not active, and the load of refrigerant R22 manufacturers is not high. Downstream procurement needs to follow up, and some production enterprises are gradually accumulating inventory. In the new year, supply is gradually reduced, reducing supply pressure. There is insufficient demand for dealer procurement, and the price of R22 is mainly maintained at a low level. The quota cycle in the refrigerant market has begun, and it is difficult for enterprises to change their reluctance to sell. The quota for R134a in China is relatively tight, and some manufacturers have raised their factory prices. Currently, the market quotation for R134a refrigerant is mostly in the range of 28000 to 29000 yuan/ton. The overall transaction volume in the refrigerant industry is relatively flat, and the production in the refrigerant industry remains sluggish with average demand. The price of fluorite has slightly decreased.

In addition to the traditional demand in the refrigerant industry, fluorite, as an important mineral raw material in modern industry, is constantly developing in emerging fields. It is also applied in strategic emerging industries such as new energy and new materials, as well as in defense, nuclear industry and other fields, including lithium hexafluorophosphate, PVDF, graphite negative electrodes, photovoltaic panels, etc. With the driving force of demand in new energy and semiconductor fields, fluorite applications have received certain support, and the fluorite market trend is still promising.

Market forecast: In the near future, it is difficult to improve the supply of domestic fluorite mines. Some mines have stopped production and are undergoing safety inspections. However, fluorite enterprises are gradually taking a break and are temporarily not shipping. The downstream hydrofluoric acid market trend is declining. Chen Ling, an analyst at Business Society, believes that the fluorite market price may remain stable in the future.