According to the monitoring of the Business News Agency, the price of anhydrous hydrofluoric acid in China dropped sharply after the New Year’s Day. The market price of hydrofluoric acid was 11214.29 yuan/ton as of the 6th day, down 10.29% from the price of 12500 yuan/ton on the 1st day, down 4.96% year on year.

Supply side: After the holiday, the domestic hydrofluoric acid price dropped sharply. As of the 6th, the mainstream price of hydrofluoric acid negotiated by various regions in China was 11000-11500 yuan/ton. Although some units in the north were shut down recently, the hydrofluoric acid units in the south operated stably, the spot supply of hydrofluoric acid was sufficient, and the manufacturer’s hydrofluoric acid orders were poor, which affected the price trend of hydrofluoric acid.

Raw material side: the market price of raw fluorite has dropped from a high level, and the average price of domestic fluorite was 3175 yuan/ton as of the 6th day, down 3.79% from the price of 3300 yuan/ton on the 1st day. Although the operating rate of fluorite mines remains low, and mining enterprises are facing increasingly stringent safety and environmental requirements, resulting in a shortage of fluorite raw materials, some fluorite flotation shutdowns and holidays recently, some enterprises have accumulated fluorite stocks, and the downstream procurement is not active, resulting in a decline in fluorite prices, hydrofluoric acid is affected by costs, and the market price has dropped significantly.

The market price of raw material sulfuric acid continued to fall, and the average price of domestic sulfuric acid was 280 yuan/ton as of the 6th, and the sulfuric acid market has been falling since the middle of October. In recent years, domestic sulfuric acid plants have been operating stably and the supply is sufficient. The enthusiasm of downstream sulfuric acid procurement has weakened. The product trend has declined under the contradiction between supply and demand, which has driven the domestic hydrofluoric acid market down.

Demand side: the market of refrigerant products downstream of the terminal is sluggish, and the operating rate of the refrigerant industry is less than 30%. At present, the price trend of refrigerant R22 is temporarily stable, and the market supply is sufficient. The application field of R22 market is mainly based on demand, and the market quotation of R22 is in the range of 17000-1900 yuan/ton. The price of domestic R134a declined slightly, the price of trichloroethylene was low, and the focus of R134a trading remained low. At present, the market price of R134a is in the range of 23000-25000 yuan/ton. The demand for refrigerants in winter is weak, and under the pressure of cost and demand, the prices of domestic refrigerants R22 and R134a are sluggish in the short term, and the demand of the refrigerant industry is poor, resulting in a sharp decline in the price of hydrofluoric acid.

Aftermarket forecast: the price of fluorite in the upstream fell back to a high level, and some downstream refrigerant industries gradually closed their holidays near the end of the year. In addition, the spot supply of hydrofluoric acid was normal. Affected by negative factors, Chen Ling, hydrofluoric acid analyst at the business agency, believed that the price trend of hydrofluoric acid market in the later period would decline.