In March, the price trend of domestic fluorite increased. As of the end of the month, the average price of domestic fluorite was 3037.5 yuan/ton, an increase of 1.89% compared to the price of 2981.25 yuan/ton at the beginning of the month. As a result, the spot price of fluorite was tight in March, and the price trend of fluorite increased.

Supply side: low mining operating rate, shortage of fluorite in stock

In March, the operating rate of domestic fluorite enterprises was relatively low, and outdated mines will continue to be phased out. In terms of adding new mines, mineral investigation work remains challenging. Mining enterprises are facing increasingly strict safety and environmental requirements, resulting in a serious shortage of fluorite mines and a shortage of domestic fluorite raw materials. The operation of fluorite flotation devices is limited, and spot supply is tight. The price trend of fluorite has rebounded.

Demand side: Hydrofluoric acid slightly increases, refrigerant market rises

The price of hydrofluoric acid in the downstream market rose slightly. As of the end of the month, the domestic hydrofluoric acid market price was 9800 yuan/ton. In March, the price rose 0.29%. The domestic hydrofluoric acid market trend rose slightly. Recently, some devices are still in shutdown. The small increase in the price of hydrofluoric acid in the upstream market has formed a positive support for the upstream fluorite market, and the price trend of fluorite market has recovered.

The market for downstream refrigerant products at the terminal has risen, and the operating rate of the refrigerant industry has remained low. Some enterprises have slightly increased their factory prices after resuming work, leading to a slight increase in the price of domestic refrigerant R22. The load of refrigerant R22 manufacturers is not high, and inventory is within a reasonable range. There is still a wait-and-see sentiment. The domestic R134a manufacturers are operating at low loads, and the price trend of R134a is temporarily stable. However, currently, on-demand procurement is the main trend, and downstream enterprises are not operating high. Traders have a strong wait-and-see attitude. The current market quotation for refrigerant R134a is mostly in the range of 25500-26500 yuan/ton, and some enterprises have not resumed production. Due to the impact of light trading volume, the downstream R134a market trend is temporarily stable. Overall, the refrigerant market has slightly increased, forming a certain positive support for the raw material market.

In addition to the traditional demand of the refrigerant industry in the downstream, fluorite, as an important mineral raw material for modern industry, has constantly developed demand in emerging fields. It is also used in strategic emerging industries such as new energy and new materials, and in fields such as national defense and nuclear industry, including lithium hexafluorophosphate, PVDF, graphite anode, photovoltaic panels, etc. With the demand of new energy and semiconductor and other fields driving, the outlook of the fluorochemical industry chain has been supported in the long run.

Future market forecast: In the near future, the supply of raw material fluorite ore is tight, fluorite production is limited, and the spot supply is tight. In addition, the refrigerant industry is gradually entering the peak sales season, and the new energy, semiconductor, and new material industries are developing rapidly, which will support the demand for fluorite for a long time. Chen Ling, an analyst of the business community, believes that the price trend of fluorite market is rising.