April 20th — In March 2026, China's imports of liquid caustic soda reached 228,000 metric tons, representing a year-on-year decrease of 20.4% and a month-on-month increase of 4.6%. From January to March, China's cumulative imports of liquid caustic soda totaled 704,000 metric tons, down 12.9% year-on-year.

Chempricehub's analysis of caustic soda assigns a net long/short score of +1. The report indicates that China's imports of liquid caustic soda (a form of caustic soda) in March 2026 were 228,000 metric tons (unit corrected to 10,000 metric tons to align with industry standards), down 20.4% year-on-year but up 4.6% month-on-month. Cumulative imports from January to March amounted to 704,000 metric tons, a decrease of 12.9% compared to the same period last year. This reflects a continued decline in import supply, which may exacerbate domestic supply tightness and support spot prices for caustic soda.

Combined with futures data for caustic soda (e.g., the closing price of the Zhengzhou Commodity Exchange contract 2701 at 2,348 yuan per metric ton), the reduction in imports reinforces bullish market expectations. However, the slight month-on-month increase partially alleviates supply pressure, resulting in a moderate positive impact on futures prices. Overall, the analysis assigns a score of +1 (slightly bullish), based on supply-side contraction driving upward price potential.