Maintenance completion leads to reduced supply.

Following the National Day holiday, scheduled maintenance plans for soda ash production were implemented, leading to a substantial decline in supply, which is expected to continue until around the end of the month. Downstream demand remains moderate, primarily driven by just-in-time purchasing, although restocking activity has increased at lower price levels. Market sentiment is lukewarm, with weak intentions for inventory accumulation. In the short term, soda ash prices are likely to fluctuate within a range while remaining generally stable.

Key Focus Areas for the Soda Ash Market:

1. Transaction volumes and pending orders for soda ash.
2. The impact of high ocean freight rates on soda ash imports and exports.
3. Downstream inventory levels and operational status of processing facilities.
4. Progress on maintenance shutdowns and restarts of soda ash production units.
5. Inventory levels at soda ash enterprises and their pricing adjustments.
6. Futures price volatility and macroeconomic drivers.

Recently, planned maintenance shutdowns at soda ash plants have been executed, resulting in an overall downward trend in supply with significant production losses. Based on the maintenance schedules, these disruptions are anticipated to persist until late in the month or through its conclusion. Currently, daily soda ash output has fallen to approximately 87,000 tons, marking the lowest level recorded this year.

1. Maintenance Execution Leads to Lower Operating Rates