Why is compliant Polyaluminium Chloride supply tightening in China's spot market?

Why is compliant Polyaluminium Chloride supply tightening in China's spot market?
China's PAC market is undergoing a structural squeeze. Although feedstock costs for bauxite and hydrochloric acid have stabilized within a narrow band, rising environmental compliance thresholds are accelerating the exit of small and mid-sized producers. Only about 47% of domestic PAC capacity currently meets the GB15892-2020 standard, and the compliant spot gap has widened year on year. High-purity grades with Al2O3 content of 28% or above are hit hardest, with regional delivery lead times stretching from a normal three days to seven to ten days. Buyers at steel, coking, and municipal wastewater plants increasingly treat three-day spot delivery as a core qualification criterion.