In 2024, calcium alginate prices experienced significant volatility, primarily driven by complex global market dynamics affecting seaweed production. South Korea, commanding over 70% of the global dried seaweed market, faced unprecedented challenges with seaweed harvests impacted by rising ocean temperatures and marine desertification.
The pricing was substantially influenced by multiple interconnected factors. Japan's seaweed harvests reached near-record lows, with wakame production in the Sanriku coastal region hitting historic minimums since 1977. This scarcity was compounded by a global surge in demand, particularly from markets like the United States, where Korean seaweed products were increasingly popular.
Structural industry challenges further complicated the pricing landscape. Over 40% of fishing village populations were aged over 70, indicating significant demographic stress in seaweed farming. The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries in South Korea responded by planning to expand seaweed farming areas by approximately 2,700 hectares and researching high-temperature-resistant seaweed variants.
Analyst Insight
According to Procurement Resource, the market for calcium alginate is expected to behave in a similar manner in the coming months. Investment in sustainable cultivation technologies, climate-adaptive farming techniques, and expanding global markets could lead to gradual price stabilization and improved production resilience in the coming years.
Related Report
Get real-time price assessments, periodic trends, forecasts and price driver insights across key global markets.
Unlock Price Insights NowOur Clients
Turn price intelligence into action with the Procurement Resource Database. Log in or subscribe to unlock live price trends, historical charts, supplier databases, cost curves, and analyst-backed insights across chemicals, agriculture, energy, packaging, and more. Use these tools to benchmark your contracts, plan budgets with confidence, and stay ahead of market moves on every product you buy.
0
+Products
0
+Regions
0
+Subscriptions
Calcium Alginate prices kept on vacillating in accordance with the fluctuations in the prices of its feedstock material seaweed, but the overall market outlook was still very firm throughout. Tanzania, the biggest seaweed producer, registered a record 52% year-on-year growth in the seaweed yield in the third quarter. This essentially reduced the production costs of calcium alginate and reduced the upstream cost support, imparting a slide in the calcium alginate price trend.
The downstream demands from the food and medicine industries also remained steady, and the inventories were also stocked sufficiently. All these factors dictated an average performance of the calcium alginate market throughout the second half of the year 2023.
Alginate is usually referred to as the salts of alginic acid and can exist as calcium, magnesium, and sodium salts and is often referred to as algin. Calcium alginate is a water-insoluble, gelatinous substance prepared by adding aqueous calcium chloride to sodium alginate. It is non-toxic and is generally recognized as safe in food. It is often used as hydrogels, dental impressions materials, absorbents, etc.
C18H24CaO19
Alginic Acid, Calcium Salt
DuPont de Nemours, Inc, Marine Biopolymers Limited, Shandong Jiejing Group Corporation, Algaia, KIMICA, Ceamsa
CurrencyUS$ (Data can also be provided in local currency)
Supplier Database AvailabilityYes
Customization ScopeThe report can be customized as per the requirements of the customer
Post-Sale Analyst Support360-degree analyst support after report delivery
Note: Our supplier search experts can assist your procurement teams in compiling and validating a list of suppliers indicating they have products, services, and capabilities that meet your company's needs.
The seaweed is broken into pieces to extract the alginate and stirred with a hot sodium carbonate solution. It then separates as a thick slurry of sodium alginate. The slurry is then diluted with water and subjected to many filtration processes to remove the impurities. Then the sodium alginate is treated with an aqueous solution of calcium chloride; thus, the required product calcium alginate separates from the solution.
Manager - Market Research
Delivering market research and procurement intelligence at Procurement Resource with a focus on economic forecasting, commodity analysis, and client advisory to help sourcing teams make data-backed purchasing decisions.
Our Price Analysis Methodology
Experience how Procurement Resource transforms raw material price data into clear, decision ready intelligence. Optimise your performance with reliable, expert market data and analysis. Schedule your demo today to experience a live walk-through where our experts will showcase interactive price charts, forecasted prices, and insights driving the prices for your key commodities, tailored to your workflows. Contact us now!
Our Team will be happy to assist you
We are just a text away
Still Need Help?
Unlock full access to Procurement Resource's price databases, interactive charts, and short-term forecasts for thousands of commodities. Elevate your sourcing decisions by comparing prices across regions, downloading historical data, and layering in analyst-backed insights, all with our flexible plans that scale as your portfolio grows.
Still have any Questions
Contact Us
Price Trend Dashboard - What's Included
Price trends across a diverse portfolio of categories and products, spanning board to niche chemicals
Coverage extendable to grade-specific chemicals based on procurement requirements
Regular price tracking supported by robust historical datasets
News, policy updates, and key market drivers impacting price movements
Short-term and long-term price outlooks and forecasts
Supply-demand dynamics and capacity-driven market analysis
Track prices, market movements, supply-demand dynamics, and industry developments across hundreds of commodities through a centralized intelligence platform built for informed procurement decisions.
Understand market fluctuations using analyst-backed forecasts, historical pricing patterns, and evolving industry trends to strengthen sourcing strategies and budget planning.
Leverage cost models, pricing benchmarks, and procurement insights to evaluate purchasing opportunities, improve negotiations, and enhance operational efficiency.
Access region-specific price trends, trade activities, capacity changes, and supply chain developments influencing commodity markets worldwide.
