Metal Silicon Price Trend and Forecast

Regional Price Overview

Get the latest insights on price movement and trend analysis of Metal Silicon in different regions across the world (Asia, Europe, North America, Latin America, and the Middle East & Africa).

Metal Silicon Price Trend for the First Half of 2023

Asia

Silicon observed declining price trends throughout the first half of the year 2023. The spot prices of Silicon started with an average of around 2731 USD/MT in January’23 and closed the second quarter with an average of about 1946 USD/MT registering an average decline was about 28%. The primary reason behind these sluggish market trends was a decrease in the downstream demands from steel and smelting industries.

These industries had reserved stocks in advance, but they couldn’t be used because of the industrial shutdown by the Chinese Government due to Covid 19 lockdown. In early 2023 as the industries started reviving, silicon supplies increased, but demands didn’t as the consuming industries were still trying to utilize their stocked supplies. So, overall trends remained sullen in the Asian Silicon market.

Europe

European Silicon market almost replicated the trends seen in its Asian counterpart. Prices remained on a declining trail because of decreased demands from the manufacturing sector. In Europe, the economic recession hurdled all the market fundamentals. Because of the severe cost of living crisis, buying behavior changed significantly, especially for the construction sector and heavy metal industries. Demands, though, showed some positive signals but could not revive significantly, and the Silicon prices kept falling throughout the said period.

North America

In the North American region, Silicon price trends continued their journey downhill in the first two quarters of 2023. The ample availability of inventories, coupled with improved supplies and sullen demands, kept the Silicon prices dampened. The rise in interest rates because of the collapse of two major US banks and a global economic slowdown all contributed to keeping the consumption sector sluggish and the Silicon market down. Overall, bearish market sentiments were observed.

Analyst insight

According to Procurement Resource, Silicon market trends are expected to continue fluctuating in the upcoming months as the demand projections seem muted, given the current economic climate.

Metal Silicon Price Trend for the Q4 of 2022

Asia

Given the power rationing norms and covid-mandated shutdowns, the industrial output of China suffered greatly. The reduced operating rates amid sluggish demands caused silicon prices to fall in the Chinese domestic market. Even with the opening of ports and positive trade movements, the downstream demand did not rebound greatly. Further, the reducing upstream costs aided the downfall of silicon price trends during the fourth quarter of 2022.

Europe

Similar sluggish price trends were seen for Silicon in European markets. The economic backlash unleashed owing to the Russia-Ukraine war led to an acute cost-of-living crisis, which altered consumption patterns. Even after the trade normalized, the demand did not pick up, considering the low consumer confidence in the market.

North America

The US domestic market mimicked the global price trends for Silicon. The trends kept almost stagnant throughout the fourth quarter, given the overflowing inventories and bearish demands. Furthermore, the labor strikes and falling upstream costs aided the fall in silicon prices.

Analyst Insight

According to Procurement Recourse, the price trends for Silicon are expected to remain volatile in the coming quarter, given the current uncertainties in the market supply-demand dynamics.

For the Q1, Q2 and Q3 of 2022

Asia

Metal Silicon prices in China rose rapidly in the first two weeks of March before plummeting due to weakening market confidence. Prices of Silicone DMC steadied towards the end of March, while prices of Silicon metal did not follow the trend. Silicon metal prices continued to fall sharply, averaging 3540-3460 USD/MT.

Market demand for silicon metal was low, with only a few purchase requests received. Many small and medium-sized silicon factories increased their willingness to sell due to the sharp drop in revenues. Downstream industries were also constantly changing their production rhythms because of lower demand and the impediment of raw material delivery.

The declining price trends continued in the second quarter. Due to weak demand and prolonged procurement from the downstream industries, silicon metal prices were sluggish. The prices were also affected as the industries halted production owing to the covid related restrictions.

The factories resumed production after removing restrictions, but the Metal Silicon prices remained on the lower end of the scale. As the prices of the raw materials stabilized and the cost of production improved in the third quarter, the prices were still low owing to the cautious buying activity of consumers, given the current grim market outlook. The silicon metal price averaged 2530 USD/MT at the end of the third quarter.

Europe

As a result of the Russia-Ukraine war, prices of materials increased. Metal Silicon prices rose in January due to their shortage in Europe. Since Russia is the world's second-largest silicon manufacturer after China, its invasion of Ukraine resulted in the suspension of supplies. Sanctions on Russia imposed by the European buyers caused them to build stocks from other countries.

Metal Silicon prices continued an upward trend in the second quarter due to rising European electricity and energy prices. However, as the demand for Russian Silicon continued to decrease, the segment became overstocked, and prices fell.

This price decline continued in the third quarter as the market's double-digit inflation and wait-and-see attitude heavily impacted the prices. The manufacturers could not pass the high costs to the consumers fearing demand destruction; hence their profits declined. The market remained sluggish, with the silicon prices averaging 3115 USD/MT towards the end of Q3.

North America

High prices of upstream materials like silica, pet coke, soft coal, and charcoal, along with rising electricity rates, resulted in an increase in Metal Silicon prices in North America in the first quarter. These high prices continued in the second quarter. The increasing inflationary pressures amid supply constraints, complex logistics and labour shortages heavily impacted the price trends.

Towards the end of Q2, the prices began to decline owing to negative market sentiments. The higher quotations by the manufacturers to cushion their profits led to muted market transactions. The Metal Silicon prices averaged 3020 USD/MT toward the end of Q3.

Procurement Resource provides latest prices of Metal Silicon. Each price database is tied to a user-friendly graphing tool dating back to 2014, which provides a range of functionalities: configuration of price series over user defined time period; comparison of product movements across countries; customisation of price currencies and unit; extraction of price data as excel files to be used offline.