Asia
In Asia, particularly China, prices exhibited a predominantly bearish trend throughout 2024. Q1 began with fluctuations before settling into a decrease by quarter's end. Q2 reversed this trend with prices climbing, fuelled by rising raw material costs and consistent demand from food and chemical industries.
Q3 continued with modest growth despite initial setbacks. However, Q4 showed persistent price declines due to oversupply issues, aggressive destocking strategies, and weakened demand from key sectors.
Europe
European markets demonstrated resilience with an aggressively bullish trend throughout most of 2024. After initial volatility in Q1, prices steadily increased through Q2 and Q3, driven by production cost hikes and supply constraints. By Q4, the market reached peak price levels due to severe logistics constraints, depleted inventories, and unwavering demand from pharmaceutical and water treatment sectors.
North America
In North America, Sodium Bisulfate prices followed a volatile path throughout 2024. The year began with a slight decline in Q1. However, this trend reversed in Q2 as prices climbed steadily due to supply chain disruptions, increased freight costs, and strong demand from downstream industries. The upward momentum continued into Q3, though it began with a brief dip before regaining strength. Q4 saw significant fluctuations with an overall bullish trend, driven by declining inventories, production cost increases, and strong pharmaceutical sector demand.