Sorbitol Price Trend and Forecast

Regional Price Overview

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

Sorbitol Price Trend for the First Half of 2023

Asia

Sorbitol price trends witnessed a mixed run in the first half of 2023 in the Asian market. Prices fluctuated mostly in the first quarter and showed an almost stable yet declining curve in the second quarter. Demands from the end consumer sector remained bearish, which kept the prices at bay. The fluctuating upstream cost pressure, which relied heavily on falling feedstock sugarcane and glucose prices, further aided the southward movement. In the Indian domestic market, the sorbitol prices went from around 802 USD/MT (FOB, India) in January to around 745 USD/MT (FOB, India) in June’23.

Europe

Sorbitol prices remained oscillating in H1 2023 in the European domestic market. With a rise in feedstock sugar/sugarcane prices because of the lower-than-expected agricultural output of sugarcane and hiked energy prices, the production costs for Sorbitol increased. But the demand from downstream food, beverage, and pharma sectors remained sluggish. These conflicting supply-demand patterns affected the overall price trends for Sorbitol in Europe.

North America

Like the European market, sorbitol prices in the American market witnessed an oscillating pattern in the first half of 2023. Initially, the high prices of feedstock sugar caused the upstream cost pressure to incline, thereby exerting pressure on sorbitol prices. However, as per FAO’s price index, the sugar prices fell in May after inclining for four consecutive months due to the good harvest in Brazil and lowered import demand. Moreover, the bearish demands kept pushing the price trends for Sorbitol downwards.

Analyst Insight

According to Procurement Resource, Sorbitol prices are expected to fluctuate in the upcoming months. The consumption sentiments are expected to improve, but the uncertain production costs owing to market volatilities are expected to drive these price trends.

Sorbitol Price Trend for the Second Half of 2022

Asia

The price trends for Sorbitol remained mixed in the Asian markets during the second half of 2022. The prices mostly wavered on the higher side of the scale. The demands were relatively consistent from the downstream pharmaceutical, food, and beverage sectors. Feedstock corn and sugarcane prices were mostly stable in the said period. Few dips/fluctuations were seen in the market in the second half, mostly attributed to agricultural feedstock prices.

Europe

The high feedstock and energy prices in the inflation-hit European kept the production costs high. The demands from the end consumer pharma and food sector remained stable and rising. Sorbitol prices remained stable with consistent supply-demand dynamics. Overall, the sorbitol market exhibited positive sentiments and remained anchored throughout the period.

North America

Sorbitol prices witnessed a declining pattern during the initial months of the third quarter. But the trends soon took a positive turn, attributing to high feedstock prices and a rise in Sorbitol’s popularity as a healthier substitute for common sugar. The fast-food sectors promoted their low-calorie variants with Sorbitol in focus. Hence, rising demands and high feedstock prices kept the American Sorbitol prices floating.

Analyst Insight

According to Procurement Resource, the Sorbitol market projections look positive. As consumers become more health-conscious and selective, sorbitol consumption is expected to rise, directly affecting its pricing fundamentals in the global market.

For the Second Quarter of 2022

Asia

During Q2 of 2022, sorbitol prices generated mixed reactions in the Asia-Pacific market. Countries including China, Taiwan, and India showed slow downstream demand as a result of the restrictions. Covid restrictions and a stringent lockdown lowered the operational rate of the polyol, which caused prices to fall in the middle of the quarter.

The pharmaceutical industry continued to be active, which drove market sentiments in the local market. Additionally, the domestic market's feedstock, corn, and sugarcane prices remained unchanged, which reduced sorbitol's production costs in the Asia-Pacific area. Due to port congestion and piled-up cargo, the feed transfer between the supplier and producer was difficult.

North America

In the North American region, the market dynamics for this polyol were favourable throughout Q2. The regional market's expanding food and beverage sectors continued to be a major driver of prices. The public's growing concern for their health increased demand for the product in the local market. Additionally, the prices of feedstock and sugarcane continued to trend upward, having a proportional impact on the sorbitol prices in the local market. The cosmetics industries continued to play a significant role in controlling sorbitol prices trends in the local market.

Europe

Due to high feedstock corn and sugarcane prices in the local market, market sentiments in Europe were stable in Q2 of 2022. The regional market experienced a high operational rate as a result of the stagnating demand from downstream feeds, bakeries, and beverages. Moreover, the cost of natural gas was high, which increased the cost of production and the cost of feedstock. The cost of producing sorbitol in the domestic market also increased as a result of rising natural gas prices and supply disruptions.

Analyst Insight

According to Procurement Resource, the price trajectory of sorbitol prices is expected to remain jittery throughout the second half. The primary reason for the wavy price trends for sorbitol can be seen in the form of higher end-consumer demand in the North American region across the food industry. However, the prices could be seen going southward owing to lower production costs in the Asian market on the back of higher agricultural yield and lower feedstock prices.

For the First Quarter of 2022

Asia

As of March 25th, sorbitol prices in China had increased by 1.18% settling at 1593 USD/MT, FOB Shanghai, China. People's active lifestyles and increased health consciousness became the driving factor behind any swings in its costs. These factors compelled downstream industry producers, such as pharmaceutical, food and beverage, and home care, to enhance the ethanol operational rate.

Feed, corn, and sugarcane had all been in short supply in the worldwide market for the past three months, and the situation is likely to worsen due to tensions between Russia and Ukraine. The Asia-Pacific area has the highest sorbitol costs, owing to strong demand from the cosmetics and personal care industries.

For the Fourth Quarter of 2021

Asia

Sorbitol market fundamentals in Asia Pacific were low throughout the fourth quarter of 2021. Despite sustained demand in the wake of economic activity in Southeast Asia, the offerings were unchanged in the first half of the quarter. Whereas, since the beginning of the quarter, maize offers had eased and demand remained consistent, resulting in reduced production margins. In contrast, after China's power restriction was lifted, operational rates at manufacturing plants improved. Ex-Ahmedabad sorbitol prices were finalised at 597 USD/MT for the quarter ending in December, as a result of sustained demand and decreasing production costs.

Europe

European market was enhanced throughout the fourth quarter of 2021. The restricted supply of raw materials and manufacturing costs, combined with the high electricity rates in the European market, prompted this shift in the trend. Since the third quarter of 2021, the energy crisis had been causing output rates at various upstream facilities across Europe to be reduced due to insufficient natural gas inventories. As a result, sorbitol prices remained buoyant during the fourth quarter of 2021.

North America

Throughout the fourth quarter of 2021, the market in North America remained upbeat. The high-cost support from raw materials is largely to blame for this scenario, as upstream corn prices in the US domestic market surged to unprecedented highs, while the global food ricing index skyrocketed to historic highs in December.

After the storm season, operational rates at manufacturing facilities increased, easing the supply picture dramatically. As a result of the upstream cost support combined with food security concerns, there is insufficient demand for sorbitol. In Q4 2021, the producer's quotations in the US domestic market continued to rise.

Procurement Resource provides latest prices of Sorbitol. 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.