October 21, 2024 – China’s titanium ore imports in September experienced a notable decline compared to the previous month, yet remained resilient on a year-over-year basis. Specifically, the nation imported a total of 268,000 tonnes of titanium ore, marking a substantial 57.1% decrease from August. However, this figure still represented a 6.2% increase when compared to the same period last year, highlighting the volatile and complex nature of current market demand for titanium ore.
In terms of cumulative imports, China’s titanium ore imports for the first nine months of 2024 reached approximately 3.584 million tonnes, up 9.2% from the corresponding period last year. This upward trend indicates that despite monthly fluctuations, overall import demand continues to grow steadily.
Similarly, China’s titanium dioxide exports exhibited a comparable pattern. With a volume of 147,000 tonnes in September, exports decreased by 8.7% compared to the previous month but still managed a 1.2% increase year-on-year. According to Color Masterbatch Industry Network, this growth was primarily fueled by the sustained strong demand for titanium dioxide in the international market. For the first nine months of 2024, China’s total titanium dioxide exports amounted to roughly 1.44 million tonnes, up 14.7% year-on-year, further underscoring the competitiveness of Chinese titanium dioxide in the global market.
Furthermore, the import and export data for titanium sponge are also noteworthy. From January to September 2024, China imported only 100.4 tonnes of titanium sponge (with 100 tonnes imported in September), while cumulative exports reached 4,361.9 tonnes, marking a significant 24.0% increase year-on-year. This data suggests that China’s titanium sponge industry has achieved substantial growth in exports, whereas imports remain at a low level.
In summary, China’s import and export data for titanium ore, titanium dioxide, and titanium sponge all exhibit distinct growth trends. These figures not only reflect current market supply and demand conditions but also provide valuable insights for the future development of the industry.