The price trend of domestic fluorite continued to rise in May, with an average price of 3806.25 yuan/ton as of the end of the month, an increase of 3.57% compared to the price of 3675 yuan/ton at the beginning of the month, and a year-on-year increase of 21.07%.

Supply side: Some mines have safety inspections, and the supply of fluorite is tight

The game situation in the domestic fluorite industry still exists, and overall, the operating rate of enterprises has not changed much. Upstream mining is tight, backward mines will continue to be eliminated, and new mines will continue to be added. Mineral investigation work is still difficult. In addition, recent national departments will carry out rectification and renovation of fluorite mines, and fluorite mining enterprises are facing increasingly strict safety and environmental requirements. In addition, an accident at a certain mine in Jiangxi has caused some mines in the region to undergo safety hazard inspections. The difficulty of operating fluorite mines has increased, and the shortage of raw materials has restricted the operation of fluorite enterprises. The supply of fluorite goods is tight, and the price trend of fluorite continued to rise in May.

On the demand side, hydrofluoric acid can be purchased as needed and refrigerant can still be started

In May, domestic hydrofluoric acid first rose and then fell, and overall, the price remained stable. The mainstream price of hydrofluoric acid in various regions of China increased to 11200-116700 yuan/ton, and the price remained stable in May. The downstream hydrofluoric acid market is average, and some devices are still in shutdown recently. The spot supply of hydrofluoric acid has not changed much, and the order situation of manufacturers for hydrofluoric acid is normal. The price of hydrofluoric acid is dragging down the domestic fluorite market, and some hydrofluoric acid manufacturers purchase on demand, limiting the growth of the domestic fluorite market.

In May, the price trend of downstream refrigerants in the terminal market increased, and the operating rate of the refrigerant industry did not change much. Recently, there has been an increase in dealer purchases, and the price trend of R22 has increased. The mainstream of negotiations is between 26000 and 28000 yuan/ton. The quota cycle in the refrigerant market has started, and it is difficult for enterprises to change their reluctance to sell. The sales situation of R134a in China is average, and the market in May is relatively stable. Currently, the market price of R134a refrigerant is mostly in the range of 31000-33000 yuan/ton, and the overall transaction in the refrigerant industry is still good. Recently, the prices of some other refrigerant products have risen, which has affected the upward trend of the fluorite market.

In addition to the traditional demand in the refrigerant industry, fluorite, as an important mineral raw material in modern industry, is constantly developing in emerging fields. It is also applied in strategic emerging industries such as new energy and new materials, as well as national defense and nuclear industry, including lithium hexafluorophosphate, PVDF, graphite negative electrodes, photovoltaic panels, etc. With the driving force of demand in new energy and semiconductor fields, fluorite applications have received certain support, and the fluorite market has risen.

Market forecast: In the near future, it is difficult to improve the supply of domestic fluorite mines, and some mines have stopped production for safety inspections. The tight supply of fluorite mines is a major positive support for the fluorite market. However, the trend of downstream hydrofluoric acid market is declining, and the demand for downstream refrigerant industry is gradually weakening. Both long and short factors are affecting the market. Chen Ling, an analyst at Business Society, believes that fluorite prices will remain high and volatile in the future.