(News of April 19, 2026)Entering the second quarter of 2026, the domestic precipitated silica (white carbon black) market has experienced intense fluctuations and profound transformation under the interplay of cost, demand, and policy factors. The sharp increase in raw material prices has triggered a collective price hike across the industry, while a surge in overseas orders has supported the positive trend in foreign trade. The expansion of green production capacity and the elimination of backward capacity are advancing simultaneously, and the "Matthew Effect" in the industry is becoming increasingly prominent, accelerating the transition towards a new stage of high-end, intensive, and green development.

I. Raw Material Prices Soar to a 20-Year High, Industry Collectively Adjusts Prices to Cover Losses
Due to the supply crisis of sulfur caused by the Middle East geopolitical conflict, the concentrated maintenance of domestic chemical plants, and the rigid release of downstream demand, the price of sulfur, a core raw material for precipitated silica, has witnessed an "epic" increase since March. By early April, the benchmark price of sulfur had soared to 1,800 yuan per ton, a rise of nearly 50% compared to the beginning of March and over 150% compared to the low point in 2025, reaching a 20-year high.

Sulfur accounts for approximately 18% to 22% of the production cost of precipitated silica. This round of price surge has directly led to an increase of about 300 yuan in the cost per ton of precipitated silica. To cope with the unprecedented cost pressure, enterprises in major production areas such as Fujian, Shandong, and Jiangxi have issued a series of price adjustment notices: starting from April 2nd, all series of precipitated silica products will be uniformly raised by 500 yuan per ton. Coupled with the first round of price adjustments in early March, the cumulative increase in the industry has reached up to 800 yuan per ton, with the current mainstream market quotations ranging from 6,300 to 7,000 yuan per ton. Industry insiders indicate that even with significant price adjustments, the cost increase has not been fully covered, and enterprises are generally in a passive state of making up for losses. If raw material prices remain high, a second round of price adjustments cannot be ruled out.

II. Overseas Demand Rebounds Concentratedly, High-End Products See Both Volume and Price Growth
Under the pressure of rising costs, the domestic precipitated silica foreign trade market has shown an outstanding performance. With the acceleration of the resumption of work and production in global tire, silicone rubber, and coating industries, overseas orders have returned in a concentrated manner, and the export volume has increased significantly since April.

Customs and industry data show that the export orders of high-dispersibility, food-grade, and green low-carbon precipitated silica products have increased by more than 20% year-on-year, with Southeast Asia, Europe, and the Middle East being the main incremental markets. Domestic high-end precipitated silica, leveraging its cost-effectiveness and stable supply advantages, has continuously enhanced its competitiveness in the international market. Many leading enterprises have their foreign trade production schedules fully booked until May, and some special-grade products are in short supply. Industry analysis points out that the expansion of global demand in green tires, high-performance silicone rubber, and other fields is becoming the core driving force for the growth of precipitated silica exports.

III. Industry Conference Focuses on Collaborative Innovation, Green and Low-Carbon Becomes the Key to Breaking Through
From April 13th to 15th, the 2026 China Rubber Industry Association Special Rubber Raw Materials Industry Development Conference was held in Hebi, Henan Province. The conference was themed "Green Innovation and Chain Synergy". The industry consensus is that the current precipitated silica industry is at a critical period at the beginning of the "15th Five-Year Plan", facing challenges such as overcapacity, insufficient innovation, and increased environmental pressure. Green and low-carbon, high-end, and intelligent development are the inevitable paths.

Driven by both policy and market, green process projects are accelerating their implementation: Shandong Qixiang New Materials is investing 1.02 billion yuan to build a 150,000-ton green and low-carbon high-dispersibility precipitated silica project; the 200,000-ton/year carbon dioxide acidification method precipitated silica project (Phase I) of Zhongke Fuhui has started construction in Yishui County, People's Government. Meanwhile, regions such as Jiangsu have clearly restricted non-green process capacity, eliminating devices with an annual output of less than 15,000 tons, and promoting the accelerated elimination of low-end capacity.

IV. Industry Differentiation Intensifies, Leading Enterprises Lead While Small and Medium-sized Enterprises Face Pressure
Under the dual pressure of cost and environmental protection, the "two-pole" differentiation in the industry is becoming increasingly prominent. Leading enterprises, leveraging their technological, scale and industrial chain advantages, are accelerating the expansion of high-end production capacity, laying out overseas markets and promoting technological upgrades. In contrast, many small and medium-sized enterprises, due to their weak risk-resistance capabilities, have fallen into a predicament of "reducing production, halting production and difficulty in transformation", with some gradually withdrawing from the market. Industry insiders predict that by 2026, the integration of the silica industry will continue to deepen, market concentration will further increase, and the product structure will accelerate its transformation towards high dispersion, high purity and functionalization. In the short term, the market will maintain a high operation pattern supported by strong costs. In the medium and long term, enterprises that master green technologies and have the supply capacity of high-end products will take the lead in the industry reshuffle and guide China's silica industry towards the medium and high end of the global value chain.