China’s boric acid market moved lower in January 2026 as pre-Spring-Festival destocking and maintenance weighed on domestic buying momentum. Early in the month export availability remained steady, but softer freight conditions and a firmer yuan trimmed import parity, allowing sellers to offer lower spot levels. By mid-month traders reported comfortable coastal inventories and steady shipments from Turkey and Chile; late-month downstream activity shifted toward inventory draw-downs rather than fresh bookings. Overall demand from traditional outlets softened, outpacing modest input-cost relief and signaling a softer trajectory for spot quotations. Weakness was focused on glass and building-materials channels, while electronics demand stayed largely steady. Glass producers scheduled maintenance ahead of the Lunar New Year, and ceramics plants trimmed kiln runs amid weak orders, reducing monthly intake. Electronics-grade demand held ground but could not offset the broader slowdown. Looking ahead, analysts expect a modest near-term rebound as activity resumes post-holiday, with import parity influenced by exchange rates.
