Mid-June 2025, the Asian Dimethylformamide (DMF) market is exhibiting contradictory regional trends due to a combination of ongoing port congestion, uneven downstream demand recovery, and feedstock price instability. The mood of the DMF market is cautious in major centres of manufacturing and consumption, such as China and India.
Potassium carbonate markets in both Germany and the United States registered modest but firm price increases in May 2025, driven by persistent supply-side disruptions and precautionary restocking across key downstream sectors. While seasonal fertilizer demand had passed its peak in both regions, uncertainty over feedstock accessibility, international trade barriers, and logistical limitations prompted proactive procurement strategies for Potassium carbonate. Market participants responded to growing concerns surrounding raw material flows and geopolitical shifts, keeping overall sentiment supported despite moderate consumption trends.
In Germany, the potassium carbonate market was under upward pressure as feedstock availability came in tightly amid continuing restraints on Russian and Belarusian potash volumes. Domestic Potassium carbonate production, though not impacted directly by shutdowns, was hit by higher input costs due to constrained MOP (muriate of potash) supply and upstream curtailments. Logistical challenges had added to these supply constraints; poor Rhine River water levels inhibited movements of raw materials and finished products by barge, and traffic congestion at North Sea ports, due in part to labour shortages, interfered with outbound shipments.
Although dominant spring fertilization work had been done, fertilizer producers ramped up Potassium carbonate purchases to contain expected shortages brought about by the new tariffs of the European Union on Russian imports. Although industrial sectors— like glass and ceramics —sustained base demand, it was the inventory-driven purchasing behaviour of fertilizer producers that maintained price momentum throughout the month.
In the United States, the potassium carbonate industry saw comparable price firming in the face of tightened imports and steady fertilizer sector demand. While trade flows temporarily normalized after suspension of some tariff action, supply volumes of Potassium carbonate continued to be restrained as Asian suppliers—mainly in China—curtailed shipments in response to thin inventories and slow restarts of production. Constricted availability of potassium chloride and stronger transpacific freight rates contributed further, elevating landed US costs.
Weather-related port congestion, while minimal, increased lead times and impaired supply chain responsiveness. Local production was stable but weighed upon by high input costs, forcing producers to transfer costs onto the market through higher prices.
Demand for Potassium carbonate was steady but responsive; distributors shifted to cover material prior to anticipated Chinese production reductions during the Dragon Boat Festival and ongoing geopolitics uncertainty, supporting the month's strong tone.
Looking ahead, potassium carbonate prices in both Germany and the US are expected to remain supported through early summer. Persistent feedstock constraints, ongoing logistics bottlenecks, and geopolitical developments—including trade policy shifts and potential retaliatory tariffs—are forecasted to maintain upward pressure.
