The sodium nitrite market began October 2025 with a deterioration from the steep declines last week of September. The Indian and Chinese hubs now remain under supply-driven pressure and relatively 'stable' utilities, with steady feedstock flows into the manufacturing bases and uninterrupted plant operations keeping inventories comfortable. Downstream demand from pharmaceutical, textile dye, and metal treatment segments provided limited solace but insufficient to counterbalance oversupply. Port logistics in China kept the depressing sentiment alive, but steady operating rates and limited industrial uptake kept hopes for substantial replenishment muted for early October. Although early October saw an uptick back to channel resistance, the multi-week bearish trend continues, and prices will remain underpriced under pressure without a turnaround in industrial or export re-supply demand.
The Sodium Nitrite market entered October 2025 under pressure with bearish forces firmly in place across the key production locations. The combination of uninterrupted inflow of feedstock, stable utility levels, and high operating rates has sustained supply throughout India and China, whilst downstream activities offered little push to absorb those supplies back into the market. After weeks of significant declines throughout late September, the early October price trends confirmed prices have stabilized near multi-month lows rather than rebounding of sodium nitrite. Market sentiment continues to be soft and creates a guarded tone for the industry as it enters the last quarter of the year.
Indian Sodium nitrite domestic manufacturers remained in production without interruption of raw material or energy. Sodium nitrite key producers Deepak Nitrite, Punjab Chemicals, and GNFC continued to operate at high utilization backed by steady supply of nitric acid, caustic soda, and ammonia. The mid-September start-up of the nitric acid unit at Deepak Nitrite further bolstered captive supply, displaced reliance on the spot market and improved producer margins with steady utility prices. The pharmaceutical and textile dye sectors, while still purchasing high-purity grades, were not enough to offset the ample inventory levels. For the week ending October 3rd, Sodium nitrite Ex-Vapi prices remained at 598 USD/tonne, reflecting a pause after the steep decreases over the last month with no evidence of a recovery of the spot price level considering the ample feedstock supply situation and uninterrupted plant operations. During the week ending September 26th, Sodium nitrite Ex-Vapi prices in India dropped to 579 USD/tonne, or 4.7% over the previous week's price.
Chinese Sodium nitrite mirrored this pattern. Sodium Nitrite FOB Qingdao prices declined to 340.00 USD/tonne by September 26th, down 2.9% from the prior week’s 350.00 USD/tonne, indicating that the market has stabilized at low levels rather than rebounded. Sodium Nitrite upstream input prices for soda ash, ammonium sulfate, petroleum coke and metallurgical coke were stable; no nitric acid shutdowns, no railroad congestion reported in Shanxi, Hebei or Inner Mongolia; Producer and coast-wide depot inventories remain flat; Sodium Nitrite downstream demand in metal heat-treatment, azo-dye, ADC blowing agent and pharma API sector remained stable, but lackluster.
As Q4 kicks off, Indian and Chinese sodium nitrite markets continue to face stubborn headwinds. Strong feedstock availability, steady plant operations, and soft downstream expansion suggest ongoing pricing pressures in the near term. Meaningful improvement likely hinges on a revival in industrial or export demand, both of which remain slow or absent.
