The Chinese Vitamin B1 market saw a significant jump in November, only to level out in the first week of December. Behind that upward tick was some robust overseas demand, plus a bit of an uptick in production costs, while inspections and scheduled maintenance did their part to tighten up supply. Export orders were holding steady in key markets like the United States, Brazil, and Europe - and that was a big help to the market - and logistics were calm, which let price adjustments go through. Demand in the domestic compound feed and nutraceutical sectors stayed healthy & buyers from overseas were busy restocking ahead of the year-end. Even though supply issues were a bit of an issue, the fact that there were good inventory levels on hand meant that buyers did not run for restocking. Then at the start of December trading, it looked like buyers were taking a more cautious approach. Word from the experts is that Vitamin B1 prices are due to take a bit of a hit in the coming weeks as the year-end demand starts to fade, export bookings slow a bit, and with all the inventories they already have on hand, the overall mood in the market is looking a bit bearish.
