The Vitamin B4 market in the United States increased steadily from November to the 1st week of December; the price increase came about primarily from reduced import flow from China and India because as importers updated their regulatory and quality documentation, this limited immediate availability. Domestic Vitamin B4 production is made up entirely of a few small domestic producers supplying only a small portion of the overall demand, leaving customers dependent on imports for the majority. Additionally, seasonality (i.e., feed reformulations and holiday demand for nutraceuticals) increased demand for Vitamin B4. Participants in the market accelerated their purchasing of Vitamin B4 prior to year-end inventory closing, but the exporting companies continued to produce firm CFR offers. Strong demand from dietary supplement companies, biopharmaceutical manufacturers, and poultry feed manufacturers increased demand for Vitamin B4, which increased market momentum. By early December, prices were still increasing gradually because of stable flows of imports, high levels of domestic demand, and seasonal buying for the holidays. Experts expect Vitamin B4 prices to increase even more throughout December due to strong firm offers from exporters, stable manufacturing efficiencies, and no major logistics pressures on the marketplace.
In November, prices for vitamin B4 rose steadily and that increase continued into the first week of December. Analysts attribute the rise in vitamin B4 prices to reduced imports from China and India, as well as the strong demand from feed manufacturers, nutraceuticals, and pharmaceuticals. US buyers have been rushing to secure product before they close their year-end inventories and exporters continue to offer strong prices, which supports the bullish market sentiment. Additionally, feed manufacturers are adjusting their formulations seasonally and dietary supplement activity has increased, contributing to the overall increase in demand for vitamin B4.
Throughout November, the supply dynamics for vitamin B4 were primarily driven by imports. Shipments from large Asian suppliers slowed as exporters worked through the completion of regulatory and quality assurance documentation, which limited the volume of spot product available. Domestic production continued to operate at relatively stable levels in the limited number of small-scale facilities but was still not able to meet the needs of the entire US vitamin B4 demand. The operations at ports on the West Coast were more efficient than in past years, but there were still some minor shipping delays, which affected the availability of vitamin B4 in short time frames. The shipping container and freight markets are relatively stable, and any price increases were primarily due to limited availability of vitamin B4 and strong demand for the product and not because of transportation disruptions.
Demand for Vitamin B4 in the US market has been steady with many nutraceutical producers increasing their purchases to support seasonal promotional campaigns, such as those for immune support products and general health products. Several biopharmaceutical companies have also expressed interest in acquiring high purity Vitamin B4, which is often used in cell culture media and for contract manufacturing. In the Midwest, feed producers have restocked choline-enriched premixes in preparation for the winter months when nutritional performance needs typically increase. All segments of the market have experienced a security of supply mentality where timely deliveries were prioritized over price negotiations leading to continued upward pressure on the Vitamin B4 market.
In early December 2025, there was still modest overall pricing for Vitamin B4 due to the continued demand for products and continued solid offers for export activity. Market participants observed that even with diminished import activity, the irregularities within the market's structure have provided an orderly marketplace with inventory levels at distribution centers creating a buffer, but not sufficient to slow the rapidly upward movements in Vitamin B4 price. In addition, seasonal demand patterns and year-end procurement contributed to positive sentiment within the market, as buyers have proactively made moves to secure needed supply for Vitamin B4.
Analysts are projecting that vitamin B4 prices will continue to experience upward movement over the next few weeks as buyers in the US acquire end-of-year shipments in advance of inventory closures. Chinese Vitamin B4 exporters have continued to maintain solid offers due to steady production and consistent demand from both feed and pharmaceutical companies. Throughout the holiday season, logistics and freight costs have experienced mild upward pressure on landed prices, indicating that the current bullish trend for Vitamin B4 will likely continue until the end of 2025.
