Since February, the domestic melamine market has risen sharply. The average price has risen from 7,200 yuan (ton price, the same below) to 8,100 yuan, an increase of 12.5%. Compared with the same period last year, the increase is more than 30%. After a lapse of 3 years, the price of melamine has returned to the 8,000 yuan mark.
According to industry analysts, there are three main reasons for the price increase of melamine:
First, raw materials help increase. Since the outbreak of the new crown pneumonia epidemic, food security has attracted much attention from all countries. The demand for fertilizers in South America, Africa, South Asia, Southeast Asia and other regions has continued to be strong. The urea market has also risen sharply. At its peak, the ex-factory price of urea reached about 2,200 yuan, an increase of 300 to 400 yuan compared with the beginning of this year. The price of urea has risen, pushing up the production cost of melamine.
The second is the improvement in demand. Wood-based panels are the main downstream industry of melamine. From February to March last year, it was the most severe period of domestic epidemic prevention. Many companies stopped production and the operating rate of panel companies was very low. This year, the company has basically returned to normal production, and the operating rate has risen sharply by more than 50% year-on-year. The demand for melamine is also increasing.
The third is strong export. my country is the world's largest exporter of melamine, and basically exports more than 20,000 tons per month. Affected by factors such as the epidemic, the continuity and operating rate of foreign melamine plants this year are not as good as those in China. At the same time, the international urea price is high, the production cost of melamine has risen sharply, and my country's competitiveness in the melamine export market has further strengthened. The export of melamine this year is more optimistic, which is positive for the domestic market.
