11 March 1999: In December 1998, Indian soda ash prices fell again after a brief recovery. Imports to India from China and Romania have increased, and this has coincided with lower Indian demand, acco…
11 March 1999: In December 1998, Indian soda ash prices fell again after a brief recovery. Imports to India from China and Romania have increased, and this has coincided with lower Indian demand, according to a recent report. As a result, capacity utilization at Indian facilities has fallen, with production averaging 110,000 tonnes/month, compared with the previous level of 150,000 tonnes/month. At the end of 1996-1997, inventory levels were 11,000 tonnes compared to a level in April 1998 of 62,000 tonnes. The situation has worsened since then, the report said. 70% of India“s salt is produced in Gujarat, and production has been adversely affected by a cyclone, with prices increasing sharply. China has mainly increased its exports to southern and eastern India. The majority of soda ash producers in India are located in Gujarat, resulting in high transportation costs to these areas. Chinese exports were negligible in 1994-1995, and they have risen to 170,000 tonne/year in 1997-1998.