Titanium markets remained under pressure during the week as ample concentrate supply, cautious buying and new production capacity outweighed pockets of stronger demand. Domestic output growth and elevated imported inventories pushed ore sellers into competition, while downstream buyers sought lower prices.
Titanium dioxide prices held broadly steady after stronger September orders prompted some producers to resume output. The expected October seasonal upswing did not emerge: new orders were limited, transactions remained weak and raw-material costs offered little support.
Titanium slag also remained weak. Acid-soluble slag in Sichuan was quoted at 3,600 to 3,800 yuan per metric ton, while ordinary 90-grade slag was mainly offered at 5,200 to 5,400 yuan. Earlier high-cost inventories had not been fully cleared, leaving selling prices below production costs and keeping operating rates low. Supply reductions provided some support, but just-in-time purchasing and limited willingness to chase prices restrained any recovery.
The sponge market was weak but comparatively stable as newly released capacity coincided with production restarts after maintenance, adding to supply pressure. Prices had approached the cost line, limiting room for further declines, although the cost floor did not create new upward momentum. Titanium products showed a sharper split: civilian demand faced sluggish orders and intense price competition, while aerospace and military orders were fuller but did not provide enough volume to lift the broader market.
The market’s industrial backdrop also included a proposed processing project in Nigeria. The project is designed to process ilmenite locally into titanium dioxide pigment and titanium sponge, with a $12 million pilot plant targeted for operation about 21 months after signing before a larger complex is developed.
The proposed facility would be built from prefabricated modules supplied by a U.S. The agreement remains a development step, with the state expected to assist with permits, infrastructure, raw-material access and host-community coordination.
In the near term, the market is likely to remain at low levels while buyers wait for clearer, sustained demand. Attention is centered on whether low-end capacity is reduced and whether aerospace orders spread into mid-range titanium grades, but current supply contraction is cushioning declines without providing enough force for a broad price rebound.