Citric acid: Trading
No public benchmark: how prices actually get found
What this tab covers How it is bought and sold: buyers and sellers, price benchmarks and who publishes them, exchanges, contract types, traders, how Indian buyers price it, recent price points, and good sources to follow.Who buys, and where
- China (Shandong, Anhui, Hubei)
- Thailand
- Europe for duty-protected supply
Who sells, and from where
- Beverage and food makers
- Detergent formulators
- Pharma and personal care
Price benchmarks
| Benchmark | Publisher | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Citric acid anhydrous FOB China | trade press and price reporters such as ChemAnalyst and IMARC (indicative) | spot, weekly or monthly; mostly paid |
Exchanges
| Venue | Contract | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| none | not exchange-traded | Maize futures on Dalian and CBOT serve as feedstock hedges |
Contract types
- Annual or quarterly contracts with beverage majors
- Spot purchases by smaller food makers through distributors
Traders and distributors
- Distributors such as Brenntag and IMCD (indicative)
- Chinese export trading houses
How Indian buyers price it
- Import parity: Chinese FOB plus freight and Indian customs duty
- Distributors resell in 25 kg bags to food and detergent makers
Recent price points
| Date | Price | Basis | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-2025 | about $700-900/t (indicative) | anhydrous FOB China | indicative; no public price reached |
Good sources to follow
Faxian Gongchang China industry reportsfree research site · Faxian GongchangChinese fermentation industry capacity, prices and policy
Indian Chemical Newsfree newsletter · Indian Chemical NewsIndian specialty and food chemical company news
World Bank Commodity Markets (Pink Sheet)free research site · World Bank Prospects GroupMonthly maize and sugar prices behind citric acid costs