# Citric acid: Trading

No public benchmark: how prices actually get found

Source page: https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/citric_acid/trading/

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 reports](https://faxiangongchang.com/en/reports/china-amino-acids-2026)free research site · Faxian Gongchang

Chinese fermentation industry capacity, prices and policy
[Indian Chemical News](https://www.indianchemicalnews.com)free newsletter · Indian Chemical News

Indian specialty and food chemical company news
[World Bank Commodity Markets (Pink Sheet)](https://www.worldbank.org/en/research/commodity-markets)free research site · World Bank Prospects Group

Monthly maize and sugar prices behind citric acid costs

## Other sections

- [Summary](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/citric_acid/index.md)
- [Overview](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/citric_acid/overview/index.md)
- [Correlation](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/citric_acid/correlation/index.md)
- [Production route](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/citric_acid/routes/index.md)
- [Production](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/citric_acid/production/index.md)
- [Feedstocks](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/citric_acid/feedstocks/index.md)
- [Cycles](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/citric_acid/cycles/index.md)
- [Movement](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/citric_acid/movement/index.md)
- [Regulation](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/citric_acid/regulation/index.md)
- [Characteristics](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/citric_acid/characteristics/index.md)
- [Emissions](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/citric_acid/emissions/index.md)
- [Relationships](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/citric_acid/links/index.md)