June 18, 2026 – The global feed additive raw material market presents a mixed picture this week. While overall industrial demand shows signs of braking, production costs remain stubbornly high, creating a complex procurement environment for feed manufacturers. Export demand continues to diverge sharply – manganese-based products stay robust, while most other segments face headwinds. Here is our comprehensive breakdown of price movements, supply conditions, and near-term forecasts for the materials that matter most to your feed formulation and production planning.
Overall Market Highlight
The market as a whole shows a differentiated pattern of "demand braking, costs still holding up". Orders for manganese sulfate monohydrate remain saturated until early August;
Overall situation: Export demand continues to differentiate (strong for manganese, weak for the rest)
Zinc sulfate
On the raw material side: Sulfuric acid prices vary by region, zinc hypooxide coefficient is high, and cost support is strong.
Supply: Operating rate 74% (compared with ↑6%), orders booked until early July, capacity utilization 69%.
On the demand side: The feed industry purchases on demand, fertilizers are in the final stage of production, and exports have slowed due to soaring ocean freight rates.
Macro factors: Trump's release of positive news on the Middle East issue boosts market sentiment.
On the fundamentals, during the off-season for consumption, the pace of social inventory reduction was slower, but the processing fee for zinc concentrate on the raw material side continued to decline
Price forecast: Boosted by macroeconomic sentiment and supported by raw materials, zinc online prices are expected to rise next week, with an average price of 24,500 yuan per ton expected next week.
The rebound in zinc network prices will support the cost of zinc sulfate, and the trend of zinc sulfate prices will still depend on the recovery of downstream demand and export orders.
Advice: Buy as needed based on your own inventory.
Manganese sulfate
On the raw material side, the price of manganese ore has shown a downward trend (down 1 to 3 yuan per ton per kilowatt-hour compared to the end of May), but the prices of sulfuric acid in Hunan and Guangxi remain high and firm, providing strong cost support.
Supply: Operating rate 81% (down 7 percent month-on-month), orders are scheduled until early August, delivery is tight.
Demand: Strong export demand remains the main driver of overall demand.
Macro factors: The macro metal atmosphere is bearish, but the impact on manganese-based products is relatively small, with exports dominating.
Price forecast: It is recommended to lock in orders in time, keep prices stable and avoid the peak delivery period.
Ferrous sulfate
Raw material side: Cost support is average.
Supply side: Operating rate 60% (down 20%), orders 15-20 days, order support weakened.
Demand: Weak continuity of demand and insufficient new orders
Macro factors: The macro environment has an indirect impact on low-value products. The main contradiction lies in the imbalance between supply and demand within the industry itself.
Price forecast: Backlog of inventory, weak orders, and the possibility of further decline is not ruled out.
Copper sulfate/basic copper chloride
Raw material end: Tight supply of etching solution, more flowing to intermediate products such as sponge copper, the share used for copper sulfate is narrowing.
Supply side: Operating rate 100% (flat), capacity utilization 45% (flat).
Factors: The copper price drop was mainly hit by two short-term sentiments:
1) Weak demand: China enters the traditional off-season for consumption, downstream purchases are weak, and copper inventories on the Shanghai Futures Exchange have rebounded to 97,000 tons, dragging down market confidence.
2) The sharp drop in aluminum prices has dragged down copper prices: Affected by the easing of the geopolitical situation, aluminum prices have plummeted, and pessimistic sentiment has spread among the non-ferrous metals sector, exerting a chain reaction pressure on copper prices.
1) Current price trend
3) Outlook for future trends:
At present, the United States has a record inventory of about a million tons, which will suppress the upside potential of copper prices in the short term. But there is also limited room for a deep fall: on the one hand, tight supply at the mining end (domestic processing fees TC have dropped to -120 per dry ton) forms cost support; On the other hand, institutions like Citigroup remain optimistic about long-term demand from AI and electrification, predicting that copper prices could return to $15,000 per ton by the end of the year. Copper prices are expected to remain high with wide fluctuations in the short term.
Price forecast: It is expected that the main operating range of Shanghai copper will be around 104,200-107,200 yuan per ton in the near future.
Suggestion: Purchase flexibly based on production rhythm and inventory.
2) Copper price trend over the past five years (2021-2026) : Summary of the five-year trend: Upward - pullback - sideways - breakout again - High consolidation. It is currently at its highest point in nearly five years.
Magnesium sulfate/magnesium oxide
In terms of raw materials: Magnesium oxide has seen a slight increase recently, supported by raw materials and environmental protection.
Sulfuric acid in the north is currently stable at a high level. Magnesium sulfate is consolidating at a high level, while magnesium monohydrate is rising steadily. The peak season for aquaculture has bottomed out, raw material and energy costs are high, short-term market is strong and volatile, and it is more likely to rise than fall in the future market. It is recommended to replenish stocks in batches as needed.
Calcium iodate
Market analysis: Refined iodine prices are stable, manufacturers supply is normal, and downstream purchases are mainly for essential needs.
Later forecast: Prices are expected to remain stable in the short term with limited room for fluctuation.
Buying advice: Buy as needed, no need to stockpile in large quantities.
Sodium selenite
Prices are gradually falling from their highs and demand is low
Start-up rate: 100%, capacity utilization rate 24%, remaining unchanged compared with the previous period.
The price of sodium selenite was at a nearly two-year high in March and gradually declined in the second quarter, coupled with sluggish downstream demand.
Operation advice: Purchase flexibly based on production rhythm and inventory.
Cobalt chloride
Cobalt salts are generally weakly oscillating. Cobalt sulfate was flat for the week; Cobalt chloride shifted its center of gravity downward. Earlier, a concentration of cobalt intermediates arrived at ports to ease raw material shortages, while downstream lithium battery demand was weak and only small orders for essential needs were purchased, resulting in sluggish transactions and a strong wait-and-see sentiment. It is recommended to purchase on demand.
Potassium chloride/potassium carbonate/calcium formate/iodide
1. Potassium chloride: The potassium chloride market is stable, port inventories continue to accumulate, off-season demand is low, cost support is unlikely to fall deeply, and it will continue to consolidate in a narrow range in the short term. Spot prices are basically stable, and inventories are replenished as needed.
2. Formic acid prices have remained stable over the past week, with strong demand and limited fluctuations; Feed-grade calcium formate costs and tight spot prices supported the price, and it was strong in the short term. It is recommended to stock up based on demand.
3. Iodide prices remained stable this week compared to last week.
Final Takeaway for Feed Manufacturers
The current raw material landscape calls for selective, inventory-aware procurement. Manganese sulfate and magnesium products are in tight supply with upward price bias, while zinc sulfate offers moderate support. Copper and cobalt remain volatile but with defined floors. For most other items, on-demand buying remains the safest strategy. Stay tuned to our weekly updates for timely intelligence to optimize your feed additive sourcing decisions.
All prices and data are based on publicly available market information as of June 16, 2026, and are subject to change. Consult your suppliers for firm quotes.
Free consultation
Request samples
Contact Us
Post time: Jun-18-2026
