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China and India are the leading exporters of sodium metabisulfite, accounting for a substantial majority of global shipments, while the United States, Germany, and Mexico are the largest importers. Sodium metabisulfite prices have remained relatively stable amid steady cross-border flows, reflecting consistent industrial demand in food preservation, water treatment, and pharmaceutical manufacturing. Export volumes from China have grown modestly over the past two years, while Indian exports have expanded more rapidly, narrowing the gap between the two top suppliers.
Sodium Metabisulfite Market Intelligence, Analysis, and Forecast
I. Market Intelligence
Price Dynamics
- Domestic Quotations: As of July 6, 2026, quotations for sodium metabisulfite vary across regions and brands in China. For industrial-grade products (96.5% purity), prices include: Hebei at RMB 4,100/ton (up RMB 50/ton from the previous price); Changzhou Aozun Composite New Materials Co., Ltd. (domestic) at RMB 2,200/ton; Shandong Shuojia Chemical Co., Ltd. (domestic) at RMB 3,500/ton; Baozhen Chemical (Shandong) Co., Ltd. (domestic) at RMB 4,000/ton; Jia’en Chemical (Shandong) Co., Ltd. (domestic) at RMB 4,250/ton; Jinan Angxin Chemical Co., Ltd. (domestic) at RMB 3,800/ton; Shanghai Guoke E-Commerce Co., Ltd. (domestic) at RMB 3,900/ton; Suzhou Shangma Chemical Technology Co., Ltd. (domestic) at RMB 4,300/ton; Shandong Jinshengrun Chemical Co., Ltd. (Shandong Kailong product) at RMB 2,800/ton; Jinan Jinrihe Chemical Co., Ltd. (Shandong Kailong product) at RMB 1,800/ton; Guangzhou Tianyue Chemical Co., Ltd. (Hunan Yinqiao product) at RMB 1,700/ton; Henan Zhengyuan Water Treatment Materials Co., Ltd. (Henan Zhengyuan product) at RMB 3,300/ton; Zhangzhou Xiangcheng San’an Chemical Co., Ltd. (Fujian product) at RMB 4,000/ton; and Shanghai Shijian Industrial Co., Ltd. (Shijian Chemical product) at RMB 3,450/ton. Food-grade product prices also differ by brand and purity—e.g., Shandong Shuojia Chemical Co., Ltd. offers domestic food-grade (97% purity) at RMB 3,500/ton.
- Cost Support: Rising sulfur prices continue to exert upward pressure on production costs, thereby driving sodium metabisulfite prices higher.
Supply-Demand Situation
- Capacity and Output: Over the past five years, China’s sodium metabisulfite production capacity has declined, falling from 1.585 million tons in 2019 to 1.45 million tons/year in 2024. In 2024, national output stood at 455,000 tons, with apparent consumption at 440,000 tons.
- Import-Export Status: Imports of sodium metabisulfite into China are minimal: 0.4 thousand tons in 2019 and 0.5 thousand tons in 2020; no imports were recorded from 2021 through 2024. Exports have trended downward in recent years, totaling 15,000 tons in 2024.
- Downstream Demand Distribution: Sodium metabisulfite in China is primarily used in basic chemical production, concrete water-reducing agents, food industry applications, and mineral flotation. Specifically: basic chemical manufacturing (e.g., sodium bisulfite production) accounts for 35.31% of consumption; concrete water-reducing agents (including aliphatic and lignosulfonate series) account for 34.4%; food industry (as preservative and antioxidant) accounts for 20.73%; and mineral flotation (e.g., as pyrite depressant) accounts for 9.57%.
Industry Structure
- Enterprise Distribution: The sodium metabisulfite industry comprises numerous enterprises widely distributed across sulfur- and alkali-rich or downstream-industry-concentrated provinces—including Hunan, Guangdong, Shandong, and Henan.
- Leading Enterprises: Companies such as Hunan Yinqiao, Meizhou Lianjin Chemical, Shandong Kailong Chemical, Yueyang Sanxiang Chemical, and Xuancheng Kai’ang Chemical hold substantial market shares, leveraging advantages in scale, technology, cost efficiency, and brand recognition. These top-tier firms typically supply both industrial-grade and food-grade products.
II. Analysis and Judgment
Price Trend
- Short Term: Rising sulfur feedstock prices are increasing production costs, sustaining upward price momentum in the near term.
- Long Term: Without a notable increase in downstream demand—and given persistent overcapacity—the likelihood of sustained, significant price increases remains low; prices are more likely to fluctuate within a relatively stable range.
Supply-Demand Relationship
- Supply Side: The ongoing decline in production capacity may moderately alleviate oversupply pressures; however, current output still slightly exceeds apparent consumption, indicating an overall relatively ample supply.
- Demand Side: Traditional end-use sectors exhibit stable or marginally declining demand, while high-end niche markets—such as food processing and premium water treatment—are emerging as key growth drivers. Yet, growth in these premium segments may not be rapid enough to fully absorb existing capacity.
Industry Structure
- Intensified Competition: Competitive pressures among enterprises will heighten significantly amid mounting cost constraints. Leading manufacturers with economies of scale, certified food-grade (and other high-value-added) product lines, and green, low-carbon production capabilities are expected to further expand their market share.
- Rising Concentration: Inefficient, outdated production capacities will continue to be phased out, leading to increased industry concentration.
III. Forecast
Price Forecast
- In the near term, sodium metabisulfite prices are likely to rise modestly, driven primarily by cost inflation. Should sulfur prices remain persistently elevated, prices may advance further from current levels. Conversely, if sulfur prices decline or demand growth underperforms expectations, prices may stabilize or experience slight downward adjustment.
Supply-Demand Forecast
- Supply: Production capacity is expected to continue declining gradually. Enterprises will increasingly focus on enhancing production efficiency and product quality to better align with evolving market demands.
- Demand: Demand in traditional application areas will remain relatively stable, while demand in high-end niche markets will grow steadily—albeit at a limited pace. Overall demand growth is projected to lag behind the rate of capacity contraction, resulting in a gradual rebalancing of supply and demand.
Industry Structure Forecast
- Industry concentration will further increase, with leading enterprises consolidating dominant positions through technological innovation, brand development, and market expansion. Small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) will face heightened operational pressures; some may pursue mergers, acquisitions, or strategic reorganizations to achieve resource integration and enhance competitiveness.
Sodium metabisulfite is a white crystalline powder with a slight sulfur dioxide odor; it is non-volatile, decomposes before melting (typically above 150 °C), and is highly water-soluble. It is an inorganic sulfite salt, classified as a reducing agent and sulfur-containing compound. Industrially, it serves primarily as a preservative, antioxidant, and bleaching agent, and functions as a source of sulfur dioxide in chemical synthesis. Key application areas include food and beverage preservation, winemaking, water treatment, textile dyeing and printing, and as a reducing agent in photographic developers and polymerization processes.
Sodium metabisulfite (SMBS, Sodium disulfite) is a white, granular solid sodium salt. an inorganic compound made up of sodium, sulfur, and oxygen, and used in many industries:in the pulp and paper industry, in the photographic industry and in the various other industries as a bleach or dechlorinator.Food Grade sodium metabisulfite may be used as a food preservative. It is also commonly added to various food products and wines as a preservative.Sodium metabisulfite can also be used in the manufacture of other chemicals, Used in production of cleaning agents, detergents, and soaps.It also acts as a corrosion inhibitor in oil and gas industry, as a bleaching agent in the production of coconut cream, as the source of sulfur dioxide and in the destruction of cyanide in commercial gold cyanidation processes.Gold mining industry: It is utilized in the precipitation of gold from auric acid as well as in the waste water treatment to remove hexavaent chromium as trivalent chromium by precipitation after reduction.Preservative in photo developer solutions, it is used in photography.Oxygen scavenge:it plays as an oxygen scavenger to eliminate the dissolved oxygen in wastewater and in pipes.Sodium metabisulfite may be used as an initiator during the cross-linking polymerization of polybutadiene in the cores of the vesicle membranes.It may be added as an antioxidant during the preparation of stock solutions of 6-hydroxydopamine in various studies.Dechlorination in municipal wastewater, pulp & paper, power, and textile water treatment plants.
white crystalline powder with a sulfur smell
This chemical is included in Fine Chemicals. See more about what is Sodium metabisulfite and Sodium metabisulfite SDS information.
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