Citric Acid Prices Rise Sharply: Causes, Trend Forecast & Urgent Procurement Advice

                          Citric Acid Prices Rise Sharply: Causes, Trend Forecast & Urgent Procurement Advice

Recently, China’s citric acid market has seen a noticeable price increase. As of late March 2026, food-grade monohydrate citric acid has risen by 12%–15% month-on-month, while anhydrous citric acid maintains a firm upward trend. The current price surge is driven by higher raw material costs, tight supply and strong export demand.

Raw material costs form the main support. Corn accounts for over 60% of total production costs. Domestic corn spot prices have increased by more than 5.7% since the start of the year. Sulfuric acid and energy costs have also climbed steadily, pushing overall manufacturing costs higher and leaving producers with limited profit space.

On the supply side, major manufacturers arrange routine equipment maintenance from March to April, lowering the industry operating rate. Meanwhile, more than 70% of China’s citric acid output is for export. Orders from Southeast Asia, Africa and Europe remain strong, leaving limited domestic available stock. Overall social inventory continues to decrease, keeping spot goods in short supply.

In terms of demand, the food and beverage, daily chemical and pharmaceutical industries maintain stable consumption. Downstream buyers have started advanced stock preparation to avoid future cost growth, further boosting market trading activity.

For the next two months (April–May), the market is expected to stay strong. Prices may rise by another 3%–5% in April before gradual stabilization in May. No obvious price drop is likely in the short term.

Given the continuous uptrend, customers are strongly advised to seize the current window, confirm purchasing quantity and payment terms as soon as possible, lock the current favorable price in advance, and effectively control future production costs. Our company, Henan Brilliant Biotech, has 24 years of experience in this industry.You can choose us with full confidence, and cooperation with us will always be smooth and reassuring.