China's March 2026 Caustic Soda Output Rises 6.2% on Strong Demand

China's caustic soda production rose in March 2026, supported by stable demand from major downstream sectors including alumina, paperboard, textiles and synthetic detergents, while upstream raw salt output edged lower during the month, according to the latest data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).

China's caustic soda output, calculated at 100% concentration, reached 4.131 million metric tons in March, up 6.2% from a year earlier, NBS data showed.

For the first quarter of 2026, China's caustic soda production totaled 12.002 million tons, marking a 5.6% year-on-year increase.

Upstream Raw Salt Output Falls In March

On the upstream side, China's raw salt production stood at 4.328 million tons in March, down 1.1% from the same month a year earlier.

However, cumulative raw salt output in the January-March period reached 12.005 million tons, up 6.3% year on year.

Raw salt is a key feedstock in the chlor-alkali industry and is widely used in caustic soda production.

Alumina Output Maintains Growth

In the downstream sector, China's alumina production — a major consumer of caustic soda — reached 7.611 million tons in March, up 1.8% from a year earlier.

During the first three months of 2026, alumina output totaled 22.997 million tons, an increase of 1.7% year on year.

Paper And Paperboard Production Expands

China's machine-made paper and paperboard output, excluding processing of purchased base paper, rose to 15.437 million tons in March, up 5.8% from a year earlier.

First-quarter production of machine-made paper and paperboard reached 40.188 million tons, up 5.1% year on year.

The paper industry is one of the major downstream applications for caustic soda in pulping and processing.

Textile Production Sees Moderate Increase

China's cloth production climbed to 2.64 billion meters in March, up 1.5% from a year earlier.

In the January-March period, cloth output reached 6.99 billion meters, increasing 4.6% year on year.

The textile sector uses caustic soda in dyeing, bleaching and fabric finishing processes.

Synthetic Detergent Output Posts Strongest Growth

China's synthetic detergent production posted the fastest growth among key downstream sectors in March, rising 8.8% year on year to 1.139 million tons.

In the first quarter, synthetic detergent output reached 2.973 million tons, up 8.0% from a year earlier.

The strong performance in detergents points to resilient consumer and industrial cleaning product demand.

The latest data indicates that China's caustic soda market remained supported in the first quarter of 2026 by broad-based downstream industrial demand, despite mixed performance in upstream raw material supply.