Demand for sodium hypochlorite in China firmed in January amid tightened effective supply and replenishment cycles. Early-month safety inspections at chlor-alkali units trimmed run time, while mid-month municipal disinfection tenders and Lunar New Year restocking accelerated export intake. By month-end, traders reported full bookings and steady chlorine flows, leaving limited immediate spot availability. Demand showed divergence across end-markets: municipal water treatment and utilities remained the strongest driver as first-quarter disinfection tenders advanced; textile mills provided steady secondary support with spring bleaching runs; household cleaning product demand softened after holiday promotions, reducing takedowns from that segment. Export demand remained robust, with full January shipments and February inquiries. Inventory surveys at Qingdao and Ningbo showed lean stocks, with barrels largely nominated for February. Roughly a quarter of output was earmarked for export. The outlook calls for modest cooling in February, with potential volatility around nominations and port loading as market conditions evolve, and with demand sensitivity to safety audits and winter tariffs.
Selenis has effectively manufactured recycled PET chips using terephthalic acid sourced from Circ®, a textile-to-textile recycler based in Virginia. The chip production took place through a series of batches at Selenis' pilot plant in San-Giorgio, Italy. By utilizing inputs recovered from polycotton textile waste, Selenis has created high-quality PET chip, which has been further processed into DTY yarn. This yarn will play a crucial role in product development as Circ prepares for additional capsule launches. Selenis is leveraging the success of this initial collaboration phase and is committed to advancing towards an offtake partnership to support Circ's inaugural industrial facility.
Eduardo Santos, Head of Corporate Strategy at Selenis, remarked that the monomer synthesis showed a performance comparable to virgin terephthalic acid. He expressed optimism about the consistent quality of Circ's monomer output and anticipated future commercial success. Santos pointed out that the Circ partnership complements Selenis's existing mission and goals for a more sustainable textile industry. He further stated their anticipation of expanding upon this collaboration and providing support for Circ's forthcoming commercial production trials.
