Several amino acids remain active in Europe

The market in China is calm and in the USA some activity is still seen on lysine hcl.

Lysine

The market in Europe is relatively active for Q3 purchases. Container freight is firming and the EUR-USD has weakened. Price offers fob China remain stable at a higher level compared to some months ago. This has triggered Q3 buying and prices have firmed a bit. In the local regions, there is still a low stock level and delayed material that is arriving in the ports is needed to fill gaps and restore buffers. Q2 is contracted mostly by now and a good portion of Q3 as well.

Threonine

Some regional differences are seen. The market in China and the USA is relatively quiet and stable. But in Europe, prices are slightly firmer due to increased container freight rates and a weaker EUR against the USD. Some activity is seen for late Q2 and Q3 in the EU, as prices are not expected to go down in the coming months due to delays ex China and relatively low stock buffers locally. Suppliers are trying to move away from the low price levels, and now some steps up have been made. If it will stick, time will tell. Buyers have been contracting for most of Q2. Q3 is still mostly open.

DL-Methionine

Currently, no changes are seen or reported compared to the previous week. In almost all regions, the market is quiet and contracted forward. This is after a period of volatility and price increases. Availability seems to remain tight to okay in most regions and no nearby (next 1-2 months) change is expected due to ongoing reduced output at several key suppliers. Prices are stable at the moment, but still at a higher level compared to some months ago. Most of Q2 is contracted by now and several buyers have also contracted a portion of their Q3 needs.

Tryptophan

Static market at the moment and no changes seen compared to the previous week. The availability of tryptophan remains slightly under pressure in Europe and the US, as local supply is tight. There are not that many options for Chinese import yet and domestic suppliers are keeping prices up. At the same time, prices in China are weakening as supply is more than sufficient. Several market participants indicate that the continuity of tryptophan production by a main manufacturer in Europe might be disrupted, or even discontinued, in the coming period. A decent portion of Q2 has been contracted by now.

Valine

Prices in all regions seem stable at the moment and most of Q2 is contracted and the market is quiet. More Chinese manufacturers are stepping into the smaller amino acid production and/or scaling them up. So, valine availability has improved. At the same time, Western manufacturers are struggling with the current low market prices and indicate that they see no sustainable long-term business model in such a low-priced market. Q2 is mostly contracted, but no real interest for Q3 yet.