Overview and supply-demand analysis of the global titanium dioxide market in 2026

Chlorination-process products offer superior quality and lower environmental impact, aligning well with high-end applications and environmental protection trends. Longbai Group is the first domestic enterprise to break through and achieve large-scale commercial application of chlorination technology. Its current domestic chlorination-process capacity stands at 660,000 tons/year, while its acquired UK facility adds another 150,000 tons/year. Kuncai Technology’s Phase I project—200,000 tons/year—is gradually ramping up production, and its Phase II project—600,000 tons/year—is progressing steadily. Tianyuan Group currently operates a 100,000-ton/year chlorination-process titanium dioxide capacity, running at full capacity and fully sold out. Among newly planned titanium dioxide capacities in China for 2025–2026, chlorination-process additions total 1.08 million tons/year—far exceeding sulfate-process additions of 520,000 tons/year. Downstream applications: coatings, plastics, papermaking, inks, etc. Approximately 60% of titanium dioxide consumption goes to the coatings industry. Rutile and anatase titanium dioxide serve as the ‘mother pigment’ for white base color in coating formulations—whether for aesthetic appeal of building exteriors, gloss performance of premium automotive paints, or uniform film formation in furniture and wood coatings. According to Huirui Consulting, coatings’ share of titanium dioxide consumption is projected to rise from 59.1% in 2026 to 62.2% by 2030. However, architectural coatings are currently weighed down by the sluggish real estate sector, resulting in overall coating plant operating rates below 60%. Plastics constitute the second-largest application segment, accounting for about 24% of consumption. Titanium dioxide imparts whiteness and enhances weather resistance across diverse plastic products—from electronic appliance housings and automotive interior/exterior trim to daily-use plastic items and food packaging films. Papermaking accounts for roughly 8–10% of consumption, primarily for printing paper, decorative paper, and specialty papers. Niche segments—including inks, cosmetics, and food additives—also provide structural growth opportunities for titanium dioxide. Market competition landscape The global titanium dioxide market exhibits a highly concentrated oligopolistic structure. Chemours, Tronox, Longbai Group, and Kronos are the world’s top four titanium dioxide producers. In recent years, overseas capacity has been gradually withdrawn, while Chinese manufacturers continue expanding internationally. On one hand, overseas giants are retrenching. Chemours’ Titanium Technologies business reported full-year 2025 revenue of USD 2.429 billion, down 6% year-on-year; adjusted EBITDA stood at only USD 145 million—a sharp 52% decline year-on-year; and overall profit margin shrank from 12% to 6%, hitting a multi-year low. Tronox permanently shut down its Fuzhou, China plant in January 2026. Chemours has raised titanium dioxide prices in the Asia-Pacific region three times this year, cumulatively increasing prices by USD 400 per ton. On the other hand, Chinese industry leaders are rising. Longbai Group is China’s leading titanium dioxide producer and has operated in the chemical industry for over 30 years. Its chlorination-process capacity totals 660,000 tons/year, and sulfate-process capacity reaches 850,000 tons/year; overall capacity utilization in 2025 was approximately 84.53%. In 2025, Longbai Group plans to acquire Venator UK’s Greatham facility—a 150,000-ton/year chlorination-process titanium dioxide asset. Venator, alongside Chemours, Tronox, and Kronos, ranks among the top four titanium dioxide producers in Europe and North America; Venator UK is its sole chlorination-process production site. Upon completion of the acquisition, Longbai Group’s total titanium dioxide capacity will reach 1.66 million tons/year. Against the backdrop of high anti-dumping duties imposed by the EU on Chinese titanium dioxide and steep U.S. import tariffs on Chinese goods, acquiring overseas production assets supports Longbai Group’s global industrial layout strategy.

How is the titanium chemical industry doing? What is its current development status?

II. Severe Supply-Demand Imbalance: Overcapacity Meets Weak Demand • Severe supply-side overcapacity: Following rapid expansion of China’s titanium dioxide capacity, effective domestic capacity reached 5.7 million tons/year in 2025—but industry-wide capacity utilization stood at only 77.3%. Global titanium dioxide capacity totals approximately 9.93 million tons/year, with China accounting for over 60%, resulting in serious oversupply relative to demand. Due to overcapacity and persistent losses, an estimated 50–60% of industry players are burning cash; some firms have even filed for bankruptcy. Jinpoo Titanium’s decision to shut down half its capacity (80,000 tons/year) epitomizes the sector’s distress. III. Rigid Cost Structure: Raw Materials Dominate Costs, Limiting Corporate Control • Raw material costs exceed 60% of total production cost: In titanium dioxide manufacturing, raw materials—including titanium ore and sulfuric acid—account for over 60% of total cost, far surpassing the healthy operational warning threshold. Notably, titanium ore alone comprises up to 40% of cost of goods sold. • Vast disparity in resource control capability: Only a handful of leading domestic enterprises—such as Longbai Group and Pangang Vanadium & Titanium—own titanium ore resources. Most producers rely entirely on external procurement, leaving them with weak bargaining power and highly vulnerable to raw material price volatility. Any rise in input prices severely compresses profit margins. IV. Industry Competition Landscape: Pervasive Cutthroat Price Competition • Concentrated new capacity releases coupled with vicious competition: Newly commissioned and expanded facilities have progressively entered the market, continuously widening industry supply slack. To safeguard market share and maintain operating rates, some companies are forced to accept orders below cost—further depressing industry-wide profitability. • Recurrent price wars: In 2025, multiple industry-wide price hikes were announced, yet each was swiftly eroded by intense price competition—and the magnitude of increases consistently lagged behind raw material cost surges. • Severe product homogenization: Titanium dioxide products exhibit minimal differentiation, making it difficult for producers to command premium pricing. Amid overcapacity, the industry remains mired in a ‘price war,’ squeezing profit margins across all participants. V. International Giants’ Dilemma: Global Market Under Simultaneous Pressure • Chemours: In 2025, its Titanium Technologies business generated full-year revenue of USD 2.429 billion, down 6% year-on-year; adjusted EBITDA plunged 52% year-on-year to just USD 145 million; and overall profit margin contracted from 12% to 6%, marking a multi-year low. • Tronox: In January 2026, following a global asset portfolio review, it announced the permanent closure of its titanium dioxide production facility in Fuzhou, China.

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