Caustic Soda Flakes Price Today: Sodium Hydroxide 98–99% per Ton
Caustic Soda Flakes Price, NaOH 98–99%
FOB Mersin, Türkiye
The caustic soda flakes price for sodium hydroxide (NaOH) 98–99% is $840/MT FOB Mersin, one full container in 25 kg PP bags. It rose $55 on 1 November 2026 on higher raw-material and energy costs. Below: the price per kg and per bag, CIF by destination region and an order estimator.
- Product
- Solid NaOH flakes 98–99%
- Packing
- 25 kg PP · palletised + shrink or in 1 MT jumbo
- Minimum order
- 1 FCL (20ft or 40ft)
- Loading port
- Mersin · road from Türkiye
- HS / CAS
- 2815.11 · 1310-73-2
- Dangerous goods
- UN 1823 · Class 8 PG II
All forms side by side: caustic soda price today. Landed cost at your port: caustic soda price by country.
- $840FOB Mersin, 98–99%
- $0.84Per kg FOB
- 1 FCLMinimum order
- 24 hFirm quote turnaround
What is the caustic soda flakes price today?
As of , caustic soda flakes NaOH 98–99% are $840/MT FOB Mersin, Türkiye — $0.84 per kg, $21.00 per 25 kg bag, or $21,000 for one 20ft FCL of 25 MT, with 25 kg PP bagging, IMDG Class 8 port handling and export documents included. The price rose $55/MT from October’s $785 because raw-material and energy costs went up, a large part of it driven by the US–Iran war and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.
Landed CIF adds about $30–185/MT for ocean freight or road haulage, the Class 8 surcharge and cargo cover on the lanes below, giving $870–1,025/MT depending on the destination.
CIF = FOB Mersin $840 + freight band for the lane · 25 MT per 20ft FCL| Packing | FOB USD/MT | Per kg | Per 25 kg bag | Per 20ft FCL | CIF range (est.) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flakes 98–99% · 25 kg PP bags, palletised + shrink-wrapped | 840 | $0.84 | $21.00 | $21,000 | 870–1,025 |
| Flakes 98–99% · 25 kg PP bags in 1 MT jumbo bags | 840 + small line item | $0.84 | $21.00 | $21,000 | 870–1,025 |
Scroll the table sideways to see every column.
- Also called
- Solid caustic soda, NaOH flakes, lye flakes
- Production route
- Membrane cell
- Food grade
- Supplied, with food-grade certificate
- Incoterms
- FOB · CFR · CIF (Incoterms 2020)
- Payment
- L/C at sight · T/T against documents
- Quote turnaround
- Firm FOB or CIF within 24 hours
Estimate the value of your flakes order
Pick the basis and the volume. The estimator applies this page’s FOB Mersin price and the freight band for the region, with the same formula as the CIF table. Duty, VAT and inland delivery are not included — add your own rates on the price by country calculator.
25 kg PP bags at 25 MT per 20ft container. CIF = FOB Mersin $840 + the region’s freight band. Five or more containers usually price $10–25/MT below the single-container level; the estimator shows list levels.
Indicative for budgeting, not an offer. Send packing, tonnage and discharge port for a firm, contractable quotation.
How we assess the caustic soda flakes price
Published so you can judge the number rather than take it on faith, and tell whether it is comparable to the index you are reading elsewhere.
What the figure represents
The headline level is an export-desk assessment, not a producer list price. It describes one 20ft container of NaOH 98–99% flakes in 25 kg PP bags, palletised and shrink-wrapped or packed in jumbo bags, loaded on board at Mersin, with IMDG Class 8 port handling, hazard labelling, a Dangerous Goods Declaration and the full export document set (commercial invoice, packing list, bill of lading, certificate of origin, COA and SDS) inside the number. It is compiled from live offers and concluded business for 1–3 FCL lots, reviewed weekly and reset monthly.
Why it sits above published index levels
Third-party assessments put caustic soda well below containerised export levels. ChemAnalyst assessed Q2 2026 at about $451/MT for Japan and $589/MT for the United States, and Procurement Resource put domestic Shandong flakes (NaOH ≥96%) at about $417/MT in mid-July 2026. Those numbers are real, but they describe a different product configuration:
| Variable | Typical index quote | This page |
|---|---|---|
| Lot size | Contract / multi-thousand tonne | Single 20ft FCL, about 25 MT |
| Packing | Bulk or 1 MT FIBC | 25 kg PP bags, palletised or in jumbo bags |
| Basis | Producer gate or domestic ex-works | Export port, loaded on board at Mersin |
| Assay | Often ≥96% or a 100% dry basis | 98–99% product, batch assay on COA |
| DG and documents | Often quoted separately | Included in the number |
| Inspection | Buyer’s arrangement | SGS / BV / Cotecna ready at origin |
What determines the caustic soda flakes price?
A flakes quote is a stack of cost layers. Reading the stack lets you compare two offers that look different but quote different things.
| Layer | What it covers | Effect on price |
|---|---|---|
| 01 · Raw materials and energy | Electricity (40–60% of cost), salt brine, fuel and steam for evaporation and flaking — the layer that rose in November 2026 | base, rising |
| 02 · Chlorine co-product | NaOH and chlorine are made together; weak chlorine demand tightens caustic supply | ± swing |
| 03 · Flaking premium | Evaporating and drying liquid caustic into solid flakes | +$100–200 |
| 04 · Packaging | 25 kg PP bags, palletised and shrink-wrapped or packed in 1 MT jumbo bags | included |
| 05 · DG and export readiness | UN 1823 Class 8 port surcharge, labelling, COA/SDS, inspection | surcharge |
| 06 · Lot size | One container prices higher per ton than a multi-FCL contract | small-lot |
| = FOB $840 | Loaded on board at Mersin — the price most exporters quote first | FOB/MT |
| 07 · Freight | Sea freight or road haulage with the Class 8 surcharge, plus cargo insurance | +$30–185 |
| = CIF $870–1,025 | Landed at your port — the number that lets you compare suppliers fairly | CIF/MT |
The flakes price is dominated upstream by energy and raw materials and downstream by logistics. Electricity drives the chlor-alkali electrolysis that splits brine into sodium hydroxide and chlorine — see how caustic soda is made — the flaking step adds an evaporation premium over liquid caustic soda, and dangerous-goods freight inflates every tonne that crosses an ocean. Packaging, paperwork and lot size are smaller adjustments, and they are the levers you can negotiate.
Caustic soda flakes 98% vs 99%: which grade we price
Buyers search for both 98% and 99% flakes. We supply one flake grade, NaOH 98–99%, and point 99%-minimum specifications to pearls.
| Product | NaOH assay | FOB USD/MT | Best-fit use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flakes 98–99% | 98% min; batch assay on COA | 840 this page | Soap, textiles, water treatment, pulp, alumina and mining |
| Pearls 99% | 99% min | 570–640 | Specifications that require 99% min, automated dosing, low dust |
Read the COA, not the label. Two offers both called “98%” can differ in sodium carbonate, chloride and iron. Our flakes carry the measured assay on the batch certificate of analysis. Where a process is sensitive to chloride or iron staining — rayon, precision chemistry, some textile lines — specify the impurity limits you need in the enquiry. For food processing we supply certified food-grade flakes and send the food-grade certificate with the quotation. Full parameter ranges are on the caustic soda flakes product page and in the flakes technical data sheet (PDF).
How packaging affects the flakes price
Flakes are a hygroscopic Class 8 solid, so packaging is part of the product. We pack every flake order in 25 kg PP bags, in one of two export formats. The price on this page includes that bagging.
| Packaging | How it is loaded | Price effect | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| 25 kg PP bags, palletised with shrink wrap | 25 kg bags stacked on pallets and shrink-wrapped | included | Distributors, warehouses with forklifts, resale by the bag |
| 25 kg PP bags in 1 MT jumbo bags | 40 × 25 kg bags packed inside a 1 MT jumbo bag for crane or forklift lifting | small, quoted as a line | Plants that unload by crane, long inland transport, extra moisture protection |
When you compare offers, check that the other supplier is quoting the same thing. Some flake quotes are for bulk or loose 1 MT FIBC loading, which looks cheaper per ton but needs handling equipment at your site and gives you no 25 kg bags to resell. Ask for packaging as a separate line so you compare like with like. Sealed bags also protect the assay in transit and in store — see how to store caustic soda safely.
Caustic soda flakes price by origin
Origin is the biggest single reason two FOB quotes diverge. The cheapest factory gate is rarely the cheapest landed cost once freight, transit time and dangerous-goods surcharges are added.
| Origin | FOB flakes (indicative) | Why | Strong for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Northeast Asia / China | lowest headline | The world’s largest capacity — about 51.5 million tonnes a year in China in 2025 — and persistent surplus; Qingdao FOB flakes fell about 14% in Q3 2026 | Large contracts that accept 30–45 day transit |
| India | competitive | New chlor-alkali and flaking capacity online | South Asia lanes |
| Gulf (Saudi Arabia, UAE) | firming | FOB flakes rose 5–6% in September 2026; exports constrained by the Strait of Hormuz closure | Red Sea and domestic Gulf demand |
| Türkiye — Mersin (our origin) | 840 USD/MT | Mediterranean port outside Hormuz; EU-grade documents, EUR.1 / A.TR where applicable; road delivery to neighbouring markets | West and North Africa, Black Sea, Mediterranean, Iraq, the Balkans |
All our flakes load at Mersin at $840/MT. From Türkiye we ship by sea through Suez to East Africa and Asia and through Gibraltar to West Africa and the Americas, and by truck to neighbouring markets. Origin detail is on the caustic soda supplier Türkiye page; Gulf buyers are served through our Dubai office, see caustic soda supplier UAE. A low factory gate that arrives weeks late without a Dangerous Goods Declaration is not a cheaper tonne.
How Incoterms shape the landed flakes price
Two quotes for the same flakes can differ by more than $100/MT purely because one is FOB and the other CIF. Incoterms 2020 define where the seller’s cost stops.
| Incoterm | Seller pays up to | You arrange | Ocean freight | Insurance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FOB Free On Board | Loaded on the vessel at Mersin | Freight, insurance, import | No | No |
| CFR / CNF Cost & Freight | Destination port, freight paid | Insurance, import | Yes | No |
| CIF Cost, Insurance & Freight | Destination port plus marine cover | Import clearance only | Yes | Yes |
The FOB price is the cleanest figure for comparing suppliers, because it strips out freight you can shop separately; the CIF price is your landed cost at the quay. Ask for both: if your forwarder beats the seller’s freight, buy FOB and self-ship; if not, buy CIF. CIF cover under Incoterms 2020 is minimum Institute Cargo Clauses (C) unless you specify otherwise — for long transits through Suez or the Red Sea, ask for (A) cover and price it in.
Dangerous-goods cost reality
Flakes ship as UN 1823, Class 8, packing group II, HS 2815.11. Port DG handling at Mersin is inside our FOB price; carriers add a dangerous-goods surcharge to the ocean freight, typically 15–30% over ordinary cargo, so the FOB-to-CIF spread is wider than for non-hazardous chemicals — $30–185/MT on the lanes below. A quote far below the market may simply exclude these, or quote bulk instead of bagged product.
Caustic soda flakes CIF price by destination region
Indicative landed ranges for NaOH 98–99% flakes in 25 kg bags, one 20ft FCL shipped from Mersin, including freight, the Class 8 surcharge and cargo insurance: CIF = FOB Mersin $840 + the freight band for the region. The bands are the same lane data as the caustic soda price by country table and the order estimator above. Duty, port charges and inland delivery are excluded.
| Destination region | Countries · example ports | Route from Mersin | Freight USD/MT | Transit | CIF USD/MT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| East Africa | Kenya (Mombasa), Tanzania (Dar es Salaam), Mozambique (Beira, Maputo) | via Suez | 95–175 | 12–24 days | 935–1,015 |
| Horn of Africa / Red Sea | Djibouti, Sudan (Port Sudan), Eritrea (Massawa) | via Suez | 55–95 | 5–12 days | 895–935 |
| West Africa | Nigeria (Lagos/Apapa), Ghana (Tema), Côte d’Ivoire (Abidjan), Senegal (Dakar), Togo (Lomé) | via Gibraltar | 120–175 | 10–18 days | 960–1,015 |
| Southern Africa | South Africa (Durban); Zambia and Zimbabwe in transit | via Suez | 140–180 | 20–26 days | 980–1,020 |
| Black Sea / East Europe | Romania (Constanța), Bulgaria (Varna), Georgia (Poti), Ukraine (Odesa) | sea or road | 45–80 | 3–7 days | 885–920 |
| East Mediterranean | Egypt (Alexandria), Lebanon (Beirut), Cyprus (Limassol) | direct | 30–60 | 2–5 days | 870–900 |
| Gulf and Red Sea Arabia | Saudi Arabia (Jeddah), Iraq (by truck), Oman (Sohar), UAE (Khor Fakkan) | Suez or road | 60–155 | 5–18 days | 900–995 |
| South Asia | Pakistan (Karachi), Sri Lanka (Colombo), Bangladesh (Chittagong) | via Suez | 95–160 | 14–26 days | 935–1,000 |
| Southeast Asia | Malaysia (Port Klang), Indonesia (Jakarta), Vietnam (Ho Chi Minh City) | via Suez | 125–185 | 19–28 days | 965–1,025 |
Scroll the table sideways to see every column.
Routing advisory — Strait of Hormuz closed, November 2026
Commercial traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has been severely restricted since late February 2026, at least six vessels were hit there between 28 September and 2 October, ships were sunk after projectile strikes in mid-October, and the strait is now closed by the US–Iran war. Because all our flakes load at Mersin, most lanes never go near it. Gulf destinations are rerouted: Iraq and Kuwait by truck from Türkiye, Saudi Arabia through Jeddah, the UAE through Khor Fakkan and Oman through Sohar. Those lanes, and sailings through Suez and the Red Sea, can carry war-risk or security surcharges and are re-checked on every quotation.
Lot-size economics and container loading
The minimum order is one full container load, 20ft or 40ft. A 40ft box carries little more weight than a 20ft for this dense cargo, so most flakes move in 20ft containers of about 25 MT (1,000 bags) — $21,000 FOB Mersin.
Single container
- Firm price for 7 days
- Full DG document set and COA
- T/T or L/C at sight
Multi-container
- One origin, consistent assay
- Shipment schedule agreed in advance
- Freight booked earlier
Contract volume
- Priority loading when Class 8 space tightens
- Fixed or indexed pricing
- Specification locked for the term
Caustic soda flakes market and price trends in 2026
The flakes market is pulled in opposite directions by region, which is why a single “global price” misleads.
Energy and raw materials moved our price. Flakes rose from $785 to $840/MT FOB Mersin on 1 November 2026 as salt, power and fuel costs climbed. A large part of that comes from the US–Iran war and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, which lifted oil, LNG and electricity prices and cut Gulf-origin supply. Price Watch recorded FOB flakes in Jebel Ali up about 5% and in Jeddah up about 6% in September 2026, even as other regions fell.
China is the swing supplier. Its caustic soda capacity reached about 51.5 million tonnes a year in 2025, by far the largest of any country, and continued surplus keeps Northeast Asian flake offers the lowest in the world — Qingdao FOB flakes fell about 14% in Q3 2026 and domestic Shandong flakes sat near $417/MT in July. Europe is structurally tighter after the permanent 2025 closures at Fortischem, Spolana, Vencorex and Arkema Jarrie, while weak industrial demand caps how far its prices run. North America carries a slow regulatory overhang: the EPA’s 2024 rule phasing out asbestos diaphragm cells sets conversion deadlines between 2029 and 2036 and is still under reconsideration.
What could push the flakes price up
- Energy and feedstock costs staying high while Hormuz remains closed
- Rising alumina output and Bayer-process demand
- Further European chlor-alkali capacity loss
- War-risk and Red Sea security premiums lifting DG freight
- Winter power-price spikes in Europe and Northeast Asia
What could pull it down
- Continued Chinese export surplus
- New Indian chlor-alkali and flaking capacity online
- A reopening of the Strait of Hormuz easing energy prices
- Weak European industrial and construction demand
- Slower African and South Asian industrial demand
| Region | Q3 / September move | Direction | Main driver |
|---|---|---|---|
| China (Qingdao FOB flakes) | −14% Q3 · stable Sep | Soft | Chinese surplus |
| India (ex-works flakes) | −13% Q3 · −1% Sep | Soft | New domestic capacity |
| Gulf (Jebel Ali, Jeddah FOB flakes) | −4 to −6% Q3 · +5–6% Sep | Firming | Hormuz closure, energy costs |
| Türkiye (Mersin, our level) | 840 USD/MT from 1 Nov | Up $55 | Raw-material and energy costs |
| Europe | lye −12% Q3 | Watch | Low stocks vs weak demand |
Regional percentage moves as published by Price Watch for each market’s own grade and Incoterm; they show direction, not price levels.
Caustic soda flakes price trend and outlook to year-end 2026
Our own published FOB levels over time, and the planning band we use for flakes through December — the same band as the caustic soda price today forecast.
| Period | Grade | FOB Mersin | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| August – 4 October 2026 | 98% | 780 | flat |
| 5 – 31 October 2026 | 98% | 785 | +$5 |
| From 1 November 2026 | 98–99% | 840 | +$55 |
| Nov – Dec 2026 planning band | 98–99% | 825–855 | range-bound |
- Last change
- +$55/MT on 1 Nov 2026
- Flakes 98–99% · now
- $840 FOB Mersin
- Planning band
- $825–855 FOB
- Expected monthly move
- About ± $15/MT
- Main risk
- Hormuz, energy prices
- Next review
- Early December 2026
After the November step-up we expect a range-bound end to the year: Chinese surplus caps the upside, while energy and raw-material costs tied to the Hormuz closure, European closures and winter power prices limit the downside. Steady buyers usually lock part of Q1 2027 volume at known levels and keep the balance on spot — contact the desk to structure a quarterly agreement.
How end use shapes the flakes price you should pay
The product you buy, and the price you should accept, follow from the application. Matching the specification to the use is the cleanest way to avoid overpaying.
| Industry | Use of NaOH | Typical product | Price priority |
|---|---|---|---|
| Soap and detergent | Saponification of fats and oils | Flakes 98–99% | Cost and consistency |
| Water treatment | pH correction, coagulation aid | Flakes 98–99% | Lowest landed cost |
| Textiles | Mercerising cotton, scouring | Flakes 98–99% | Iron control (no staining) |
| Pulp and paper | Kraft pulping, bleaching | Flakes 98–99% | Volume / contract pricing |
| Mining and alumina | Bayer digestion, pH control in gold and copper circuits | Flakes 98–99% | Security of supply |
| Chemicals and rayon | Precision synthesis, viscose | Pearls 99% | Purity over price |
| Food processing | Olive curing, peeling | Certified food-grade flakes | Certification over price |
Tell your supplier the application, not just “98% flakes” — it changes which COA parameters matter. The full range of grades is explained in types and grades of caustic soda.
How to source and import caustic soda flakes
Eight steps, in order — written for a first import as much as a repeat one.
Why buy caustic soda flakes from SUHA
An exporter loading at Mersin, with offices in Dubai and Ankara. Landed cost, not headline price, decides where you buy.
Outside the Hormuz risk
Every shipment loads at Mersin on the Mediterranean, with sea lanes to Africa, Asia and the Americas and road delivery to neighbouring markets.
Firm quotes in 24 hours
Send packing, quantity and destination port and receive a binding FOB or CIF quotation within 24 hours.
Complete DG documents
COA, B/L, packing list, invoice, certificate of origin, SDS and Dangerous Goods Declaration, with EUR.1 / A.TR from Türkiye where applicable.
Inspection before you pay
SGS, Bureau Veritas or Cotecna at Mersin before the container is sealed, so quality and quantity are verified first.
Caustic soda flakes price — FAQ
Flakes-specific questions. General questions — HS code, FOB versus CIF, container capacity, minimum order and dangerous-goods handling — are answered on the caustic soda price today page.
References
- Index assessments — ChemAnalyst caustic soda prices; IMARC caustic soda flakes pricing report; Procurement Resource, Shandong caustic soda prices, July 2026
- Regional moves — Price Watch, caustic soda price trend Q3 2026
- Capacity — Blooming, China’s caustic soda capacity reaches 51.51 Mt in 2025
- Process — chloralkali process; substance identifiers PubChem CID 14798
- Regulation — Bergeson & Campbell, EPA to reconsider the asbestos Part 1 rule
- Trade terms — ICC Incoterms 2020; dangerous goods — IMO IMDG Code, UN 1823 Class 8
- Shipping disruption — gCaptain, six vessels hit in the Strait of Hormuz, 28 September – 2 October 2026; AP via Hawaii Tribune-Herald, two ships sink near Hormuz, 15 October 2026
Assessed by the SUHA International Trading export desk, Dubai and Ankara, from live offers and concluded FCL business. Price changed and reviewed . Indicative only, not a binding offer.
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Get a confirmed caustic soda flakes price
Send packing, quantity and destination port. A firm FOB Mersin or CIF quotation — DG handling and documents included — comes back within 24 hours. Firm for 7 days.