Caustic Soda Price per Ton Today | Flakes, Pearls & Liquid
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Caustic Soda Price Today — Flakes, Pearls & Liquid NaOH

Caustic soda (sodium hydroxide, NaOH) is quoted at $780–800/MT for flakes 98%, $560–630/MT for pearls 99%, and $270–340/MT for liquid NaOH 30–50% — all FOB Jebel Ali (UAE) and Mersin (Turkey), from SUHA International Trading's confirmed 10 September 2026 export offers. For the landed cost at your own discharge port, see the caustic soda price by country page.

Loading ports: Jebel Ali (Dubai, UAE) · Mersin (Turkey)
Incoterms: FOB · CFR · CIF  |  MOQ: 25 MT (1 × 20' FCL)
Packing: 25 kg PP bags · 1 MT jumbo bags · Flexitank / ISO tank
Flakes 98% FOB
780–800
▲ +11.3% vs July
Pearls 99% FOB
560–630
▲ +1.7% vs July
Liquid NaOH FOB
270–340
▲ +1.7% vs July

How much does caustic soda cost per ton today?

Caustic soda is traded per metric ton (MT), not per kilo. As of , indicative export prices from Jebel Ali (UAE) and Mersin (Turkey) are:

Assessed by the SUHA International Trading export desk from live September 2026 offers for 1–3 × 20' FCL lots. Last reviewed 10 September 2026 · Dubai, UAE & Ankara, Turkey.

At a glance · USD per MT

Flakes 98% FOB780–800
Pearls 99% FOB560–630
Liquid 30–50% FOB270–340
MOQ, all grades25 MT
Quote turnaround24 h

FOB Jebel Ali & Mersin, including IMDG Class 8 port handling and export documents. CIF levels are on the price by country page.

FOB prices

Caustic soda price table — 10 September 2026

Indicative FOB prices valid as of , including dangerous-goods port surcharges and standard export documentation.

Caustic soda FOB prices, 10 September 2026, by product, specification, packing and loading port
ProductSpecPackingLoading portFOB priceChangeMOQTerm
Flakes NaOH 98% 25 kg PP / jumbo Jebel Ali (UAE) Mersin (TR) 780–800 USD/MT ▲ +11.3% 25 MT FOB
Pearls NaOH 99% 25 kg PP Jebel Ali (UAE) Mersin (TR) 560–630 USD/MT ▲ +1.7% 25 MT FOB
Liquid NaOH 30–50% Flexitank / ISO tank Jebel Ali (UAE) 270–340 USD/MT ▲ +1.7% 25 MT FOB

← Swipe the table sideways to see every column.

⚠ Why these FOB levels differ from published spot indices

Published indices such as ICIS, ChemAnalyst or IMARC mostly track bulk contract cargoes and domestic assessments, which sit structurally below containerised business. Prices on this page are for containerised 1–3 FCL lots, and the FOB number already carries dangerous-goods port handling (UN 1823 / UN 1824, IMDG Class 8), premium 25 kg PP bagging, SGS/BV inspection readiness and the full export document set. Per-MT pricing for small parcels is structurally higher than bulk contract rates — that is a difference of trade format, not of product quality.

If you also buy soda ash or sodium hypochlorite, combining grades into one shipment usually improves the per-MT number.

Reading the market

Why published caustic soda price indices disagree with each other

Before you benchmark a quotation against an index, check that the two describe the same thing. For the same quarter and the same country, two major providers can be several hundred dollars apart — because they measure different purity bases, different trade formats and different delivery terms.

Two published index assessments for caustic soda in Q2 2026, by country
CountryChemAnalyst Q2 2026IMARC Q2 2026Gap
United States589 USD/MT358 USD/MT1.6×
Japan451 USD/MT427 USD/MT1.1×
Brazil570 USD/MT643 USD/MT1.1×
Germany804 USD/MTnot published—
Saudi Arabia631 USD/MTnot published—

The three questions to ask about any caustic soda number. First, what basis? A 50% liquid quoted per ton of solution is roughly half the price of the same NaOH quoted on a 100% dry basis. Second, what trade format? Bulk contract parcels of thousands of tons price well below containerised 25 MT lots with bagging and dangerous-goods handling. Third, what Incoterm? An ex-works or domestic assessment carries no freight, no DG surcharge and no export documentation.

Until those three match, comparing two numbers tells you nothing. The figures on this page are stated unambiguously: USD per metric ton, FOB Jebel Ali or Mersin, containerised, 25 MT minimum, DG handling and export documents included.

Index figures above are the most recent quarterly assessments published by each provider at the time of writing and are reproduced for methodological comparison only. They are not SUHA International Trading assessments and we do not resell index data — see the references at the foot of this page.

Price by product

Detailed price by grade and form

Three commercial forms of the same compound. Purity, packing and freight economics decide which one is cheapest for your plant.

99% min · UN 1823

Caustic soda pearls price

$560–630USD / MT FOB

Higher purity, uniform particle size and far less dust on handling — the usual choice for food-grade processing, pharmaceutical work and automated dosing systems. Confirm the current level with the desk before costing.

Spec
NaOH 99% min
Packing
25 kg PP bags
Loading
Jebel Ali · Mersin
MOQ
25 MT (1 × 20' FCL)
Per kg
$0.56–0.63
25 kg bag
$14.00–15.75
HS code
2815.11
Full pearls specification →
30–50% · UN 1824

Liquid caustic soda price

$270–340USD / MT FOB

Cheapest per ton of solution, but half of a 50% shipment is water. Best where you are near the port and already run dosing tanks — municipal water treatment, mineral processing and continuous plants.

Spec
NaOH 30–50% solution
Packing
Flexitank · ISO tank
Loading
Jebel Ali
MOQ
25 MT (1 × 20' FCL)
Per kg
$0.27–0.34
NaOH content basis
≈ $610/MT at 50%
HS code
2815.12
Full liquid NaOH specification →

Flakes or liquid — which is actually cheaper? Compare on contained NaOH, not on product weight. A 50% solution at $305/MT of solution is about $610 per MT of contained NaOH; flakes at $790/MT with 98% purity work out to about $806 per MT of contained NaOH. So liquid looks cheaper at the loading port — but you then pay ocean freight, terminal handling, duty and inland haulage on the water as well, which is what flips the landed comparison. Well inland from the discharge port, flakes almost always win. Liquid wins near the port and on handling: no bag opening, no dust, no dissolving step, and it removes the exotherm risk described in our guide to storing caustic soda safely. See also our flakes vs liquid comparison.

From FOB to landed cost

What the same cargo costs landed at your port

The prices above are FOB — the cargo loaded on board at Jebel Ali or Mersin. Add ocean freight on your lane and you get the CIF landed cost. Three worked examples for flakes 98%, calculated as the 10 September 2026 FOB base plus estimated freight for one 20' FCL. Destination terminal handling, duty, VAT and inland delivery are excluded.

Three worked CIF examples for caustic soda flakes, 10 September 2026
Destination portCountryBest originEst. freightIndicative CIFTransitContainer
MombasaKenyaJebel Ali (UAE)$70–90/MT850–890 USD/MT7–10 days20' FCL
Lagos (Apapa)NigeriaMersin (TR)$130–170/MT910–970 USD/MT10–14 days20' FCL
AlexandriaEgyptMersin (TR)$40–60/MT820–860 USD/MT3–5 days20' FCL

Your port is probably one of the other 162

The full landed-cost table covers 165 import markets with the freight band, transit time, loading origin and destination conformity requirement for every lane, plus a calculator that adds your own duty and VAT. Read the caustic soda price by country guide.

See all 165 markets

Freight is an estimate and moves with carrier space, bunker levels and dangerous-goods acceptance. For a firm CIF number to your port, message the logistics desk on WhatsApp or use the enquiry form.

Market intelligence

What is driving caustic soda prices in H2 2026?

Caustic soda and chlorine are co-produced in a fixed ratio — roughly 1.1 tonnes of NaOH per tonne of chlorine — so supply is set largely by chlorine and PVC economics, while demand comes from alumina, pulp and paper, textiles, soaps and water treatment. That mismatch is why the market behaves the way it does.

Downward pressure

  • China holds an estimated 35–40% of world chlor-alkali capacity, and annual additions of around 5% have outpaced its own demand growth
  • Softer alumina refining demand, including permanent refinery closures in Australia
  • Pulp and paper mill closures and curtailments in North America through 2025–2026
  • Competitive Asian import offers keeping European domestic levels under pressure

Upward pressure

  • Electricity is 40–60% of chlor-alkali production cost, so power tariffs feed straight through
  • Permanent European closures during 2025 — Fortischem, Spolana, Vencorex and Arkema Jarrie — with Dow signalling an exit from Schkopau by 2027
  • The March 2026 Strait of Hormuz disruption, which lifted North American prices about 3.7% and triggered dozens of force majeure declarations across Asia and the Middle East
  • Dangerous-goods handling adds roughly 15–30% over ordinary freight and is not easing

What to watch in Q4

  • Whether weak PVC margins force real chlor-alkali rate cuts rather than paper ones
  • Alumina restarts or further closures — the single biggest demand swing factor
  • Container availability for IMDG Class 8 on Gulf–West Africa lanes
  • Regional power tariffs going into the northern winter

Q2 2026 set the tone for the second half. Published assessments for the quarter showed increases almost everywhere: the United States up about 7% quarter on quarter, Japan up roughly 11% on LNG-linked power costs, Saudi Arabia up about 13% on export pull, Brazil up around 15% on freight, and Germany up more than 50% as maintenance-driven tightness collided with the 2025 capacity closures. Q3 is also the seasonally strongest quarter, when agricultural demand, restarting pulp procurement and peak textile production together typically add 3–8% to Asian FOB flake levels between late June and August.

That is the backdrop against which the September levels on this page sit — firm, but capped by Asian availability.

Why buy from Jebel Ali or Mersin rather than direct from China? Chinese FOB numbers can look considerably cheaper on paper, but the delivered comparison changes once you add 30–45 day transit against 3–16 days from the Gulf or Turkey, more working capital tied up in transit, letter-of-credit and re-routing risk, and destination restrictions on some Chinese-origin chemical shipments. For buyers running 1–3 containers at a time, these origins trade an FOB premium for short lead times, DG-compliant packing and documentation that clears without argument. More about how we work →

Methodology

How these caustic soda prices are assessed

Transparency matters when a number goes straight into your costing sheet. Here is exactly what these figures represent.

Source of the numbers

Ranges are built from SUHA International Trading's own confirmed offers and concluded export business out of Jebel Ali and Mersin during the current month, then cross-checked against published regional indices.

What is included

FOB at the named loading port, DG port handling for IMDG Class 8, export packing as stated, and the standard document set: invoice, packing list, B/L, COA, safety data sheet and certificate of origin.

What is not included

Ocean freight and marine insurance (unless CIF), destination terminal handling, import duty, VAT, inland delivery, demurrage, and any third-party inspection you order. Lane-by-lane freight sits on the price by country page.

Update cycle

Reviewed at the start of each month and whenever the market moves more than about 3%. Last review: . Issued quotes are firm for 7 days, subject to stock. Checks on arrival are covered in how to check caustic soda quality.

Outlook to year-end

Caustic soda price forecast for the rest of 2026

Projected FOB bands through to year-end. Asian oversupply and soft alumina and pulp demand cap the upside; power costs, the permanent European closures of 2025 and firm DG freight limit the downside. Treat these as planning ranges, not guarantees.

Flakes 98% FOB
760–830
USD/MT
→ Range-bound
Pearls 99% FOB
555–640
USD/MT
→ Stable
Liquid NaOH FOB
265–345
USD/MT
↓ Soft, supply-led
CIF range, flakes
780–1,085
USD/MT
▲ Freight-dependent

Procurement note: with the market range-bound rather than trending, buyers taking regular volume usually do better covering 50–60% on a quarterly contract and leaving the balance to spot, instead of trying to time a bottom. The CIF band above spans every destination in the price by country table, from the UAE at the bottom to deep-inland markets at the top.

Explore

Landed cost by destination, grade specifications and industry guides for everything we load from Jebel Ali and Mersin.

Prices

Caustic soda price by countryCIF landed cost into 165 import markets, with freight and transit Caustic soda flakes priceGrade-by-grade FOB detail for 96%, 98% and 99% flakes Sodium sulfide priceNa₂S 60% flake, standard and low-iron grades Polyethylene wax pricePE wax flake, pastille, powder and oxidized grades

Products & grades

Caustic Soda (NaOH)Main product hub — properties, grades and supply Caustic Soda Flakes98–99% flakes, 25 kg PP and jumbo bags Caustic Soda Pearls99% prilled pearls, low-dust handling Liquid Caustic Soda30–50% solution in flexitank or ISO tank Types & gradesWhich form suits which process How caustic soda is madeMembrane, diaphragm and mercury cell routes Soda Ash (Na₂CO₃)Light and dense grades — frequent co-shipment Sodium HypochloriteChlor-alkali derivative for water treatment Calcium HypochloriteGranular and tablet disinfection grades Sodium SulfideFlakes for tanning, mining and pulp

Uses & industry guides

Soap & detergent makingSaponification, safety and bulk supply Mining & mineral processingpH control, flotation and the Bayer process Textile processingMercerising, scouring and dye preparation Water treatmentpH correction and heavy-metal precipitation Pulp & paperKraft pulping and white liquor make-up Metal processingDegreasing, etching and surface treatment Oil refiningCaustic washing and mercaptan removal Food productionPeeling, curing and food-grade NaOH Biodiesel productionTransesterification catalyst, 2026 guide Cosmetics & personal carepH adjustment and safety limits AgricultureSoil pH, fertiliser blending and sanitation Storage & handling safetyTanks, PPE, spill control and shelf life

Regional supply

AfricaWest, East, North and Southern African markets United Arab EmiratesEx-works Jebel Ali and local delivery TürkiyeEx-works Ankara and Istanbul, FOB Mersin Balkan countriesAdriatic and Black Sea discharge options South AmericaLong-haul lanes from Mersin and Jebel Ali UkraineUA CLP, war-risk cover and Danube options
Common questions

Caustic soda price FAQ

The questions buyers and search engines ask most about NaOH pricing, packing, classification and shipping.

As of , indicative export prices are $780–800/MT for caustic soda flakes (NaOH 98%), $560–630/MT for caustic soda pearls (NaOH 99%), and $270–340/MT for liquid caustic soda (NaOH 30–50%). All are FOB Jebel Ali (UAE) and Mersin (Turkey) and include dangerous-goods port handling. For the landed cost at your own discharge port, see the caustic soda price by country page.

Industrial caustic soda is traded per metric ton, not per kilo. At September 2026 export levels, flakes 98% work out to roughly $0.78–0.80 per kg FOB, pearls 99% to about $0.56–0.63 per kg, and liquid NaOH to approximately $0.27–0.34 per kg. Retail and small-pack prices are several times higher because they carry repacking, retail margin and small-quantity handling costs.

At September 2026 export levels a 25 kg bag of caustic soda flakes 98% works out to roughly $19.50–20.00 FOB, and a 25 kg bag of pearls 99% to about $14.00–15.75. Bags are not sold individually for export; the minimum is one full container of 25 MT, which is 1,000 bags for flakes or pearls.

Because they measure different trade. Published indices track bulk contract cargoes and domestic assessments; this page quotes containerised 1–3 FCL export lots whose FOB number already carries IMDG Class 8 port handling, 25 kg PP bagging, inspection readiness and the full document set. The indices also disagree with one another: for Q2 2026, ChemAnalyst assessed the United States at about $589/MT while IMARC put it at $358/MT for the same quarter. Always check what basis, purity and trade format a number refers to before comparing it with a quotation.

On our current September 2026 levels pearls are quoted lower, at $560–630/MT against $780–800/MT for flakes, even though pearls are the higher-purity grade. Pearls normally price at or slightly above flakes because prilling is an extra processing step, so a level below flakes reflects a specific origin position rather than a general market shift. Confirm the current pearls number with the desk before you build it into a costing.

Per ton of product, clearly yes: liquid at $270–340 against flakes at $780–800. Per ton of contained NaOH the gap narrows sharply: a 50% solution at $305 per MT of solution equals about $610 per MT of NaOH content, against roughly $806 per MT of NaOH content for flakes at $790. The comparison then flips on logistics, because you pay freight, handling and duty on the water as well. Flakes are usually the cheaper landed option well inland from the discharge port; liquid wins when you are close to the port and already have tanks and dosing infrastructure.

A 20-foot container takes about 25 MT of caustic soda flakes in 25 kg PP bags (1,000 bags, typically on 24 pallets), 25 MT of pearls, and 25 MT of liquid NaOH in a flexitank. The limit is payload weight, not volume, and several destination ports enforce road weight limits below the container maximum.

Solid sodium hydroxide, including flakes and pearls, is classified under HS 2815.11. Sodium hydroxide in aqueous solution, known as soda lye or liquid caustic, is HS 2815.12. Some countries add national digits after the six-digit heading, so check your own tariff schedule before filing.

For the remainder of 2026 we expect flakes 98% to hold in a $760–830/MT FOB band, pearls 99% at $555–640, and liquid NaOH at $265–345. Asian oversupply and softer alumina and pulp demand cap the upside, while high electricity costs, the permanent European chlor-alkali closures of 2025 and firm dangerous-goods freight limit the downside.

Ocean freight depends on the lane. Jebel Ali to Mombasa is roughly $70–90/MT, Jebel Ali to Colombo $60–80/MT, and Mersin to Lagos $130–170/MT. These are for one 20-foot FCL of 25 MT and exclude destination terminal handling, duty and inland delivery. Freight bands for 165 destinations are listed on the price by country page.

FOB (Free On Board) means the seller’s cost and risk end once the cargo is loaded at the origin port, so the buyer arranges and pays ocean freight. CIF (Cost, Insurance and Freight) means the seller pays freight and marine insurance to the named destination port. FOB gives the buyer freight control; CIF gives a single landed number to budget against. This page quotes FOB; the price by country page quotes CIF.

One 20-foot FCL: 25 MT for flakes in 25 kg PP bags, 25 MT for pearls, and 25 MT for liquid NaOH in flexitank or ISO tank. Buyers taking three or more containers per shipment, or committing to quarterly volume, generally price at the lower end of each range.

A standard export set includes the commercial invoice, packing list, bill of lading, certificate of analysis, safety data sheet, certificate of origin, and the Dangerous Goods Declaration required for IMDG Class 8 cargo. Third-party inspection by SGS or Bureau Veritas, and legalised documents, can be arranged where the destination requires them.

Yes. Caustic soda, sodium hydroxide and lye all refer to NaOH. Caustic soda is the industrial trade name, sodium hydroxide is the chemical name used on documentation and safety data sheets, and lye is the common name used in soap making and food contexts. Flakes, pearls, prills, pellets and 30–50% solution are physical forms of the same compound.

Yes. Solid caustic soda is UN 1823 and liquid caustic soda is UN 1824, both IMDG Class 8 (corrosive). Shipment requires compliant packaging, corrosive labelling, a Dangerous Goods Declaration and a safety data sheet. Carriers apply a dangerous-goods surcharge that typically adds 15–30% over comparable non-hazardous freight, and that surcharge is already built into the FOB prices on this page. See also our guide to safe storage and handling.

References

Third-party index figures are cited for methodological comparison only and remain the property of their publishers. Prices quoted by SUHA International Trading on this page are our own confirmed export offers, reviewed .

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