Today’s sodium hydroxide export price: flakes, pearls and liquid FOB Mersin
The caustic soda (sodium hydroxide, NaOH) price today is $840/MT for flakes 98–99%, $570–640/MT for pearls 99% and $600/MT for liquid NaOH 48–50% packed in IBC tanks or PE drums. Every price is FOB Mersin, Türkiye. That is $0.84 per kg for flakes, $0.57–0.64 per kg for pearls and $0.60 per kg of solution for liquid. These are SUHA International Trading's export levels, effective 1 November 2026. Flakes rose $55/MT on higher raw-material and energy costs, driven partly by the US–Iran war and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. For the landed cost at your own port, see the caustic soda price by country page.
How much is caustic soda per ton and per kg today?
Caustic soda is traded per metric ton (MT), not per kilo. As of , indicative export prices FOB Mersin, Türkiye are:
- Flakes, NaOH 98–99%: $840/MT — $0.84 per kg, $21.00 per 25 kg bag.
- Pearls, NaOH 99%: $570–640/MT — about $0.57–0.64 per kg.
- Liquid, NaOH 48–50%: $600/MT of solution, packed in IBC tanks or PE drums — $0.60 per kg.
- Landed CIF: add ocean freight for your lane — for example about $970–1,010/MT for flakes into Lagos. The caustic soda price by country page covers 165 import markets.
Assessed by the SUHA International Trading export desk from current offers for 1–3 container lots. From 1 November 2026 all grades load at Mersin: flakes are one 98–99% grade at $840/MT, up $55 on higher raw-material and energy costs linked to the US–Iran war and the Strait of Hormuz closure; pearls are unchanged and liquid is now quoted packed. Offices in Dubai, UAE and Ankara, Türkiye.
At a glance · USD per MT FOB Mersin
FOB Mersin, including export packing, IMDG Class 8 port handling and export documents. CIF levels are on the price by country page.
Caustic soda price list — November 2026
Indicative FOB Mersin sodium hydroxide prices effective , including export packing, dangerous-goods port handling at Mersin and the standard export document set.
| Product | Spec | Packing | Loading port | FOB price | vs October | Minimum order |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flakes 98–99% | NaOH 98–99% | 25 kg PP bags palletised and shrink-wrapped · 25 kg PP bags in 1 MT jumbo bags | Mersin (TR) | 840 USD/MT | +$55 | 1 FCL |
| Pearls 99% | NaOH 99% min | 25 kg PP bags palletised and shrink-wrapped · 25 kg PP bags in 1 MT jumbo bags | Mersin (TR) | 570–640 USD/MT | 0.0% | 1 FCL |
| Liquid 48–50% | NaOH 48–50% solution | IBC tank · PE drum (packing included in price) | Mersin (TR) | 600 USD/MT | New basis | 1 FCL |
Flakes change is measured against October's flakes 98% level of $785/MT FOB Mersin (+7.0%). The increase passes through higher raw-material and energy costs — see why the caustic soda price rose. Liquid caustic soda was previously offered in bulk ISO tanks at 30–50% from Jebel Ali; the packed 48–50% offer is a different product basis, so no percentage change is shown.
Estimate your order value
FOB Mersin value only — ocean freight, insurance, duty and VAT are excluded. Liquid load per container depends on IBC or drum packing and is confirmed with the quote.
Why these FOB levels differ from published spot indices
Published indices such as ICIS, ChemAnalyst, IMARC or Procurement Resource 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 Mersin number already carries export packing (palletised and shrink-wrapped bags, jumbo bags, IBC tanks or PE drums), dangerous-goods port handling (UN 1823 / UN 1824, IMDG Class 8), SGS/BV inspection readiness and the full export document set. That is a difference of trade format, not of product quality.
We also supply soda ash and sodium hypochlorite, quoted on the same terms.
Sodium hydroxide price per kg, per 25 kg bag and per pound
The same November 2026 FOB Mersin levels converted into every unit buyers search for. One metric ton is 1,000 kg, 40 bags of 25 kg, 2,204.6 lb or 1.102 US short tons. The last column divides by purity to give the cost of the NaOH you actually receive — the only fair way to compare grades.
| Grade | Per MT | Per kg | Per 25 kg bag | Per lb | Per short ton | Per MT of NaOH |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flakes 98–99% | $840 | $0.84 | $21.00 | $0.38 | $762 | $848–857 |
| Pearls 99% | $570–640 | $0.57–0.64 | $14.25–16.00 | $0.26–0.29 | $517–581 | $576–646 |
| Liquid 48–50% | $600 | $0.60 | IBC / drum only | $0.27 | $544 | $1,200–1,250 |
Sodium hydroxide price per gallon. A US gallon of 48–50% NaOH solution (density about 1.50–1.53 g/cm³) weighs roughly 5.7–5.8 kg, so liquid caustic soda at $600/MT equals about $3.40–3.50 per gallon FOB Mersin, packed in IBC tanks or PE drums.
Why a 1 kg retail pack costs far more. A shop price for 1 kg of caustic soda includes repacking into small containers, retail margin, local distribution and tax, so it is typically several times the $0.57–0.84 per kg that the same material costs by the container. The figures above are export FOB prices for full container loads, not retail prices.
Caustic soda price trend — August to November 2026
Our own FOB Mersin levels at each monthly review. Flakes stepped up to $840/MT in November as a single 98–99% grade, on higher raw-material and energy costs; pearls have held at $570–640 since October.
Flakes FOB Mersin ▲ +$55
Pearls 99% FOB Mersin → $0
Liquid 48–50% FOB Mersin New basis
$600/MT
From November 2026 liquid caustic soda is quoted at 48–50%, packed in IBC tanks or PE drums, FOB Mersin. Until October it was offered at 30–50% in bulk ISO tanks from Jebel Ali at $270–340/MT. Packing, concentration and loading port all changed, so the two series are not charted together.
USD per metric ton, FOB Mersin. Flakes bars run on a fixed $700–900 scale; August–October are the flakes 98% Mersin level, November is the combined 98–99% grade. Pearls bars show each month's low–high band on a $500–700 scale, so a shift to the right is a price rise.
Caustic soda price index: why published indices disagree
Before you benchmark a quotation against a caustic soda price index or chart, 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, trade formats and delivery terms.
| Country | ChemAnalyst Q2 2026 | IMARC Q2 2026 | Procurement Resource Aug 2026 | Spread |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | 589 USD/MT | 358 USD/MT | 399 FOB | 1.6× |
| Brazil | 570 USD/MT | 643 USD/MT | 237 CIF | 2.7× |
| India | — | 373 USD/MT | 185 CIF | 2.0× |
| Germany | 804 USD/MT | — | 356 FOB | 2.3× |
| Japan | 451 USD/MT | 427 USD/MT | — | 1.1× |
| Saudi Arabia | 631 USD/MT | — | — | — |
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 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.
Germany shows why this matters: ChemAnalyst's Q2 2026 assessment was about $804/MT, while Procurement Resource put German FOB at about $356/MT for August 2026 — the two are not measuring the same trade. Monthly per-kilogram indices tell a similar story: BusinessAnalytiq held North America at about $0.28/kg, Europe at $0.29/kg and Northeast Asia at $0.11/kg for September 2026, each on its own basis.
Index figures for China are often domestic yuan prices converted at a point in time, or liquid prices on a 100% basis, so they are left out here; for a like-for-like export number see the China caustic soda price FOB Xingang.
Until those three questions match, comparing two numbers tells you nothing. The figures on this page are stated unambiguously: USD per metric ton, FOB Mersin, containerised and packed, one full container minimum, DG port handling and export documents included.
Index figures above are as published by each provider ("—" where we found no figure for that period; "Spread" is highest ÷ lowest figure in the row) 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.
Flakes, pearls and liquid: caustic soda price by grade
Three commercial forms of the same compound, all loaded at Mersin. Purity, packing and freight economics decide which one is cheapest for your plant.
Caustic soda flakes price
The workhorse grade for soap and detergent production, textile mercerising and water treatment. No water weight, so it is normally the cheapest form to freight long distance.
- Spec
- NaOH 98–99%
- FOB Mersin
- $840/MT
- Packing
- 25 kg PP palletised + shrink · 25 kg in 1 MT jumbo
- Minimum order
- 1 FCL (20ft or 40ft)
- Per 25 kg bag
- $21.00
- HS code
- 2815.11
Caustic soda pearls price
Our only 99% grade: uniform particle size and far less dust on handling — the usual choice for food-grade processing, pharmaceutical work and automated dosing systems.
- Spec
- NaOH 99% min
- FOB Mersin
- $570–640/MT
- Packing
- 25 kg PP palletised + shrink · 25 kg in 1 MT jumbo
- Minimum order
- 1 FCL (20ft or 40ft)
- Per 25 kg bag
- $14.25–16.00
- HS code
- 2815.11
Liquid caustic soda price
Ready-to-dose solution in IBC tanks or PE drums, with packing included. No dissolving step, no dust and no dissolving exotherm — suited to water treatment, cleaning and smaller plants without dissolving equipment.
- Spec
- NaOH 48–50% solution
- FOB Mersin
- $600/MT incl. packing
- Packing
- IBC tank · PE drum
- Minimum order
- 1 FCL
- Per kg of solution
- $0.60
- Per US gallon
- ≈ $3.40–3.50
- HS code
- 2815.12
Flakes or liquid — which is actually cheaper? Compare on contained NaOH, not on product weight. Liquid at $600/MT of 48–50% solution works out to about $1,200–1,250 per MT of contained NaOH; flakes 98–99% at $840/MT work out to about $848–857 per MT of contained NaOH. On top of that you pay freight, handling and duty on the water in a liquid shipment. So per unit of NaOH, flakes and pearls are clearly the cheaper buy. Packed liquid earns its premium on handling: no bag opening, no dust, no dissolving tank and no exotherm risk of the kind described in our guide to storing caustic soda safely. See also our flakes vs liquid comparison.
Bulk and wholesale caustic soda price — in Türkiye and the UAE
The price list above is already a wholesale price: one full container is the smallest lot. What moves your number from there is volume, contract length and where you take delivery.
Wholesale price by order size
- 1–2 FCL spot: quoted at the levels on this page, firm for 7 days.
- 3+ FCL per shipment: pearls generally price at the lower end of the range; ask for a volume quote on flakes and liquid.
- Quarterly or annual contract: quoted separately from repeated spot loads — state your yearly tonnage even if you ship one container at a time.
Caustic soda price in Türkiye
$840/MT FOB Mersin
Mersin is our loading port for every grade. We deliver by truck across Türkiye from stock in Ankara and Istanbul, and ship to neighbouring markets both by sea and overland by road. See caustic soda supplier Türkiye.
Caustic soda price in the UAE
FOB Mersin + freight
From November 2026 all offers are FOB Mersin. UAE buyers receive a CFR or CIF Jebel Ali quotation through our Dubai office, with freight re-checked on each enquiry while Gulf shipping remains disrupted. Details are on the caustic soda supplier UAE page.
CIF caustic soda price: what the same cargo costs at your port
Add ocean freight on your lane to the FOB Mersin price and you get the CIF landed cost. Two worked examples for flakes 98–99% at $840/MT FOB Mersin, for one 20ft FCL. Destination terminal handling, duty, VAT and inland delivery are excluded.
| Destination port | Country | Est. freight from Mersin | Indicative CIF |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alexandria | Egypt | $40–60/MT | 880–900 USD/MT |
| Lagos (Apapa) | Nigeria | $130–170/MT | 970–1,010 USD/MT |
Freight advisory — November 2026
All cargo now loads at Mersin, on the Mediterranean, so shipments to Mediterranean, Black Sea, West African and Atlantic destinations stay clear of the Strait of Hormuz, where commercial traffic has been sharply reduced since 28 February 2026 and the strait is now closed by the US–Iran war. For destinations inside the Gulf, including the UAE, freight is re-checked on every quotation and can carry a war-risk surcharge or a longer schedule.
Your port is probably one of the other 163
The full landed-cost table covers 165 import markets with the freight band, transit time 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.
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.
What is driving caustic soda market 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 is the largest producer — about 47 million tonnes in 2025 — and exported about 4.1 million tonnes, so its surplus keeps pressure on Asian export prices
- Softer alumina refining demand, including permanent refinery closures in Australia and alumina buyers in China cutting purchase prices in mid-2026
- Indian producers running at high rates and adding flaking capacity, which reduces India's need for imports
- Pulp and paper mill closures and curtailments in North America through 2025–2026
Upward pressure
- Electricity is a large share 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; German chlor-alkali utilisation fell to about 65% in July 2026
- The US–Iran war and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, which lifted energy and raw-material costs, raised North American prices about 3.7% in March and triggered dozens of force majeure declarations across Asia and the Middle East
- Dangerous-goods surcharges on ocean freight, typically 15–30% over ordinary cargo, are not easing
What to watch through Q4 2026
- 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
- European inventories going into winter, after stocks fell sharply in summer
- Container availability for IMDG Class 8 cargo and war-risk premiums on Gulf lanes
Why the caustic soda price rose in November 2026. Flakes moved from $785 to $840/MT FOB Mersin (+$55, +7.0%) because our raw-material and production costs went up. Chlor-alkali output depends on salt, electricity and — for flakes — the fuel used to evaporate the 50% liquor and flake it, so energy prices pass straight into the cost of every ton. A large part of this month’s increase comes from the US–Iran war and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, which has pushed up oil, LNG and power prices and tightened supply of Gulf-origin caustic soda and feedstock.
Pearls were held at $570–640/MT, and all grades now load at Mersin on the Mediterranean, so our own cargo does not have to pass through Hormuz. Third-party data point the same way for the Gulf: Price Watch recorded FOB flakes in Jebel Ali up about 5% and in Jeddah up about 6% in September 2026, while US and Asian lye benchmarks were still falling.
| Market | Form · basis | Q3 2026 vs Q2 | September 2026 vs August |
|---|---|---|---|
| UAE, Jebel Ali | Flakes · FOB | −4% | +5% |
| Saudi Arabia, Jeddah | Flakes · FOB | −6% | +6% |
| China, Qingdao | Flakes · FOB | −14% | Stable |
| India, Bharuch | Flakes · ex-works | −13% | −1% |
| USA, Houston | Lye · FOB | −14% | −7% |
| Germany, Hamburg | Lye · domestic | −12% | −2% |
| Brazil, Santos | Lye · CIF from USA | −13% | −6% |
Percentage changes as published by Price Watch for each market's own grade and Incoterm; they describe direction, not price levels, and are not SUHA International Trading assessments.
Q2 2026 set the tone for the second half. Published assessments for the quarter showed increases in most regions: 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 2026 eased on most benchmarks. Monthly data for August showed US FOB about 3% lower month on month at roughly $399/MT, German FOB about 1% lower near $356/MT, India CIF down about 8% and Brazil CIF down about 11%, while Chinese FOB flake offers eased, with Qingdao about 14% lower in Q3 than in Q2. Analysts expect a steady range into year-end, with lower European stocks offsetting ample Asian supply.
Our own November level of $840/MT for flakes FOB Mersin is a containerised, packed export price with DG handling and documents built in. It follows our own raw-material and energy costs rather than the bulk benchmarks one for one, which is why the index section above shows the gap explicitly.
Caustic soda price in China vs Mersin. China-origin flakes carry a lower FOB price — see the China caustic soda price for today's FOB Xingang offer — but the delivered comparison changes once you add the longer voyage from northern China, more working capital tied up in transit, and destination rules on some Chinese-origin chemical shipments. For buyers in the Mediterranean, Black Sea, Europe and North Africa, Türkiye-origin supply usually trades an FOB premium for shorter lead times and truck delivery. We supply both origins, so we can quote whichever gives the lower landed cost at your port. More about how we work →
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
Prices are built from SUHA International Trading's own confirmed offers and concluded export business out of Mersin during the current month, then cross-checked against published regional indices.
What is included
FOB Mersin, export packing as stated (palletised and shrink-wrapped 25 kg bags, 1 MT jumbo bags, IBC tanks or PE drums), DG port handling for IMDG Class 8, 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 its dangerous-goods surcharge, 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 price change: 1 November 2026; last review: 7 November 2026; next scheduled review: early December 2026. Issued quotes are firm for 7 days, subject to stock. Checks on arrival are covered in how to check caustic soda quality.
Caustic soda price forecast for the rest of 2026
Projected FOB Mersin bands for November–December 2026, each no wider than $30/MT. Asian oversupply and soft alumina demand cap the upside; energy and raw-material costs tied to the Hormuz closure, the permanent European closures of 2025 and low European stocks limit the downside. Treat these as planning ranges, not guarantees.
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. CIF bands for every other destination are in the price by country table.
Sodium hydroxide identifiers, packing and trade terms
The reference data buyers and customs brokers ask for with a caustic soda price, in one table.
| Item | Flakes | Pearls | Liquid |
|---|---|---|---|
| NaOH content | 98–99% | 99% min | 48–50% |
| HS code | 2815.11 | 2815.11 | 2815.12 |
| UN number · class | UN 1823 · 8 | UN 1823 · 8 | UN 1824 · 8 |
| CAS · EC number | 1310-73-2 · 215-185-5 | 1310-73-2 · 215-185-5 | 1310-73-2 · 215-185-5 |
| Packing | 25 kg PP palletised + shrink · 25 kg in 1 MT jumbo | 25 kg PP palletised + shrink · 25 kg in 1 MT jumbo | IBC tank · PE drum |
| Load per 20ft | ≈ 25 MT | ≈ 25 MT | Confirmed with quote |
| FOB Mersin | $840/MT | $570–640/MT | $600/MT |
| Also known as | NaOH flakes, lye, soda lye | Prills, beads, micropearls | Lye solution, membrane-grade liquor |
Caustic soda prices, products and applications
Landed cost by destination, grade specifications and industry guides for everything we load at Mersin.
Prices
Products & grades
Uses & industry guides
Regional supply
Caustic soda price FAQ
The questions buyers ask most about sodium hydroxide pricing — per ton, per kg and per bag — plus packing, classification and shipping.
Price today and trend
Per kg, per bag and bulk price
Comparing grades and indices
Shipping, minimum order and documents
References
- ChemAnalyst — Caustic Soda Prices, Trends, Chart and Forecast (Q2 2026 regional assessments)
- IMARC Group — Caustic Soda Price Index (Q2 2026 country assessments, USD/MT)
- Procurement Resource — Caustic Soda Price Trends (July–August 2026 regional levels, USD/MT)
- Price Watch — Caustic Soda Price Trend and Forecast (Q3 and September 2026 changes by market)
- BusinessAnalytiq — Caustic soda price index (September 2026 regional levels, USD/kg)
- Shipping disruption — IMF PortWatch, Strait of Hormuz trade disruption
- World Customs Organization Harmonized System — headings 2815.11 and 2815.12
- IMO International Maritime Dangerous Goods Code — UN 1823 and UN 1824, Class 8
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 export offers FOB Mersin, effective 1 November 2026 and reviewed 7 November 2026.