Industrial Minerals


Latin American borates prices exceed pre-recession levels

19 April 2011

by IM prices reporter

Combination of higher costs, strong demand and supply constraints push prices up

Keywords: borates, boron, Latin America, Argentina, Chile, Peru, boric acid, Rio Tinto, Minera Santa Rita

Prices of boric acid and other boron minerals sourced from Latin America have rocketed since the start of the year.

The increase is due to a combination of supply constraints globally, increased manufacturing costs and the ongoing recovery in global demand.

Latest prices for boric acid produced in Latin American have been quoted as high as $1015/tonne (Latin American, FOB Chile), up from a price of $800/tonne in February this year, and higher than the pre-recession price of $950/tonne seen in August 2008.

Prices for other boron materials sold have also increased. These products are priced and sold based on the boric oxide content, which...