Lysine prices flat as buyers await trade ruling

Lysine prices remain flat as global buyers adopt a wait-and-see stance ahead of the EU’s final anti-dumping ruling, expected by July 11, 2025. While container freight rates have eased slightly, uncertainty continues to weigh on sentiment across key regions. With Q3 contracts still open and demand subdued, the market remains cautious moving into late Q3 and early Q4.

Highlights:

Lysine Prices remain very low and stable FOB China, with a recent dip in container rates contributing to continued buyer caution for late Q3 and Q4. The lysine HCl segment remains weak due to ongoing anti-dumping investigations and reduced consumption.

Threonine The market remains stable at low price levels across China, Europe, and the container freight rates have softened slightly for July shipments.

DL-Methionine Prices are stable to slightly firmer as manufacturers prepare for summer plant maintenance or report being sold out for Q3.

Tryptophan Suppliers are either withholding new offers or raising prices to counter recent market softness. This has helped stabilise pricing across most regions.

Valine After recent declines, prices have stabilised at low levels FOB China. Price differences between Chinese and non-Chinese origins remain wide in Europe.

Lysine

Prices FOB China remain steady and very low. But after a period of container rate increase, prices seem to decline again now, and that has led to a further wait-and-see approach from buyers for late Q3 and potential Q4 buying. Prices in other regions, like the USA, seem to stabilise as well as after a period of decline. In Europe, stakeholders are closely monitoring the impending final anti-dumping verdict regarding lysine imports from China, which is anticipated by July 11, 2025. The lysine HCl market continues to struggle, largely due to ongoing global anti-dumping inquiries coupled with decreased consumption rates that have contributed to the current market weakness. A number of contracts for the third quarter remain unfulfilled in both Europe and China, as buyers adopt a cautious wait-and-see stance.

Threonine

The main trend remains stable at a low level, and FOB China prices have not changed for some weeks now. Prices in Europe and the USA have been relatively stable the last few weeks. At the same time, the recent container freight increases seem to have halted and even declined a bit for July shipments ex China to the USA and Europe. The market has contracted most of Q3 by now, and there is some interest in Q4 volumes as well.

DL-Methionine

With most manufacturers indicating a period of plant maintenance in the summer and/or being sold out for Q3, markets have moved to being stable to slightly firmer for both powder and liquid products. Q3 contracts are mostly booked by now, and the market is relatively quiet at the moment.

Tryptophan

Several suppliers have either halted new price offerings or raised their proposals in an effort to counteract the recent downturn in the market. While there has yet to be a notable response from the market, this strategy has managed to stabilise prices across most regions. To date, a substantial portion of Q3 and a small fraction of Q4 contracts have been finalised.

Valine

After a period of price decline, the FOB China price has stabilised, although at a very low price level. Prices in other regions have also started to stabilise. In Europe, the Chinese origins have shown a significant price decline recently, anticipating future anti-dumping implications which should be communicated by the latest July 21, 2025. The price spread with non-Chinese origins remains significant. A large portion of Q3 is already contracted.