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According to Sinochem News, from May 14th to 18th, Ningbo Xinfu Titanium Dioxide and Shandong Dongjia Group issued price adjustment notices, stating that the price of rutile titanium dioxide would increase by RMB 1,000 per ton in the domestic market, and by $150 per ton for exports, based on the previous prices. Since the beginning of this year, as import prices of sulfur have risen sharply, despite titanium dioxide manufacturers issuing numerous price increase notices, such increases have not been enough to offset the cost pressures caused by the soaring price of sulfur. The entire industry suffers from low efficiency and is facing losses. **Yu Jie, secretary-general of the Titanium Dioxide Sub-center of the Chemical Industry Productivity Promotion Center, analyzed that in the face of cost pressures caused by a sharp rise in imported sulfur, titanium dioxide manufacturers can take various measures to alleviate these pressures. First is optimizing raw material procurement and the supply chain. By diversifying import channels, reduce dependence on sulfur from the Middle East, and actively explore sources of sulfur from regions such as Central Asia, Southeast Asia, and Africa, in order to mitigate the impact of geopolitical risks on supply chains ； Based on the enterprise’s production scale and demands, a strategic reserve of sulfur should be established to address short-term supply shortages and sharp price increases. Next is improving production efficiency and cost control. By optimizing the existing sulfuric acid production process, the utilization rate of sulfuric acid is improved, and the sulfur consumption per unit of product is reduced. For example, improving reaction efficiency by adjusting reaction conditions and optimizing equipment operating parameters ； Strengthen energy management during the production process, adopt energy-saving equipment and technologies to reduce consumption of resources such as water, electricity, and steam, and lower production costs ； Make full use of by-products such as ferrous sulfate generated during the production process; by further processing or selling them, enterprises can increase their revenue and offset some of the cost pressures. Third, actively seek policy support from relevant government departments. Strengthen collaboration with enterprises in the same industry to jointly address challenges such as rising raw material costs and market fluctuations; for example, through joint procurement, technical exchanges, and sharing of market information, in order to enhance the industry’s overall resilience to risks. Faced with this difficult situation, Yang Xun, an industry analyst at Yan Taitai, suggests that manufacturers should, on the one hand, carefully assess market conditions and enter into long-term procurement agreements with reliable sulfur suppliers in order to lock in the prices of certain raw materials and reduce the risk of price fluctuations ； Adopt a strategy of comparing prices from multiple suppliers to purchase raw materials by checking several options ； Finding multiple supplier options can ensure a relatively stable supply of raw materials, and it also allows for better pricing, which helps companies control costs and reduce pressure. One can also try using smelting acid and pyrite for acid production in order to reduce costs, thereby avoiding significant impacts on production due to fluctuations in sulfur prices. On the other hand, it is necessary to reduce the costs of other raw materials in order to offset the cost pressures imposed by sulfur and sulfuric acid; this gap can be covered by a decrease in the prices of those other raw materials ； By increasing the operational rate of enterprises and boosting production, the cost per ton can be reduced, which in turn leads to a decrease in overall costs. Pursue a path of differentiated development, focus on meticulous value-added development, and create high-profit, high-end products. Explore alternative raw materials and research and develop acid production technologies using sources such as pyrite and phosphogypsum, in order to replace part of the sulfur used in acid production and reduce raw material costs. Meanwhile, by formulating long-term development plans for the enterprise, establishing production processes such as the chlorination method and hydrochloric acid method, and promoting technological upgrades and transformations, the enterprise can increase investment in research and development. By accelerating the construction and commissioning of these processes, it can avoid the impact of sulfur and sulfuric acid prices, while also enjoying advantages such as higher product quality and better environmental performance. After all, the raw materials are different, and the chlorination method will remain a high-end market in the future; moreover, there will be an increasing demand from market users, especially those overseas. Yin Lihua, executive director and general manager of Longbai Sichuan Titanium Industry, said that in the face of industry challenges, they did not passively bear the pressure; instead, based on the realities of production, they took proactive steps to overcome these difficulties through measures such as cost reduction through lean practices, resource recycling, technological improvements, and transformation and upgrading, thereby ensuring the stable operation of the company. The company focuses on meticulous management throughout the entire production process to strictly control costs from the source. By continuously optimizing production processes and improving operational standards, material consumption per unit is effectively reduced, the overall yield of products is significantly increased, and raw material losses are minimized. At the same time, emphasis is placed on energy conservation and reduction as well as energy reuse, with full recovery of low-grade waste heat and residual energy generated during the production process to achieve circular use of energy and continuously reduce overall energy consumption. In addition, they rely on advanced production equipment to optimize the operation of production lines, improve equipment stability and overall operational efficiency, and reduce downtime losses. Through the automation and intelligent upgrading of production lines, traditional manual operations are replaced, thereby reducing labor costs and improving production efficiency, and a highly efficient, low-carbon, and cost-effective production model is established. Yin Lihua explained that in terms of the recycling of waste and by-products, they adhere to the concept of green circular development, striving to make full use of all resources available. Leveraging its advantages in the industrial chain, it establishes a complete pipeline for the recovery, further processing, and reuse of by-product resources; on one hand, this transforms waste materials into valuable resources, generating additional benefits ； On the other hand, it enables the internal reuse of some sulfur resources, reducing reliance on external raw material purchases and effectively mitigating the cost pressures caused by rising raw material prices, thus creating a new pattern for industrial development that is green, low-carbon, and based on circular value addition. At the same time, companies continue to increase their investment in research and development, focusing on independent innovation in core technologies. They strive to meet the standards of high-end products in both domestic and international markets, constantly improving key properties such as the whiteness, coverage, weather resistance, and dispersibility of titanium dioxide, thereby developing higher-quality and more specialized products. Moving beyond the low-end market, the company focuses on high-quality sectors such as premium coatings, plastics, and new energy sources. By offering superior product quality, consistent performance, and professional support services, it manages to gain a foothold in these high-end markets. Enhancing the added value of its products and their premium pricing capabilities has strengthened the company’s core profitability. In the future, Longbai Sichuan Titanium Industry will continue to rely on lean production as its foundation, the circular economy as its advantage, and technological innovation as its core, striving to reduce costs and increase efficiency while improving quality. It will persist in pursuing a path of development that is characterized by high standards, sustainability, and intelligence. Yin Hongzhong, chairman of Inner Mongolia Guocheng Titanium Industry Co., Ltd., explained that titanium dioxide manufacturers using the sulfuric acid process can be roughly divided into two categories: those that use integrated production methods and those that do not. The most basic form of integrated production is the combined production of sulfur and titanium, which involves utilizing sulfur to produce sulfuric acid along with thermal energy, in order to achieve maximum efficiency. The co-production method is a competitive production approach and also the **main direction encouraged for development. Therefore, more and more enterprises are moving towards more advanced stages of the industrial chain and integrated utilization, which enhances their competitiveness in terms of overall efficiency as well as their ability to withstand risks. Yin Hongzhong believes that, for a certain period of time, it will be difficult for the prices of sulfur and sulfuric acid to drop significantly, and the price of ferrous sulfate will also remain high. Therefore, it is first necessary to strengthen the recovery of ferrous sulfate and waste sulfuric acid, making full use of all available resources ； Secondly, based on cost analysis, point-soluble titanium slag can be appropriately utilized ； Third, attention can be paid to the application and optimization of some acid-saving technical solutions ； In the medium to long term, it is necessary to pay attention to trend analysis of key raw materials and take proactive measures in advance, which helps with overall cost control.