Arsenic Price Trend and Forecast 2026-2027

The US paid the most for arsenic in Q2 2026: USD 3,238/MT, up 1.5% from USD 3,190 in Q1. The semiconductor-grade demand kept things firm there. Worldwide, the average moved up 1.5%, to USD 2,601/MT from USD 2,562, largely because the smelter byproduct supply stayed tight even as the semiconductor and specialty-alloy demand kept climbing. What about H2 2026? We'd expect a global average somewhere in the USD 2,570-2,790/MT range, with the electronics-sector demand doing most of the work.

Arsenic reaches the market almost entirely as a byproduct, recovered from copper and lead smelter flue dust rather than mined on its own. It's converted to arsenic trioxide and then, for the highest-value uses, refined further into ultra-high-purity metal for gallium arsenide semiconductor wafers. Wood preservatives and specialty alloys pick up the remaining volume, though both have shrunk over the years as the regulation tightened on the older uses. Three things move the price more than anything else: the copper and lead smelter output, since that's what determines the byproduct supply, the semiconductor-sector demand for ultra-high-purity metal, and how tightly environmental regulation constrains the legacy uses.

The byproduct nature of arsenic supply is worth dwelling on a bit, since it's genuinely unusual compared to most metals markets. Smelters producing copper or lead don't adjust their output based on arsenic demand or pricing, they adjust it based on copper and lead economics, which means arsenic supply can tighten or loosen for reasons that have nothing to do with anything happening in the semiconductor or specialty-alloy markets. That disconnect is part of why this market can show meaningful price movement even during periods when the underlying end-use demand looks fairly stable.

The semiconductor angle deserves a bit more explanation too. Gallium arsenide wafers serve specialized high-frequency and optoelectronic applications where silicon doesn't perform as well, including certain radio-frequency components and LED technologies. That's a smaller, more specialized slice of the overall semiconductor industry than silicon-based chips, but it's grown steadily and has become the single biggest driver of demand for the highest grades of refined arsenic. Buyers should also note that recycling and secondary recovery play only a minor role in this market compared to some other specialty metals, which keeps primary smelter byproduct supply the dominant factor shaping availability.

Arsenic Price Forecast for 2026

Supply should stay fairly tight through H2 2026, since the arsenic output is tethered to copper and lead smelting rather than being something producers can simply ramp up on their own. Belgium and the US, both refining and consuming ultra-high-purity material for semiconductor use, kept the demand firm through H1. China and Chile, closer to the smelter source, stayed the more affordable end of the market.

Buyers in the semiconductor-grade segment specifically should expect continued tightness, since that portion of the market depends on a small number of specialized refiners capable of reaching the purity levels gallium arsenide production requires. That specialization limits how quickly supply can respond even if copper and lead smelting activity picks up.

Buyers of the highest-purity semiconductor grades should note that qualification timelines for a new refined-metal supplier can run considerably longer than for more commoditized industrial chemicals, which limits how quickly demand can shift between the handful of qualified refiners. That qualification lag gives incumbent suppliers a meaningful advantage in retaining customers even during periods of tight supply, since buyers generally prefer to weather a temporary price increase from a known, qualified source rather than restart the qualification process elsewhere.

What could push prices higher? A stronger-than-expected semiconductor-sector demand cycle, or reduced copper and lead smelter output squeezing the byproduct supply further. What could pull them lower? A slowdown in electronics manufacturing.

For the Quarter Ending June 2026

Arsenic Prices Q2 2026:

• China: USD 2,177/MT
• Chile: USD 2,336/MT
• Belgium: USD 2,814/MT
• United States: USD 3,238/MT

Arsenic Prices in China

China's arsenic supply, tied closely to the domestic smelter output, saw firm demand this quarter, and the gain came to 1.5%, USD 2,144/MT to USD 2,177. That kept China the most affordable of the four markets.

Why did the price of Arsenic change in Q2 2026 in China?

The smelter byproduct supply stayed roughly steady, and the domestic demand held its ground right alongside it.

Arsenic Prices in Chile

Chile climbed 1.5% to USD 2,336/MT, the copper-smelter byproduct supply staying the base of the market even as the demand firmed.

Why did the price of Arsenic change in Q2 2026 in Chile?

Chile's copper-smelter byproduct supply is what anchors this market, and that supply stayed roughly steady even as the demand ticked up.

Arsenic Prices in Belgium

Belgium gained 1.5% to USD 2,814/MT, its established refining hub keeping the premium intact through the period.

Why did the price of Arsenic change in Q2 2026 in Belgium?

Belgium's role as a refining hub for higher-purity material is what keeps its premium intact, and that didn't change this quarter.

Arsenic Prices in United States

USD 3,238/MT. That's where the US landed in Q2, up 1.5% from USD 3,190 in Q1. The semiconductor-grade demand stayed firm, and the tight byproduct supply pushed things higher.

Why did the price of Arsenic change in Q2 2026 in United States?

The semiconductor-grade demand held its ground, and the tight byproduct supply is really what's keeping the US premium as wide as it is.

For the Quarter Ending March 2026

Arsenic Prices Q1 2026:

• China: USD 2,144/MT
• Chile: USD 2,301/MT
• Belgium: USD 2,772/MT
• United States: USD 3,190/MT

Arsenic Prices in China

China gained 1.5% to USD 2,144/MT, the demand firming as the year opened.

Why did the price of Arsenic change in Q1 2026 in China?

The domestic demand firmed as the year opened, and the smelter byproduct supply stayed roughly steady alongside it.

Arsenic Prices in Chile

Chile rose 1.5% to USD 2,301/MT, the byproduct supply firming with the new year.

Why did the price of Arsenic change in Q1 2026 in Chile?

The byproduct supply firmed only modestly with the new year, tracking the copper-smelter throughput closely.

Arsenic Prices in Belgium

Belgian arsenic climbed 1.5% to USD 2,772/MT, the refining demand staying firm through the quarter.

Why did the price of Arsenic change in Q1 2026 in Belgium?

The refining demand stayed firm through the quarter, and the byproduct supply firmed only modestly.

Arsenic Prices in United States

US arsenic rose 1.5% to USD 3,190/MT, the semiconductor-grade demand building through the quarter.

Why did the price of Arsenic change in Q1 2026 in United States?

The semiconductor-grade demand built through the quarter, tracking the electronics-manufacturing activity closely.

Quarterly Arsenic Price Trends

The global average climbed steadily across the window, from USD 2,450/MT in Q1 2025 to USD 2,601 by Q2 2026, a net gain of about 6.2%. Every quarter posted a gain here, reflecting the tight smelter byproduct supply and the dependable semiconductor-sector demand across every market we track, with the pace of the gains picking up somewhat in the most recent two quarters.

What was Arsenic Price in 2025?

2025 was a steady year for arsenic. Starting near USD 2,450/MT in Q1, the global average finished 2025 at USD 2,524, a gain of about 3.0%. The semiconductor-sector demand held consistent all year, without the acceleration that showed up in H1 2026, and each of the four regions we track followed a similarly orderly path.

Arsenic Prices in China in 2025

Chinese prices moved from about USD 2,050/MT in Q1 2025 to USD 2,112 by Q4, up roughly 3.0%. The domestic demand held steady all year, and China stayed the most affordable of the four markets throughout.

Arsenic Prices in Chile in 2025

Chilean prices climbed from USD 2,200/MT in Q1 to USD 2,267 by Q4, a 3.0% gain, tracking the copper-smelter byproduct output through each quarter.

Arsenic Prices in Belgium in 2025

Belgian prices rose from USD 2,650/MT in Q1 to USD 2,730 by Q4, up 3.0%, as the refining demand held firm through the year.

Arsenic Prices in United States in 2025

US prices moved from USD 3,050/MT in Q1 to USD 3,142 by Q4, a 3.0% gain, the highest absolute price throughout the four markets on the semiconductor-grade demand.

How We Can Help

Expert Market Research: Your Source for Real-Time Arsenic Price Intelligence

We keep a continuous eye on the arsenic prices wherever it's refined or consumed at scale, tracing causation through the copper and lead smelter output, the semiconductor-sector demand for ultra-high-purity metal, and how tightly the regulation constrains legacy uses. Our analysts track both the byproduct-supply side and the semiconductor-demand side separately, since the two often move for entirely unrelated reasons. Need pricing data, bespoke market analysis, or procurement advisory? Reach out to our team. We also flag any material shift in copper and lead smelter output as soon as it appears in the underlying data.