Potassium Iodide Price Trend and Forecast 2026-2027

US potassium iodide prices jumped 7.9% in Q2 2026, to USD 95.50/kg from USD 88.50/kg in Q1, after several state health departments expanded radiation-preparedness stockpile procurement well beyond typical replenishment volumes - by far the sharpest move of the four markets tracked. Chile, the feedstock benchmark for this market, rose 7.6% to USD 70.50/kg as caliche-ore mining output stayed essentially flat while downstream demand suddenly picked up. Blend all four regions together and the global average moved from USD 71.78/kg to USD 77.25/kg, up 7.6%, accelerating a climb this market has followed since early 2025. Potassium iodide is an iodine salt with a surprisingly diverse set of uses: as an expectorant and thyroid-blocking agent in pharmaceutical formulations, most notably in radiation-emergency preparedness tablets that saturate the thyroid gland to block uptake of radioactive iodine, as an iodine source in animal feed and table salt iodization programs, and as a reagent in analytical chemistry and photographic emulsion manufacturing. Nearly all of the world's iodine feedstock comes from just two sources - Chilean caliche-ore mining and Japanese natural gas brine extraction - and the two things that move this market more than anything else are government stockpile procurement cycles and how tight that feedstock is at any given moment.

Potassium Iodide Price Forecast for 2026

The back half of 2026 looks set to stay firm, with US pricing carrying the largest premium of any market tracked as stockpile procurement works through the current round of state-level orders. Chilean feedstock output should gradually catch up to the pickup in demand, which should take some of the edge off pricing across every downstream market by year-end. Japan and China should track the broader trend at a steadier pace, supported by animal feed and iodized-salt demand rather than the procurement-driven surge behind the US move. Barring a fresh round of stockpile orders or a Chilean supply disruption, gradual seems the more realistic word for the rest of the year.

A further wave of government stockpile procurement, combined with a slower-than-expected Chilean output response, could push prices toward the top of the ranges below. A pause in stockpile ordering alongside a faster ramp in Chilean caliche-ore output could pull the global average back toward the lower end instead.

For the Quarter Ending June 2026

Potassium Iodide Prices Q2 2026:

• Chile: USD 70.50/kg
• Japan: USD 76.20/kg
• United States: USD 95.50/kg
• China: USD 66.80/kg

Potassium Iodide Prices in Chile

Chile's feedstock price rose 7.6% in Q2 2026, from USD 65.50/kg to USD 70.50/kg, as caliche-ore mining output stayed essentially flat while downstream demand from pharmaceutical formulators picked up sharply on the back of expanded US stockpile procurement. There wasn't much spare capacity to lean on, and spot premiums widened through the back half of the quarter.

Why did the price of Potassium Iodide change in Q2 2026 in Chile?

Downstream pharmaceutical demand jumped almost overnight, tied to the expanded US stockpile procurement, and mining output simply didn't have room to grow that fast. Producers with limited spare capacity had little choice but to let prices rise rather than risk falling short on committed volumes.

Potassium Iodide Prices in Japan

Japan climbed 7.6% in Q2 2026, from USD 70.80/kg to USD 76.20/kg, tracking the broader move as global iodine feedstock demand tightened. Animal feed and iodized-salt manufacturers there kept order volumes steady, and export competition for Chilean-sourced feedstock added a further layer of pressure.

Why did the price of Potassium Iodide change in Q2 2026 in Japan?

Steady demand from Japan's animal feed and iodized-salt manufacturers ran up against heightened export competition for Chilean feedstock, as US buyers stepped up their own purchasing at the same time. That combination pushed this market's price up in close step with the global average this quarter.

Potassium Iodide Prices in the United States

Nothing moved more than the US this quarter - up 7.9%, from USD 88.50/kg to USD 95.50/kg. Several state health departments expanded radiation-preparedness stockpile procurement well beyond typical annual replenishment volumes, and pharmaceutical-grade suppliers found themselves competing for feedstock against that surge in institutional demand.

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

An unusually large round of state-level stockpile procurement pulled far more pharmaceutical-grade material off the market than a typical replenishment cycle ever would, and suppliers scrambled to source enough feedstock to cover those orders on top of regular commercial demand. That's the biggest driver behind the steepest quarterly move in this report.

Potassium Iodide Prices in China

China rose 7.2% in Q2 2026, from USD 62.30/kg to USD 66.80/kg, as tightening global iodine feedstock availability pushed import costs higher for domestic animal feed and industrial-grade formulators. Export competition from Japanese and US buyers going after the same Chilean-sourced material added further pressure.

Why did the price of Potassium Iodide change in Q2 2026 in China?

Global iodine feedstock tightened largely because of the surge in US stockpile-linked demand, and that pushed import costs higher for Chinese formulators competing for the same Chilean-sourced material. Domestic animal feed and industrial-grade demand stayed steady throughout, adding its own layer of underlying support on top.

For the Quarter Ending March 2026

Potassium Iodide Prices Q1 2026:

• Chile: USD 65.50/kg
• Japan: USD 70.80/kg
• United States: USD 88.50/kg
• China: USD 62.30/kg

Potassium Iodide Prices in Chile

Chile rose 4.0% in Q1 2026, from USD 63.00/kg to USD 65.50/kg, continuing the steady climb this market has followed since early 2025. Firm pharmaceutical and industrial demand kept pulling on available supply, and mining costs edged up as ore-processing quotas tightened a touch.

Why did the price of Potassium Iodide change in Q1 2026 in Chile?

Firm pharmaceutical and industrial demand kept steadily drawing on available caliche-ore supply, and a modest tightening of ore-processing quotas nudged mining costs up on top of that. Nothing unusual - just the same gradual pressure that's been building since early 2025.

Potassium Iodide Prices in Japan

Japan climbed 4.1% in Q1 2026, from USD 68.00/kg to USD 70.80/kg, moving in step with the broader trend. Animal feed and iodized-salt demand held steady, and a weaker yen added a modest extra cost to imported feedstock.

Why did the price of Potassium Iodide change in Q1 2026 in Japan?

Steady demand from animal feed and iodized-salt manufacturers, plus a weaker yen making imported feedstock a bit pricier - together, enough to keep this market on the same gradual path it's followed since early 2025. Nothing here hinted at the sharper move that would follow once US stockpile procurement picked up in Q2.

Potassium Iodide Prices in the United States

US prices rose 3.9% in Q1 2026, from USD 85.20/kg to USD 88.50/kg, extending the consistent climb seen throughout the prior year. Pharmaceutical-grade demand stayed steady, and routine annual stockpile replenishment orders added their usual seasonal support.

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

Steady pharmaceutical-grade demand combined with routine annual stockpile replenishment orders to keep the market's gradual climb intact. Matches the pattern this market had shown every quarter since the start of 2025, with nothing yet suggesting the procurement-driven surge that followed in Q2.

Potassium Iodide Prices in China

China rose 3.8% in Q1 2026, from USD 60.00/kg to USD 62.30/kg, as seasonal trucking restrictions around Lunar New Year and firm industrial demand tightened available supply. Feedstock import costs edged higher as global iodine demand continued its gradual climb.

Why did the price of Potassium Iodide change in Q1 2026 in China?

Holiday-period trucking restrictions slowed domestic distribution right as industrial demand stayed firm, and a gradual rise in global iodine feedstock costs added incremental pressure on top. Nothing here suggested the sharper move that would follow once US stockpile-linked demand accelerated the following quarter.

Quarterly Potassium Iodide Price Trends

Global potassium iodide prices climbed steadily through 2025 and into 2026, moving from USD 65.00/kg in Q2 2025 to USD 77.25/kg in Q2 2026 - a cumulative gain of 18.8%, driven by rising Chilean feedstock costs, steady animal feed and iodized-salt demand, and a wave of US radiation-preparedness stockpile procurement that sharply sped up the increase in the second quarter of 2026. Chile and Japan moved in comparatively steady bands throughout the period; the United States showed by far the sharpest recent acceleration.

What was Potassium Iodide Price in 2025?

Every region tracked here posted a firm annual gain across 2025, though the pace varied by market. Global average pricing moved higher through each quarter, supported chiefly by rising Chilean feedstock costs, steady animal feed and iodized-salt demand, and consistent pharmaceutical-grade procurement in the United States. Japan posted the strongest annual gain; Chile recorded the smallest increase, even though it remains the feedstock benchmark for every other market tracked here.

Potassium Iodide Prices in Chile in 2025

Chile's feedstock price rose from about USD 58.00/kg in Q1 2025 to USD 63.00/kg by Q4 - an 8.6% gain, the smallest of the four regions tracked - as firm pharmaceutical and industrial demand kept upward pressure on the market throughout the year. Mining costs climbed gradually on modestly tighter ore-processing quotas, setting the stage for the sharper move that followed once downstream demand accelerated in 2026.

Potassium Iodide Prices in Japan in 2025

Japan climbed from about USD 62.00/kg to USD 68.00/kg across 2025, up 9.7% - the largest annual gain among the four regions - as steady animal feed and iodized-salt demand combined with a gradually weakening yen to keep import costs on a consistent upward path all year.

Potassium Iodide Prices in the United States in 2025

US prices rose from about USD 78.00/kg to USD 85.20/kg over 2025 - a 9.2% gain - driven by steady pharmaceutical-grade demand and routine annual stockpile replenishment orders. The climb held steady quarter after quarter, giving little indication of the sharp procurement-driven surge that followed once several states expanded their stockpile orders in 2026.

Potassium Iodide Prices in China in 2025

China moved from about USD 55.00/kg to USD 60.00/kg across 2025, a 9.1% gain, as firm industrial and animal feed demand combined with gradually rising imported feedstock costs to keep upward pressure on the market throughout the year. The pace stayed fairly consistent, without any single event standing out as the driver.

How We Can Help

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

A single round of stockpile procurement can move this market more in a quarter than a full year of ordinary demand growth, which is exactly what happened this time. Expert Market Research tracks potassium iodide continuously across every region that matters, combining Chilean and Japanese feedstock data with government procurement trends and industrial demand signals into a picture that actually explains what's moving prices. Whether you need to benchmark a supplier quote, plan a purchase around where markets diverge, or get a straight read on where this iodine derivative is headed, our team can help. Reach out to Expert Market Research for pricing data, bespoke analysis, or procurement advisory built around your needs.