Sodium Metabisulfite Price Trend and Forecast 2026-2027

Sodium metabisulfite prices in India, which posted the sharpest swing of any region tracked in this report, surged 52.3% in Q2 2026 to USD 830.00/MT from USD 545.00/MT in Q1, as a severe sulfur feedstock shortage rippled through Asian production costs. Chinese prices, the least expensive of the four markets tracked, jumped 62.5% to USD 520.00/MT, while German and US prices rose 43.5% and 39.7% respectively as the same feedstock shock spread through import-dependent Western markets. Globally, the average leapt from USD 562.50/MT in Q1 2026 to USD 827.50/MT in Q2, a 47.1% gain, reversing a mild downward drift that had persisted through most of 2025. Sodium metabisulfite is produced by absorbing sulfur dioxide into a soda ash or caustic soda solution, yielding a versatile reducing agent and preservative. It is widely used as a food and beverage preservative in wine, dried fruit, and juice production, as a dechlorination agent in water treatment, and as a reagent in mining, textile bleaching, and pulp and paper processing, with food-grade preservative use accounting for the largest share of global demand. Sulfur and sulfuric acid feedstock costs, soda ash pricing, and seasonal harvest-driven demand are the principal forces steering prices across these markets.

Sodium Metabisulfite Price Forecast for 2026

The extraordinary sulfur feedstock shock that drove global sodium metabisulfite prices sharply higher through the first half of 2026 appears to have peaked around mid-year, but feedstock costs remain far above year-earlier levels and are unlikely to fully retreat before year-end. Producers across China and India continue to pass through elevated sulfur and sulfuric acid costs, while environmental and maintenance-related production curbs have added a further layer of tightness to available supply. Seasonal demand from the wine and dried-fruit preservation industries, which typically peaks around the northern hemisphere harvest season, is likely to reinforce firm pricing into the third quarter. A meaningful pullback would require both a resolution of the sulfur shortage and a moderation in competing demand from the battery and pigment industries.

The main upside risk is a further tightening of sulfur and sulfuric acid supply, whether from continued export restrictions or sustained competing demand from the battery and pigment industries, compounded by the seasonal harvest-driven demand pickup. The main downside risk is a faster-than-expected correction in sulfur prices as import flows normalize, which could pull the global average back toward pre-shock levels.

For the Quarter Ending June 2026

Sodium Metabisulfite Prices Q2 2026:

• China: USD 520.00/MT
• India: USD 830.00/MT
• Germany: USD 940.00/MT
• United States: USD 1,020.00/MT

Sodium Metabisulfite Prices in China

Chinese sodium metabisulfite prices surged 62.5% in Q2 2026 to USD 520.00/MT from USD 320.00/MT in Q1, the sharpest quarterly move of the period covered, as a severe sulfur feedstock shortage pushed input costs to multi-year highs. Environmental and maintenance-related production curbs at several regional facilities added a further layer of tightness just as demand from water-treatment and food-grade buyers held firm.

Why did the price of Sodium Metabisulfite change in Q2 2026 in China?

A severe sulfur feedstock shortage pushed input costs sharply higher just as environmental and maintenance-related production curbs tightened available domestic supply, together producing the steepest increase among the regions tracked this quarter. Producers passed the higher feedstock cost through almost immediately rather than absorb it, since sulfur prices showed no sign of near-term relief.

Sodium Metabisulfite Prices in India

Indian sodium metabisulfite prices jumped 52.3% in Q2 2026 to USD 830.00/MT from USD 545.00/MT in Q1, as the same sulfur-driven cost shock affecting Chinese producers pushed up the price of imported feedstock and finished material alike. Demand from the water-treatment and mining sectors stayed resilient even as buyers absorbed the sharply higher costs.

Why did the price of Sodium Metabisulfite change in Q2 2026 in India?

Sharply higher costs for imported, sulfur-linked feedstock and finished material pushed prices up in step with the broader Asian shock, while resilient demand from water-treatment and mining buyers gave producers little reason to hold prices back. Buyers with alternative domestic supply options found little relief there either, since local producers faced the same feedstock pressure.

Sodium Metabisulfite Prices in Germany

German sodium metabisulfite prices climbed 43.5% in Q2 2026 to USD 940.00/MT from USD 655.00/MT in Q1, as the global sulfur shortage combined with already-elevated European energy costs to push import and production costs sharply higher. Wine and food-preservative buyers began early seasonal stocking ahead of the harvest, adding further support.

Why did the price of Sodium Metabisulfite change in Q2 2026 in Germany?

The global sulfur feedstock shortage combined with elevated European energy costs to push import and production costs sharply higher, while early seasonal stocking from wine and food-preservative buyers added further demand-side support. Some formulators brought forward orders originally planned for the harvest season, worried that availability would tighten further as the year progressed.

Sodium Metabisulfite Prices in the United States

US sodium metabisulfite prices rose 39.7% in Q2 2026 to USD 1,020.00/MT from USD 730.00/MT in Q1, the highest of the four markets tracked, as the sulfur feedstock shock pushed up the cost of imported material from Asian suppliers. Steady demand from water-treatment and food-preservative buyers left little room for buyers to negotiate lower prices.

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

Higher costs for imported, sulfur-linked material from Asian suppliers pushed landed prices sharply higher, while steady demand from water-treatment and food-preservative buyers left producers little incentive to discount. Limited domestic production capacity meant this market had few alternatives to absorb the higher landed cost of imported material.

For the Quarter Ending March 2026

Sodium Metabisulfite Prices Q1 2026:

• China: USD 320.00/MT
• India: USD 545.00/MT
• Germany: USD 655.00/MT
• United States: USD 730.00/MT

Sodium Metabisulfite Prices in China

Chinese sodium metabisulfite prices rose 17.6% in Q1 2026 to USD 320.00/MT from USD 272.00/MT in Q4 2025, as sulfur costs began climbing sharply on tightening global availability. The increase marked an early inflection after two consecutive quarters of soft pricing driven by ample supply and muted demand.

Why did the price of Sodium Metabisulfite change in Q1 2026 in China?

Rapidly rising sulfur costs, driven by tightening global availability, began pushing production costs higher and marked an early inflection after a period of soft, oversupplied pricing. Few producers anticipated at the time how much further the feedstock shortage would run in the following quarter.

Sodium Metabisulfite Prices in India

Indian sodium metabisulfite prices rose 18.5% in Q1 2026 to USD 545.00/MT from USD 460.00/MT in Q4 2025, tracking the early stages of the sulfur cost increase affecting imported feedstock and finished material. Demand from the mining and water-treatment sectors stayed steady through the quarter.

Why did the price of Sodium Metabisulfite change in Q1 2026 in India?

The early stages of the global sulfur cost increase pushed up the price of imported feedstock and finished material, while steady demand from mining and water-treatment buyers reinforced the upward move. The increase still looked moderate at this stage relative to the far sharper move that followed in the second quarter.

Sodium Metabisulfite Prices in Germany

German sodium metabisulfite prices rose 9.5% in Q1 2026 to USD 655.00/MT from USD 598.00/MT in Q4 2025, as early signs of the sulfur cost increase began feeding through to import costs. Demand stayed seasonally quiet ahead of the harvest, keeping the increase more moderate than in Asia.

Why did the price of Sodium Metabisulfite change in Q1 2026 in Germany?

Early signs of the developing sulfur cost increase began feeding through to import costs, while seasonally quiet pre-harvest demand kept the move more moderate than the sharper increases seen in Asian markets. That relative calm would not last once feedstock costs accelerated further into the second quarter.

Sodium Metabisulfite Prices in the United States

US sodium metabisulfite prices rose 7.7% in Q1 2026 to USD 730.00/MT from USD 678.00/MT in Q4 2025, as the early stages of the sulfur cost increase began lifting the price of imported material. Demand from water-treatment buyers held steady through the quarter.

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

The early stages of the global sulfur cost increase began lifting the price of imported material, while steady demand from water-treatment buyers reinforced the modest upward move. Buyers had little reason yet to expect the far sharper increase that would follow once the shortage deepened.

Quarterly Sodium Metabisulfite Price Trends

Global sodium metabisulfite prices drifted lower through most of 2025 on ample supply and soft feedstock costs before an extraordinary sulfur shortage reversed the pattern entirely, moving from USD 528.25/MT in Q2 2025 to USD 827.50/MT in Q2 2026, a cumulative gain of 56.6%. The reversal, concentrated almost entirely in the first half of 2026, was driven by a global sulfur and sulfuric acid feedstock shortage that pushed input costs to multi-year highs across every region tracked.

What was Sodium Metabisulfite Price in 2025?

Sodium metabisulfite prices drifted gently lower across 2025, with the global average easing from USD 516.25/MT in Q1 to USD 502.00/MT in Q4, a decline of roughly 2.8%, as stable soda ash costs and generally ample supply kept the market on an even keel. All four regions posted mild annual declines of similar magnitude, with demand from the food-preservative, water-treatment, and mining sectors holding broadly steady throughout the year. The calm proved short-lived: a severe sulfur feedstock shortage emerged in early 2026 and reversed the entire 2025 trend within two quarters.

Sodium Metabisulfite Prices in China in 2025

Chinese sodium metabisulfite prices eased from about USD 285.00/MT in Q1 2025 to USD 272.00/MT by Q4, down roughly 4.6%, as stable soda ash costs and ample regional production capacity kept the market on a gentle downward path. Demand from food-preservative and water-treatment buyers held steady throughout the year, with no major disruption evident until sulfur costs began climbing sharply in the closing weeks of the year.

Sodium Metabisulfite Prices in India in 2025

Indian sodium metabisulfite prices eased from about USD 480.00/MT in Q1 2025 to USD 460.00/MT by Q4, down roughly 4.2%, tracking the same gentle softening seen in the Chinese import market that supplies much of this region's feedstock and finished material. Demand from mining and water-treatment buyers remained stable throughout the year, with the market showing no sign of the sharp reversal that followed in early 2026.

Sodium Metabisulfite Prices in Germany in 2025

German sodium metabisulfite prices eased from about USD 610.00/MT in Q1 2025 to USD 598.00/MT by Q4, down roughly 2.0%, the smallest annual move among the four regions tracked, as steady food-grade demand offset the mild downward pull from stable global feedstock costs. Seasonal harvest-linked demand provided consistent support throughout the year, keeping the decline modest ahead of the sharp cost increase that followed in 2026.

Sodium Metabisulfite Prices in the United States in 2025

US sodium metabisulfite prices eased from about USD 690.00/MT in Q1 2025 to USD 678.00/MT by Q4, down roughly 1.7%, as steady water-treatment and food-preservative demand kept this import-dependent market on a largely stable path throughout the year. Feedstock costs stayed subdued through most of 2025, with little indication of the sharp sulfur-driven increase that emerged in the first half of 2026.

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

Expert Market Research tracks sodium metabisulfite prices continuously across every major producing and consuming region, combining sulfur and soda ash feedstock cost data, seasonal demand signals, and trade flow trends into one regularly updated view of the market. The service explains why prices move, not just that they did, drawing on production economics, plant utilisation trends, and downstream food-preservative and water-treatment demand across all reporting regions. Our team can help your procurement function benchmark offers, plan purchases around the sharp feedstock-driven swings covered in this report, and build a defensible view of where this versatile reducing agent is headed next. Contact Expert Market Research today for sodium metabisulfite pricing data, bespoke market analysis, and strategic procurement advisory.