Casting Sand Market Intelligence Report – Recent Commodity Market Dynamics

I. Price Dynamics
1. National Aggregate and Sand Comprehensive Price: For the second week of March 2026 (March 9–15), the national comprehensive price for sand and gravel stood at RMB 82.9 per ton, up 0.19% week-on-week. Specifically, prices for manufactured sand, natural sand, and crushed stone were RMB 72/ton, RMB 105.2/ton, and RMB 71.4/ton, respectively—increasing by 0.11%, 0.24%, and 0.2% week-on-week.

2. Specific Casting Sand Prices:
- On April 1, 2026, the domestic casting sand (200 mesh) price was RMB 2,800/ton; it remained stable over the preceding three months and stayed at a historically high level.
- On May 16, 2026, the casting sand price declined to RMB 1,750/ton. The average price over the past three months was RMB 2,661/ton, with a low of RMB 1,750/ton and a high of RMB 2,800/ton—placing it at a yearly low.
- As of May 24, 2026, according to the Business Society’s benchmark price assessment, casting sand pricing was influenced by multiple factors—including credit-term costs, logistics expenses, brand-based price differentials, and regional price differentials—though no specific price figure was provided.

3. Casting Waste Sand Recycling Prices:
- The national average recycling price across major industrial agglomeration zones ranged from RMB 380 to RMB 460 per ton. In the three major foundry industry clusters—Weifang (Shandong), Cangzhou (Hebei), and Yancheng (Jiangsu)—recycling quotations clustered between RMB 410 and RMB 440/ton. Northeastern regions reported comparatively lower quotations of RMB 380–400/ton. In parts of the Yangtze River Delta where thermal reclamation lines are operational, premium-grade, high-purity silica waste sand is priced on a tiered basis, with top-tier material reaching up to RMB 480/ton.
- The weighted-average national price for 2025 was approximately RMB 455/ton, representing a year-on-year increase of ~5.8% versus 2024.

II. Supply-Demand Situation
1. Demand Side:
- The automotive manufacturing sector constitutes the largest end-user segment for casting sand, accounting for ~45% of total consumption. The trend toward lightweighting in new-energy vehicles has driven growing demand for high-precision, high-performance castings; the share of wet-sand mold castings in automotive applications is projected to remain above 50% through 2030.
- The construction machinery and rail transit sectors are experiencing steady growth in demand for large, complex castings, supported by renewed national infrastructure investment and strategies promoting independent development of advanced equipment.
- Aerospace, general machinery, and other high-end sectors are witnessing rapid growth in demand for specialty casting sands—e.g., ceramic casting sands.

2. Supply Side:
- Raw material supply for casting sand remains generally stable, though regional disparities persist. The East China region—leveraging its complete industrial chain support and dense manufacturing cluster—accounts for ~45% of national casting sand production capacity.
- Stricter environmental regulations are accelerating the phase-out of outdated production capacity, resulting in rising industry concentration. Leading enterprises are expanding market share through intelligent upgrading and green transformation initiatives.
- Advances in waste sand regeneration technologies have enabled wet-sand mold casting old-sand reuse rates exceeding 90%, significantly reducing solid waste generation.

III. Market Characteristics and Competitive Landscape
1. Market Characteristics:
- The casting sand market exhibits pronounced regional segmentation: prices rose notably in East and Central China, while declining in Southwest China.
- High-end product segments are expanding rapidly, whereas mid-to-low-end products face intense homogenization-driven competition.
- Green and low-carbon technologies have become key R&D priorities, with notable breakthroughs achieved in areas such as waste sand regeneration, low-emission binders, and integrated waste-heat recovery systems.

2. Competitive Landscape:
- Industry concentration is increasing: leading firms are consolidating market position via technological upgrades and capacity expansion, placing growing pressure on SMEs to transform and upgrade.
- International leaders—such as Carbo and Cerabeads—maintain dominance in high-end markets through patent barriers. Their fused-cast sands achieve refractoriness exceeding 1,800°C, while domestic products typically cap out at ~1,600°C.
- Domestic enterprises are enhancing competitiveness by vertically integrating upstream (raw materials) and innovating downstream (application-specific R&D).

IV. Analysis, Outlook & Forecast
1. Short-Term Outlook:
- Casting sand prices will remain regionally differentiated in the near term due to localized supply-demand imbalances. Prices in East and Central China may continue rising, while those in Southwest China may remain stable or decline slightly.
- Tighter environmental regulation and accelerated intelligent transformation will further consolidate the industry, strengthening pricing power among leading players—and supporting gradual price appreciation.

2. Long-Term Outlook:
- By 2030, China’s wet-sand mold casting industry is expected to exceed RMB 220 billion in market size, growing at a stable CAGR of ~4.5% annually. Casting sand prices will trend steadily upward overall, with inter-regional price gaps gradually narrowing; price increases for high-end products are likely to outpace the average.
- Green transformation, intelligent manufacturing, and intensive resource utilization will become central themes driving high-quality industry development. Applications of specialty materials—e.g., ceramic casting sands—will expand significantly, meeting the requirements of advanced manufacturing and elevating industry value-added.
- Rapid development of new-energy vehicles, aerospace, and related sectors will sustain robust demand growth for high-precision, high-performance castings—further boosting overall demand for casting sand.