(August 3, 2026) The international white carbon black trading market witnessed mild price adjustments on August 3, as tight supplies of high-grade fumed silica and tire-specific precipitated silica drove quotation hikes, while conventional general-purpose silica remained weak amid ample inventory and sluggish low-end export demand. Multiple spot trading platforms updated real-time transaction data in the morning, showing distinct market differentiation that has become the mainstream trend for the silica industry in the third quarter. Downstream silicone product manufacturers and coating factories in North America reported widespread material shortages of hydrophobic fumed silica this week. Many buyers said traditional overseas suppliers cannot deliver orders on schedule, so they are shifting procurement focus to qualified Chinese suppliers including IOTA Silicone. The tight supply is mainly attributed to routine equipment maintenance at several overseas large fumed silica factories in Europe, coupled with sustained surging demand for electronic packaging glue and high-temperature resistant coating fillers in the summer electronics production peak. Within just one week, the spot price of mainstream hydrophobic fumed silica climbed 3% to 6% on international trading markets, and long-term order prices also followed the upward trend. In the tire raw material market, major global tire brands have locked large quantities of high-dispersion silica orders for autumn production in advance. Tire makers need sufficient high-performance silica to produce low rolling-resistance tires for new energy vehicles, pushing factory prices of tire-grade silica steadily upward. On the contrary, ordinary precipitated silica for rubber fillers and common daily chemicals is facing obvious oversupply. Many small manufacturers in Asia are forced to offer discounts to clear inventory, dragged down by the EU carbon tariff policy which weakens the competitiveness of high-carbon-emission low-end silica in European markets. Industry insiders shared forward-looking judgment that the supply gap of high-end white carbon black will last for at least two months. Downstream manufacturers will keep signing long-term supply agreements to stabilize raw material costs. For low-end silica, market competition will turn fiercer, and more outdated production capacity will be phased out in the second half of the year. Additionally, logistics freight rates for routes from East Asia to Europe have declined recently, which will further accelerate the export growth of high-quality modified silica products from Chinese silicon material enterprises in the coming weeks.