Recently, news that the EU plans to classify synthetic amorphous silica, namely precipitated silica, as a hazardous substance has continued to spread, drawing close attention from the entire global industrial chain including chemical, rubber, tire and new materials sectors. This major policy adjustment is not merely an upgrade in supervision for a single product category, but a systematic optimization of the compliance system for inorganic powder materials launched by the European Chemicals Agency. It will directly change the global market access rules for precipitated silica and thoroughly reshape the supply-demand pattern and supply chain system at home and abroad. With continuously rising overseas compliance thresholds and low-carbon trade standards, the structural differentiation of China’s precipitated silica industry, where exports of low-end capacity are blocked and high-end products see accelerated substitution, has become increasingly prominent. The industry has bid farewell to the extensive stage of blind capacity expansion and fully entered a new development cycle featuring quality upgrading, technological competition and compliance-oriented growth.

　　According to authoritative industry information, the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) has completed the preliminary assessment of the hazard properties of synthetic amorphous silica and continues to push forward the classification of hazardous substances. It will clarify hierarchical control standards, product testing requirements, labeling specifications and market access rules in the follow-up. Although the official implementation time and control intensity have not yet been announced, the entire European downstream industrial chain has launched supply chain screening and compliance layout in advance. Multinational tire enterprises, coating giants and new material manufacturers have updated supplier access standards one after another, putting forward higher requirements for precipitated silica products in terms of impurity control, batch stability, test reports, carbon footprint, safety data sheets and other compliance documents. As one of China’s core export markets for precipitated silica, this policy change has directly impacted the traditional low-price overseas model of small and medium-sized domestic exporters, bringing brand-new development opportunities for domestic leading enterprises focusing on high-end, green and compliant production.

　　For a long time, China’s precipitated silica exports have shown a pattern of large volume of low-end products and weak high-end products. A large amount of general precipitated silica seizes overseas markets by low prices, featuring serious product homogenization and low added value. It commonly suffers from imperfect detection systems, unstable batch performance and incomplete compliance documents. With the gradual advancement of the new EU regulations, such low-quality general products without compliance guarantees will be gradually phased out of the European market, and competition in the low-end export track will keep cooling down. On the contrary, leading domestic enterprises with complete production quality control systems, full sets of compliance testing qualifications and stable product performance have taken the lead in upgrading compliance for overseas markets. They actively optimize product formulas, upgrade production processes, improve carbon footprint accounting and product filing documents to precisely adapt to the new access standards of the European market. During the industry reshuffle, they keep capturing market share in high-end overseas markets and further enhance the global discourse power of domestic precipitated silica.

　　Judging from the overall spot market in China, the domestic precipitated silica market operated steadily in September 2026 with limited price fluctuations, yet the structural differentiation has become extremely obvious. At present, the capacity of general precipitated silica in China remains in surplus, and new capacity is released continuously. Meanwhile, the recovery of downstream traditional demand is slow. The operating rate of traditional end industries such as tires, rubber products and ordinary adhesives remains stable. Terminal enterprises mostly adopt the procurement strategy of purchasing on demand and using as purchased, showing weak willingness for large-scale centralized stockpiling. The overall market transactions are dominated by small-batch, high-frequency rigid orders. Affected by the imbalance between supply and demand, the market price of low-end general precipitated silica fluctuates at a low level for a long time, and industry internal competition intensifies. Small and medium-sized enterprises have to continuously compress profit margins to maintain production line operation and secure customer orders, resulting in continuously declining gross profit margin of low-end capacity and prominent profit pressure.

　　The price trend of raw materials further aggravates the structural differentiation of the industry. Recently, the market prices of core raw materials for precipitated silica including sodium silicate, soda ash and sulfuric acid have remained weak, and the overall raw material cost is at a low level, providing a certain cost buffer for the production of general precipitated silica. However, due to the white-hot price war in the low-end market, cost advantages cannot be converted into actual profits. Most small and medium-sized manufacturers still stay in a state of slim profit or even slight loss. In contrast, the pricing of high-end modified precipitated silica and high-purity fumed silica relies on technical barriers and customized services, barely affected by raw material price fluctuations. Their product premium capacity remains stable, and corporate profitability is far above the industry average, serving as the core pillar supporting the overall profits of the industry.

　　While the low-end market is trapped in fierce competition, the demand for domestic high-end special precipitated silica keeps surging with tight orders and expanding supply-demand gaps. In the traditional green tire sector, the global trend of automobile low-carbonization and energy-saving development continues to deepen. Energy conservation and emission reduction regulations for automobiles in various countries are tightening, and the penetration rate of low rolling resistance and high wear-resistant green tires keeps rising. The market demand for high-dispersity, low-hysteresis precipitated silica specially used for tires climbs steadily. Such high-end precipitated silica can effectively reduce tire rolling resistance, improve wear and tear resistance and tear resistance, and cut vehicle fuel consumption. It acts as the core reinforcing material for supporting tires of new energy vehicles and high-end passenger cars. Leading domestic enterprises maintain full orders for related products with extended delivery cycles.

　　The rapid development of the new energy industry further expands the growth space for high-end precipitated silica and becomes the core driving force of industry increment. Sectors such as power batteries, energy storage devices and supporting new materials for new energy keep expanding. Scenarios including lithium battery diaphragm modification, battery insulating coating, energy storage sealant and thermal conductive silicone rubber see soaring demand for modified precipitated silica with low ions, low heavy metals, high dispersity and high purity. Compared with the traditional tire market, the new energy industry sets stricter requirements on product indicators, batch stability, safety and cleanliness of precipitated silica, accompanied by higher technical thresholds and longer customer certification cycles. Once verified by end users, it can form strong customer stickiness and huge space for domestic substitution. At present, products of many domestic leading enterprises have successfully passed the certification of top battery enterprises and new energy material enterprises. The process of domestic substitution keeps accelerating, gradually breaking the long-term monopoly of overseas brands.

　　In addition, customized demand for precipitated silica continues to be released in emerging segmented fields such as high-end coatings, medical auxiliary materials, oral care, precision polishing, 3D printing materials and degradable polymer materials. Functional matting precipitated silica required by water-based high-end matte coatings and anti-corrosion industrial coatings, high-purity friction agent precipitated silica specially for toothpaste, food and pharmaceutical grade safe auxiliary precipitated silica and other segmented products, with the advantages of high added value, high threshold and high profit, have become the core tracks for major enterprises to carry out differentiated layout, further broadening the application boundary and growth space of the whole precipitated silica industry.

　　In terms of industrial investment and capacity iteration, the pace of green and high-end transformation of China’s precipitated silica industry keeps accelerating. Under the dual-carbon policy and strict environmental supervision, old precipitation production lines featuring high energy consumption, high water consumption and high emission are continuously restricted, backward and inefficient capacity is phased out at an accelerated rate, and the industrial capacity structure is continuously optimized. At the same time, leading enterprises keep increasing investment in R&D and project implementation of green preparation technologies, focusing on the layout of precipitated silica projects using solid waste resources such as rice husk ash, industrial silicon slag and phosphorus ore associated silicon resources. Relying on new carbonization methods and continuous synthesis processes, energy saving, carbon reduction and solid waste recycling are realized, which greatly reduces production energy consumption and carbon emissions, and significantly improves the green degree, environmental protection and economy of production processes.

　　The commissioning and production of such green low-carbon precipitated silica projects not only enrich the high-end product matrix of domestic precipitated silica, but also effectively adapt to the development trends of global carbon tariffs, low-carbon procurement and green supply chains, helping domestic products gain advantages in bidding for overseas high-end markets and multinational enterprise supply chains. Currently, downstream multinational enterprises have incorporated product carbon footprint, green production qualifications and environmental compliance levels into the assessment system for core suppliers. Green low-carbon capacity has become a core barrier for enterprises to participate in market competition, promoting the continuous concentration of industry resources to leading enterprises with advanced technology, green compliance and strong R&D strength, and the market concentration of the industry rises steadily.

　　Overall, China’s precipitated silica industry has completely bid farewell to the extensive development era of "capacity supremacy", and formally entered a new stage of high-quality development featuring structural differentiation, technology-driven competition and compliance leadership. In the short run, it is difficult to reverse the surplus pattern of general precipitated silica capacity, and there is no strong driving force for a sharp rise in market prices. The industry maintains a weak and volatile trend on the whole, and the market is dominated by structural opportunities. In the medium and long term, new overseas compliance policies and low-carbon trade barriers will continuously reshape the global trade pattern of precipitated silica, the low-price low-end export model will come to an end, and high-end customized, green low-carbon and highly compliant products will become the mainstream of the market.

　　Industry institutions predict that the core competition focus of the precipitated silica industry in the future will shift from simple competition over price and capacity to comprehensive competition covering product modification technology, customized formula services, full-chain compliance capabilities and green low-carbon production levels. Enterprises that continuously dig into high-end segmented tracks, master core modification technologies, improve compliance systems and realize green and clean production will keep capturing market share in domestic and overseas high-end markets and lead the industrial transformation and upgrading. In contrast, small and medium-sized enterprises lacking advantages in technology, compliance and capacity will be gradually eliminated by the market. The trend of industry capacity phase-out and concentration will continue to deepen, promoting the steady advancement of China’s precipitated silica industry toward high-end, refined, green and international development.