Soda Ash

Kenyan President William Ruto announced on Thursday that he has ordered Tata Chemicals, a major Indian chemical company, to cease all operations in Kenya, accusing the company of holding a concession for 100 years without ever benefiting the country. He also stated that the government plans to bring in two new companies to take over operations, one of which will set up a large glass manufacturing plant, and the other will produce chemicals in the Kajiado area. The order came as the Kenyan leader toured Magadi town, the site of the Magadi Soda plant owned by the Tata group. Tensions between the Kenyan government and Tata Chemicals have been escalating since late July, when authorities ordered the subsidiary Tata Chemicals Magadi to suspend operations and halt exports of soda ash, a key raw material for the glass and chemical industries. Tata Chemicals issued a statement saying it still respects the authority of the Kenyan government and is ready to negotiate through legal channels, while reiterating that the company prioritizes the welfare of its employees and communities in Kenya above all.

CNSIG Inner Mongolia Chemical Industry released its 2026 semi-annual report. In the first half, it achieved operating revenue of 4.887 billion yuan, down 18.52 percent year on year, with net profit attributable to the parent company at negative 272 million yuan, compared with 52.7155 million yuan in the same period last year. At the bottom of the soda ash industry cycle, amid deep adjustment and loose supply and demand, the company is working to ride out the industry trough by relying on the cost-hedging capability of its integrated circular industrial chain and its strategic transformation into natural soda ash. In the first half, the company produced 2.0496 million tonnes of soda ash and sold 2.0464 million tonnes, completing 51.01 percent and 49.10 percent of the annual budget respectively. Production and sales of major products generally passed the halfway mark of annual plans, and operating costs fell 11.79 percent year on year. Its subsidiary Chlor-Alkali Chemical achieved operating revenue of 2.112 billion yuan and net profit of 97.0962 million yuan in the first half, maintaining relatively strong profitability. The company is investing in a 5 million tonne per year natural soda ash mineral resources comprehensive development project, with a planned total investment of about 25.283 billion yuan. As of the end of June, about 6.928 billion yuan had been invested. After the project is put into operation, total soda ash production capacity is expected to jump from 3.9 million tonnes to 8.9 million tonnes.