Soda Ash
Statistical Compendium
This publication includes data through 1990.
For recent statistics, please go the the
Soda Ash Statistics and Information page.
The U.S. soda ash industry consisted of several synthetic
soda ash plants situated primarily in the South and East and
natural soda ash operations located in the West. Most of
domestic soda ash consumption was centered in the Midwest and
East, providing the synthetic producers a geographic advantage
over their natural competitors. The Arab oil embargo in 1973 and
the enforcement of environmental legislation to reduce pollution
caused the closure of all but one synthetic facility by 1979.
Higher energy costs contributed to a higher selling price for
synthetic soda ash. The energy crisis did not affect the natural
soda ash industry as much, which permitted those producers to
sell at below synthetic soda ash price levels.
In the 1980's, U.S. soda ash consumption was affected by the
competition of glass containers with plastic, especially
polyethylene terephthalate, and the increased use of cullet.
Excess production capacity and stagnant domestic consumption
contributed to a drop in the soda ash value for most of the
decade. Soda ash exports began to increase with the formation of
an industry export association. Most of the exports were to
China and to several other developing nations that had expanding
glass, chemical, and detergent industries.
Although the United States had become a major supplier of
soda ash to the world, certain foreign investors regarded U.S.
soda ash to be a stable business to be involved in. Worldwide
concern regarding the environment prompted the shutdowns of a few
synthetic soda ash plants that caused pollution. Trade barriers
with certain countries were reduced or eliminated, thereby
providing an opportunity for additional future U.S. soda ash
exports.
- Table 1.--Salient soda ash statistics
- Table 2.--U.S. imports for consumption of soda ash
- Table 3.--U.S. Exports of soda ash
- Table 4.--Soda ash supply-demand relationships
- Table 5.--Time-value relationships for soda ash
- Table 6.--World soda ash production
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U.S. Geological Survey
Minerals Information
983 National Center
Reston, VA 20192 USA
Commodity Specialist: Dennis S. Kostick (dkostick@usgs.gov)
URL:
http://minerals.er.usgs.gov/minerals/pubs/commodity/soda_ash/stat/
Maintained by: jgambogi@usgs.gov
Last modification: 10/19/98
(JG)
