US March natural soda ash production rises 16% month on month

MEDELLIN, Colombia (ICIS)--US production of natural soda ash in March surged by 16% month on month, the US Geological Survey (USGS) reported on Monday.

US production rose to 964,000 tonnes in March, up from 833,000 tonnes in February, the survey said.

Ending inventories for March 2012 were 317,000 tonnes, 4% higher than the preceding month's inventories. Wyoming trona production in March was 1.56m tonnes, according to the data.

Soda ash is primarily used in glassmaking, the manufacture of other inorganic chemicals, detergents, flue gas desulphurisation, water treatment and in pulp and paper manufacturing.

US producers include Solvay, OCI Chemical, FMC and General Chemical Industrial Products.