China made 4.766 million tons of titanium dioxide in 2024. That was a 14.57% increase from the year before. But raw production numbers alone do not tell you which supplier is right for you. You still need to check pigment grades, how the material is made, and how easily it can be shipped.
Chinese suppliers offer everything from basic anatase grades to specialized rutile pigments. Exports recently hit a record 1.9 million tons, so international buyers have many choices. The key is understanding the technical differences between suppliers and matching them to your own production needs.
China’s titanium dioxide industry is huge. Panzhihua City is known as the country’s vanadium and titanium capital. Many large plants are located there. This concentration lets manufacturers share infrastructure and raw materials, which helps keep costs down.
The industry currently runs at about 80.8% of capacity. This mild oversupply often means better prices for buyers. Rutile titanium dioxide makes up 85% of output. That matches global demand, because rutile grades hold up better outdoors and give stronger opacity.
Even with high volumes, quality differs a lot from one plant to another. Do not judge a supplier only by total tonnage. Look at the technical data sheets for the specific grades you need. A company that makes 50,000 tons of consistent, specialized pigment can be a better partner than one that makes 150,000 tons of uneven quality.
The first choice is between rutile and anatase crystal forms. Rutile has a high refractive index of about 2.71. This gives it strong light-scattering power, high opacity, and excellent hiding ability. Rutile grades are mainly used in paints and coatings, automotive finishes, and outdoor plastics.
Anatase has a lower refractive index of about 2.52. It hides less well than rutile, but it is whiter and has a cleaner blue undertone. That makes it a good fit for indoor uses, paper, and certain printing inks where extreme weather resistance is not needed.
Jiuta Chemical Group makes grades for different needs. JTR 719T is designed for applications that need steady dispersion. Buyers looking for strong performance in coatings often try JTR 799. JTR 759 works well in polymers. For plastics that need heat stability, JTCR 539 is a solid option. Companies that want high-whiteness indoor pigments usually look at the anatase grade B101.
Chinese plants use two main production methods: the sulfate process and the chloride process. The sulfate process is older and more common in China. It can work with lower-grade titanium ore and can make both anatase and rutile pigments. The downside is that it creates more waste.
The chloride process needs higher-grade ore. In return it produces a tighter particle-size range. The resulting rutile pigments are brighter and have stronger tinting strength. The process is also cleaner and creates less solid waste.
Environmental rules matter more than ever in China. Leading plants have invested in cleaner technology. Haifengxin, for example, uses a Sulphur-Titanium Joint Production method and is the only titanium dioxide maker in China that does not use a coal-fired boiler. Other companies focus on automation. Mingshen uses a German DCS control system that shortens its production cycle by about 15% compared with the industry average.
Several large players stand out. LB Group (Lomon Billions) is the world’s biggest maker of high-performance TiO₂ pigments. It has large capacity and a global sales network.
CNNC Hua Yuan is the second-largest producer and the oldest titanium dioxide maker in China.
Jiuta Chemical Group has almost 30 years of experience. It was founded in Shanghai in 1995 and runs a modern R&D center in Wuxi, Jiangsu. Jiuta makes both sulfate-process and chloride-process pigments. It has a strong position in the masterbatch applications market and partners with Debao Masterbatch, one of China’s largest masterbatch producers.
Buying industrial chemicals from China works best when logistics are smooth—especially for customers in the Middle East and Africa. Having a local office cuts down on communication delays and shipping problems. Jiuta Chemical Group has a branch in Dubai. That lets buyers in the UAE and Saudi Arabia handle shipments and technical support in their own time zone.
Always check technical specs yourself. Good manufacturers offer free samples and full product data so you can confirm the pigment fits your formula before you order in bulk.
Rutile has a higher refractive index (2.71). It gives better opacity, hiding power, and weather resistance, so it is preferred for outdoor paints and plastics. Anatase has a lower refractive index (2.52) but is whiter, which makes it useful for paper, indoor products, and some inks.
Panzhihua City is widely seen as China’s vanadium and titanium capital. It has many large mining and manufacturing sites that supply the raw materials and infrastructure for high-volume pigment production.
Top producers have switched to cleaner methods. These include the Sulphur-Titanium Joint Production process, plants without coal-fired boilers, and advanced DCS control systems that use resources more efficiently and cut waste.