Henan Billions (002601.SZ) aims to reach a titanium dioxide output of 160,000 metric tons in 2014, and 180,000 metric tons if possible, insiders say.

Though planning to sell 140,000 metric tons of titanium dioxide in 2013—growing by 32% year on year, Billions only manages to sell 56,000 metric tons in the first half of the year-- growing by merely 14.63% over the same period last year.

Market downturn is to be blamed for decline in sales. Titanium dioxide prices in domestic markets have already dropped to 13,000-14,300 yuan/mt for rutile type and 11,300-12,300 yuan/mt for anatase, both including tax.

According to Billions, its capacity for rutile titanium dioxide products are expected to be 300,000 metric tons, one third of which would be chlorination process ones.

China TiO2 Industry Annual Conference 2013, organized and sponsored by China National Coating Industry Association (CNCIA), opens in November in Beijing. CNCIA Titanium Dioxide Branch’s Director-general Xie Xiangyun points out on the meeting that slow growth and structural surplus are two problems that bother domestic manufacturers most.

China’s titanium dioxide capacity in 2013 is expected to be 2.9 million metric tons, and actual output 1.9 million metric tons, Xie says.