Price Trends

On August 17, 2026, PTA prices rose. The 5-day, 10-day, and 20-day moving averages all showed positive growth compared to the previous day, indicating a clear upward trend. However, the 60-day price cycle remains at a high level, limiting short-term upside potential; the 1-year price cycle is in the mid-to-high range, offering moderate medium-term volatility but requiring caution due to the risk of a pullback; and the 3-month price cycle is at a mid-level, with moderate fluctuations.

• PTA market trend
• upward trend
• average difference analysis
• high position risk

On August 17, 2026, the polyester staple fiber market in China fluctuated. The 5-day and 20-day moving average differences increased, while the 10-day moving average difference decreased, showing characteristics of a stagnation warning. The price is at a high level in the annual cycle and at a high level in the 60-day cycle, with limited room for further increases. In the 3-month cycle, it is at a mid-level, indicating potential for adjustment and fluctuation.

• polyester staple fiber
• fluctuation
• stagnation warning
• high range

On August 18, 2026, the LDPE market in China fluctuated, with the 5-day and 20-day average differences increasing, while the 10-day average difference decreased. The stagnation warning is bearish, with prices at a medium level, and the room for a short-term increase is limited.

• LDPE market trend
• fluctuating trend
• stagnation warning
• price analysis

Since August, the Chinese natural rubber market has been fluctuating and rising, with the spot rubber price reaching 17,133 CNY per ton, an increase of 394% The supply side has seen less-than-expected production increases due to rainfall, leading to strong cost support; the demand side is in the off-season, lacking momentum for a rise Inventory continues to decrease, and the fundamentals are expected to remain within a range in the short term

• Natural rubber market
• prices fluctuate and rise
• supply-side support
• off-season for demand

As of August 18, the price of butadiene rubber in China rose to 14,680 CNY/ton, an increase of 9.14% from the beginning of the month. The cost side is strongly supported by the rise in butadiene prices, and tight supply has also boosted the market. However, demand remains weak. It is expected that the market will maintain a strong fluctuation in the short term, with room for further upward movement.

• cis-butadiene rubber
• volatile market conditions
• cost support
• weak demand

Since August, the price of styrene-butadiene rubber in China has rebounded to 14,650 CNY per ton, an increase of 8.99%. The prices of butadiene and styrene have risen, leading to increased production costs. The industry's operating rate remains high, but demand recovery is limited. In the short term, it is expected to fluctuate at high levels, and attention should be paid to the trends in international crude oil, butadiene, and tire demand.

• Styrene-butadiene rubber
• price increase
• rising costs
• supply-demand relationship

On August 19, 2026, ABS market conditions showed a clear upward trend, with positive changes in the 5-day, 10-day, and 20-day moving averages. Long-term prices are supported by upward momentum, but in the short term, prices remain at high levels, which could potentially limit further price increases.

• Clear upward trend
• average difference variation
• price trend
• risk warning

In August, the Chinese EVA market showed a narrow consolidation, with divergent trends between photovoltaic grade and general-purpose materials The supply-side operating rate was maintained at 64-70%, with some plants undergoing maintenance and an increase in photovoltaic material output On the demand side, the production schedules of photovoltaic film companies increased, while traditional downstream sectors remained sluggish due to the off-season

• EVA market: Differentiation between photovoltaic-grade and general-purpose grades
• impact of the off-season
• balance between supply and demand

On August 19, 2026, the caustic soda market showed a volatile yet bullish trend The 10-day moving average difference rebounded from -040 to -020, and prices are at low levels across multiple timeframes, demonstrating strong resistance to further declines Prices over the 60-day, 3-month, and 1-year periods are currently at low, mid-low, and low levels respectively, leaving limited room for further price drops

• Soda ash market trend
• fluctuating with a bullish bias
• resistance to decline warning
• multi-cycle low support

On August 18, the market price of cyclohexanone in Shandong, China, was increased to 9,200 CNY/ton, a rise of 775 CNY/ton from August 10, representing a 920% price increase The rise in the cost of pure benzene supports the cyclohexanone market, with supply and demand remaining stable It is expected that the market will remain strong in the short term

• Cost advantages
• cyclohexanone market conditions
• Shandong market
• price increase

On August 17, 2026, the lithium carbonate market showed a volatile, bearish trend. The 5-day and 10-day moving averages both declined, while the 20-day moving average rose, signaling a deep pullback. Prices remain at a mid-to-high level within the one-year cycle, with limited room for further increases but some potential for a correction.

• Lithium carbonate market conditions: volatile trend
• deep correction signals
• mid-to-high price range

On August 19, 2026, the DOPspot price continued its upward trend, with positive average differences over the 5-day, 10-day, and 20-day periods, signaling a clear upward momentum. Major manufacturers have raised their quoted prices by 100–150 CNY per ton. Currently, prices are at the upper end of the one-year cycle, and further upside potential may be limited. It is crucial to monitor changes in supply and demand across the industrial chain.

• DOP market conditions
• price increase
• mean difference indicator
• changes in supply and demand across the industrial chain

On August 18, 2026, the price of hydrofluoric acid in China showed a fluctuating trend. The short-term 5-day and 10-day average differences remained unchanged, while the 20-day average difference significantly declined. The market as a whole was in a high range, with limited upward space, mainly characterized by consolidation.

• Hydrofluoric acid prices
• fluctuating
• high range
• market analysis

In August, the DOP price in China fluctuated and increased by 2.84% to 9,050.83 CNY per ton. The cost side was supported by the rise in prices of 2-ethylhexanol and phthalic anhydride, but weak demand limited the price increase. DOP factories operated at low capacity and generally incurred losses, leading to a strong desire to maintain prices. In the short term, the DOP market in China will be in a tug-of-war between cost-driven and demand-suppressed factors.

• DOP prices are fluctuating
• cost support
• weak demand
• isooctanol price fluctuations

Recently, the toluene market prices in China have been supported by strong crude oil, geopolitical disruptions, and low inventories, leading to a consecutive two-day increase of 100 CNY/ton However, the spread indicators show signs of stagnation, and downstream purchasing has become more cautious In the short term, prices may remain at high levels with limited room for further increases

• Toluene Market: Volatile Trading
• High-Range Consolidation
• Crude Oil Support

On August 17, 2026, the maleic anhydride price trend was volatile, with the average difference indicator showing a resistance to decline warning signal. The 1-year cycle price is at a high level, with limited room for further increases; the 60-day and 3-month cycles are at a mid-high level. Recently, the market conditions in Jiangsu and Shandong regions have shown slight fluctuations, and attention should be paid to the impact of supply and demand changes on short-term market trends.

• Maleic anhydride market
• fluctuating pattern
• resistance to decline warning
• limited upside space

On August 17, 2026, the price of propylene oxide showed a clear upward trend, with the 5-day, 10-day, and 20-day averages all rising. The long-term price is at a moderate level, with balanced room for increases and decreases; the short-term price is at a high level, with limited room for further increases. The overall trend is positive, but there is short-term pressure.

• Propylene oxide
• price increase
• average difference method
• market trend analysis

On August 18, 2026, phthalic anhydride prices reached a one-year high The mean-reversion indicator signals strong consolidation with a bullish bias, and the market is expected to remain in a volatile range in the short term It is crucial to monitor changes in upstream raw material supply and downstream demand

• Phthalic anhydride market: volatile pattern
• high range
• strong consolidation with more bullish signals

On August 17, 2026, the price of epichlorohydrin showed a clear downward trend, with the 5-day, 10-day, and 20-day moving averages all turning negative. Although short-term downward momentum persists, the annual and 3-month cycles are at low levels, and the 60-day cycle is at a mid-to-low level, leaving limited room for further price declines.

• epichlorohydrin
• price decline
• low range
• market analysis

August 19, 2026, the formic acid market showed fluctuations. The 5-day average difference remained unchanged, the 10-day average difference narrowed, and the 20-day average difference widened, indicating that short-term momentum weakened while medium-term momentum strengthened. Luxi Chemical, a single manufacturer, raised its quotes, but the overall industry average price remained unchanged. The formic acid price is in a relatively low range, with limited room for decline.

• Formic acid market conditions
• fluctuating trend
• mean difference analysis
• price support