Price Trends

From January to September 2017, China imported 171,180.13mt of polymeric MDI in total, which was up 6.85% from the same period of last year.

• MDI
• Polyurethane
• Import

“Winter’s coming”, which means another wave of strict environmental regulation will occur, so many chemicals will be influenced in China. Adipic acid may be one of them.

• Adipic Acid
• Benzene

On the whole, the acetone market will continue to move marginally in November. Players should focus on the buying interest. If the crude oil market rebounded greatly, the acetone market may rebound slightly.

• Acetone

The liquid ammonia market gets soft, and the support to the nitric acid market is weak. The downstream demand for nitric acid is stable and thin. It is predicted that the negotiation prices for 98% nitric acid will be in the range of RMB 1,550-1,650/mt

• Nitric-Acid
• Aniline
• TDI

In November, most Chinese TDI units will run normally and the supply will increase. It is heard that the TDI produced in Shanghai may be sent to other regions.

• TDI
• Polyether
• Sponge

The Chinese vinyl acetate market slumped in October. Up to October 31, the mainstream closing prices in East China was between RMB 6,700/mt and RMB 6,900/mt, slumping 14.47% from last month.

• Vinyl Acetate
• October

The Chinese phosphoric acid market fluctuated higher in October, supported by the yellow phosphorus market. During the National Day holiday, the overall trading was thin.

• Phosphoric Acid
• Phosphate
• STPP
• SHMP

The BPA industry sees fairish profits and the operating rate will be normal. On the whole, the phenol market is expected to be stable in H1 November and may slide in H2 November.

• Phenol
• BPA

According to ECHEMI, the supply of imported PEG will continue to decline. Offers will inch up. As for the Chinese-made PEG market, players should focus on the price changes in raw materials’ markets. It may move marginally in November.

• PEG
• EO

The Chinese ethanolamine market moved up in October. Up to October 31, offers for monoethanolamine (MEA) were in the range of RMB 10,400-10,900/mt.

• Ethanolamine
• EO

The Chinese DOP market moved downwards in October 2017. Up to October 30, the closing price of DOP in East China was RMB 8,450/mt, down RMB 350/mt or 3.98% from that at the end of September.

• DOP
• Phthalic Anhydride
• Octanol

The Chinese phthalic anhydride market slid in H1 October and then rebounded at the end of October. Up to October 30, the closing prices of phthalic anhydride produced from o-xylene were RMB 6,950/mt in East China

• Naphthalene
• Phthalic Anhydride

The Chinese adipic acid market started to be weak in mid-October. Benzene prices moved marginally, and the support to the adipic acid market was soft. Though the supply declined, the poor demand weighed on the overall market.

• Adipic Acid
• Styrene
• Benzene

Moreover, the 1,200kt/a unit will undergo a three-week maintenance from early November. On the whole, the Chinese glacial acetic acid market will move sideways at a high level.

• Glacial Acetic Acid

As for the demand, the demand for adipic acid from sizing agent and sole material industries is flat. Moreover, benzene prices may inch up next week. Therefore, the adipic acid market may increase slightly next week.

• Adipic Acid
• Benzene

The methylene chloride market moved upwards this week. The demand got softer, but most producers’ sales were normal. Traders also continued purchasing goods.

• Methylene Chloride

As the production cost of imported PEG is low and the supply is tight now, the trading is active in the market. It is predicted that the PEG market will move at highs in the short term and prices for imported PEG may inch up.

• EO
• PEG

From the production cost side, the international benzene market fluctuated higher, and the dealing prices in the Chinese benzene market inched up.

• Caprolactam
• CPL
• Benzene

The demand for cyclohexanone in the fiber industry may continue to decline as some caprolactam may cut down operating rates. It is predicted that the cyclohexanone market will move sideways at a high level.

• Cyclohexanone
• Caprolactam

The Chinese rutile titanium dioxide market remained stable this week. The overall operating rate was largely stable.

• Titanium Dioxide