Price Trends

On July 13, 2026, the escalation of US-Iran tensions led to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, triggering concerns about rising costs and supply disruptions for crude oil and ethylene glycol As a result, ethylene glycol prices in China surged significantly to 4,415 CNY per ton, with both futures and spot price differentials moving upward in tandem

• Ethylene glycol prices
• geopolitical risks
• the Strait of Hormuz
• rising energy costs

On July 13, affected by the US military’s blockade of Iranian ports, international crude oil futures surged by more than 9% WTI and Brent crude prices rose to $7814 per barrel and $8330 per barrel, respectively Refined oil products also rose in tandem The US Strategic Petroleum Reserve has fallen to a 43-year low, with inventories continuing to decline and the market’s buffering capacity weakening

• US-Iran Conflict
• International Crude Oil Prices
• Supply Risks
• Low Inventory Levels

In July, PTA prices showed a relatively strong fluctuation within a range, supported by the peak maintenance period of PX which bolstered costs, and the concentrated maintenance of multiple PTA units leading to a reduction in supply Although the textile off-season limited the upside, the tight balance between supply and demand kept PTA at high levels

• cost support
• supply contraction
• inventory decline
• textile off-season

In July, the price of polyester staple fiber in China stopped falling and began to recover, with the market average reaching 7,332 CNY/ton, an increase of 029% from the beginning of the month The peak maintenance periods for PX and PTA pushed up costs, supporting the price of polyester staple fiber The industry's operating rate remained around 75%, with inventory slowly decreasing Demand during the textile off-season was moderate, limiting the room for price increases

• cost support
• polyester staple fiber prices
• textile off-season
• inventory depletion

This week, the styrene market in China stopped falling and began to rise. From July 6 to 10, the average price increased from 7,380 CNY/ton to 7,810 CNY/ton, a price increase of 5.83% within the period, but it was still down by 1.24% year-on-year.

• Styrene Market
• Price Increase
• Weekly Analysis
• Chemical Products

This week, the price of titanium dioxide in China has decreased. The average price of sulfate process rutile titanium dioxide has dropped from 16,460 CNY/ton to 16,240 CNY/ton, a decrease of 1.34%. The price of upstream titanium concentrate has slightly decreased, and the downstream demand is weak, leading to a poor market sentiment. It is expected that the market trend will remain weak in the short term.

• Titanium dioxide market
• price reduction
• weak market demand
• high inventory levels

This week, the isopropanol market price in China increased, rising from 6141.67 CNY/ton on Monday to 6133.34 CNY/ton on Friday, with a price increase of 3.12%. The rise in the price of raw material acetone supported the cost, and manufacturers raised their quotations, leading to improved market confidence. In Shandong, the quotes ranged from 5900 to 6000 CNY/ton, while in Jiangsu, they ranged from 6300 to 6800 CNY/ton. It is expected that the market will remain strong in the short term.

• Isopropanol prices have increased
• raw material cost support
• market confidence has improved
• the short-term market is showing a stronger trend.

July 3 to 10, the price of MTBE increased from 5,100 CNY/ton to 5,412 CNY/ton, a price increase of 6.13%. International crude oil prices rose, and the Chinese gasoline market was good. MTBE supply tightened, demand increased, and exports were active, supporting the market's rise. It is expected that raw material cost pressure will be high, but the international market trend is strong, and MTBE prices are likely to continue to rise.

• MTBE market
• price trends
• crude oil prices
• export orders

On July 9, the average market price of pure benzene in China increased to 7,436.67 CNY/ton, a rise of 3.72% from the previous trading day. The stabilization of international oil prices, port destocking, and active downstream demand have positively pushed up the prices. Sinopec's refineries in East China and South China are implementing a price of 7,300 CNY/ton. In the short term, the market is mainly in a wait-and-see mode.

• Pure benzene prices rise
• international oil prices
• port inventories decline
• downstream demand remains strong.

From July 1st to July 9th, the urea market in China showed a weak downward trend, with the reference average price in Shandong region decreasing from 1,813 CNY/ton to 1,803 CNY/ton, a price decrease of 0.55%. Supply was ample while demand was weak, with high operating rates in enterprises, but downstream purchasing was cautious. It is expected that the market will continue to be weak and consolidate in the short term.

• Urea market
• price decline
• supply and demand situation
• future market forecast

In July 2026, ethylene glycol prices halted their decline and stabilized, driven by several factors including a contraction in China’s supply, continued destocking at ports, support from bottoming-out costs, strengthening spot basis differentials, and expectations of downstream inventory replenishment The concentrated maintenance of Chinese production facilities led to a reduction in supply, while lower-than-expected import volumes caused port inventories to fall to low levels

• Ethylene glycol prices
• declining inventories
• shrinking supply
• cost support

July 8, the price of isooctanol rebounded to 6766.67 CNY/ton, with a price increase of 0.50%. The United States revoked Iran's oil sanctions exemption, escalating geopolitical tensions in the Middle East, which pushed up the prices of crude oil and propylene, thereby supporting the rise in the cost of isooctanol. It is expected that the price of isooctanol will maintain a strong and wide-ranging consolidation in the future.

• Middle East geopolitics
• 2-ethylhexanol prices
• crude oil market
• propylene costs

In the first week of July, the average price of 85% industrial thermal phosphoric acid in China decreased from 9,600 CNY/ton to 9,262 CNY/ton, a price decrease of 3.52%. The prices of raw materials, such as yellow phosphorus and sulfur, weakened, leading to insufficient cost support. The market supply exceeded demand, and transactions were light. It is expected that the market price of phosphoric acid will continue to fluctuate weakly in the short term.

• Phosphoric acid prices
• market trends
• cost support
• future market outlook

On July 7, the international crude oil market rose by 3% due to factors including the US tightening sanctions on Iran, the shipping safety crisis in the Strait of Hormuz, and the continued decline in US crude oil inventories Geopolitical risks and low inventory levels are jointly driving a rebound in oil prices

• Geopolitical conflicts
• crude oil inventories
• rising oil prices
• Strait of Hormuz

The US Department of Defense has launched a five-year procurement plan for lithium carbonate, with a maximum purchase volume of 16,167 tons and a total value of up to $300 million This marks the first time that lithium carbonate has been included in the defense reserve

• Lithium carbonate strategic reserves
• global energy transition
• geopolitical competition over lithium resources
• security of the new energy industrial chain

Recently, the Chinese formic acid market has shifted from a weak equilibrium to a steady upward trend As of July 6, the price of industrial-grade 85% formic acid has risen to 2,300 CNY per ton, an increase of 1386% compared to the end of June After a period of sideways consolidation, the market has seen three consecutive days of increases, with an improved supply and demand situation and a warming up of industry transactions

• Formic acid price
• market demand
• market analysis
• price increase

This week, the styrene market in China showed a weak downward trend. From June 29 to July 3, the average price fell from 7,310 CNY/ton to 7,260 CNY/ton, with a price decrease of 0.68% during the period, and a decline of 8.16% compared to the same period last year.

• Styrene Market
• Price Decline
• Chemical Product Analysis
• Market Dynamics Monitoring

In June, the PP market in China first stabilized and then declined, with the benchmark price for filament at the end of the month falling by 2096% compared to the beginning of the month The cost side was significantly affected by the decline in international crude oil and propylene prices On the supply side, due to maintenance of some plants, the overall load was low

• PP prices are falling
• cost values are collapsing
• supply-demand contradiction
• downward channel

In June, the Chinese ABS market saw a significant decline, with the average price dropping to 8,700 CNY/ton, a decrease of 10.46%. The supply remained stable, but inventory accumulated, and costs decreased due to easing tensions in the Middle East and falling raw material prices. Demand was weak, with little change in the operating rates of downstream enterprises and poor terminal consumption. In the short term, the possibility of a weaker consolidation in the ABS spot price has increased.

• ABS market: Costs are weakening
• demand is sluggish
• prices are falling.

In the second half of June, the dichloromethane market showed a unilateral weak downward trend. Although there was a slight reduction in supply due to maintenance, the overall supply remained loose. Both domestic and international demand were weak, and the support from the cost side weakened as methanol prices fell. It is expected that the market will continue to show a narrow range of fluctuations in the short term, with limited space for local brief rebounds.

• Dichloromethane
• Market Analysis
• Chemical Industry
• Supply-Demand Relationship