ECHEMI Analysis

March 9, the market price of pure benzene surged to 12002.33 CNY/ton. Influenced by the situation in the Middle East, oil prices fluctuated at high levels, driving up the price of pure benzene. Sinopec raised its listed price to 11000 CNY/ton, and local refining enterprises in Shandong increased their prices by 1700-3400 yuan, with factory prices around 12000 CNY/ton. In the short term, the pure benzene market in China is expected to remain strong.

• Pure benzene prices
• rising oil prices
• Middle East situation
• tight market supply

Affected by the intensifying geopolitical crisis in the Middle East, the price of DOP surged significantly in March to 9,375.83 CNY per ton, representing a price increase of 21.75%. The prices of raw materials such as isooctanol and phthalic anhydride also rose markedly, reaching 9,050 CNY per ton and 7,466.67 CNY per ton, respectively. Looking ahead, the market expects the price of plasticizer DOP to continue rising.

• Middle East geopolitical crisis
• DOP price
• increase in raw material prices
• increase in plasticizer costs

In March, the price of phthalic anhydride in China surged to 7,46667 CNY/ton, with a price increase of 2141% Affected by the geopolitical crisis in the Middle East, the prices of crude oil and ortho-xylene skyrocketed, leading to an increase in the cost of phthalic anhydride The operating rate of phthalic anhydride enterprises rose to 65%, ensuring ample supply The price of DOP also significantly increased by 2175%, with demand on the rise

• Rising costs
• phthalic anhydride prices
• simultaneous increase in supply and demand
• impact of geopolitical crises

In early March, 85% of industrial thermal phosphoric acid prices in China rose strongly by 7.11%, with the average price increasing from 6,940 CNY/ton to 7,433 CNY/ton. The price of raw material yellow phosphorus strengthened, and cost support increased, leading to a cautious market. It is expected that the phosphoric acid market will continue to consolidate and operate strongly in the short term.

• Phosphate market
• Price trend
• Cost increase
• Yellow phosphorus market conditions

Recently, the price of formic acid has slightly increased. The supply side is expected to tighten but remains stable in reality, while the demand side has strong expectations for the peak season, yet transactions are weak. Export orders have absorbed some inventory, and market trading has returned to a rational level. Affected by the rise in raw material prices, it is expected that the price of formic acid may increase.

• Formic acid price
• market supply and demand
• rising raw material costs
• maintenance shutdown expectations

This week, the price of acrylic acid surged by 86% due to the escalation of geopolitical conflicts in the Middle East, rising from 6,350 CNY per ton to 11,917 CNY per ton. The increase was driven by rising costs, supply concerns, and panic buying. Future trends will be influenced by the geopolitical situation and oil prices, with short-term high volatility and a possible return to fundamentals in the medium to long term.

• Geopolitical conflicts
• acrylic acid prices surge
• cost-driven
• market sentiment resonance

On March 9, the average market price of isopropyl alcohol in China was 9,36667 CNY per ton, an increase of 3445% compared to March 6 Affected by the situation in the Middle East, international oil prices and the prices of raw materials such as propylene and acetone have risen, pushing up the price of isopropyl alcohol However, downstream demand has been weak, and high-priced transactions are being approached with caution

• isopropanol
• market price
• raw material cost
• international oil price

From March 1st to 9th, the price of phenol in China increased from 6,650 CNY/ton to 10,800 CNY/ton, with a price increase of 6241% The conflict in the Middle East led to a rise in crude oil and pure benzene prices, providing strong cost support The contraction in supply and market sentiment in China have pushed prices up, and they are expected to remain at high levels with fluctuations in the short term

• Phenol market
• soaring prices
• cost support
• supply contraction

On March 9th at 24:00, China's retail oil prices were significantly increased, marking the fourth rise of the year. International oil prices surged by 30%, mainly due to the supply disruption caused by the US-Iran conflict. Gasoline was raised by 695 CNY per ton, and diesel by 670 CNY per ton. The tight supply and recovering demand pushed up the prices of gasoline and diesel. Subsequent attention should be paid to the situation in the Middle East and OPEC's production increase plans.

• Crude oil surges
• refined oil prices adjusted
• Middle East conflict
• supply tightness

As US and Israeli military actions against Iran escalate, leading to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz and tightening global crude oil supplies, international oil prices have surged above $110 per barrel The situation in the Middle East continues to deteriorate, sparking market concerns about energy shortages Several institutions predict that oil prices could further break through the $120 mark—and even reach as high as $150—in the near term

• Middle East conflict
• oil price increase
• energy supply
• Strait of Hormuz

This week, the price of acrylonitrile has risen significantly, with the port price in East China reaching 8,650 CNY/ton and the market price in Shandong at 8,400 CNY/ton The rise in international oil prices and the cost of raw material propylene, driven by cost pressures and geopolitical risks, has greatly increased production costs The weekly capacity utilization rate of acrylonitrile plants in China has dropped to 7488%, with inventories decreasing to about 50,000 tons

• Rising costs
• acrylonitrile prices
• declining inventories
• recovering demand

From March 2-5, 2026, influenced by the geopolitical conflicts in the Middle East, a surge in crude oil prices, plant maintenance, and the resumption of downstream operations, the Chinese polyethylene market experienced a significant increase, with high-pressure polyethylene leading the rise The prices of LLDPE, LDPE, and HDPE increased by 11%, 1626%, and 1255% respectively

• Polyethylene prices rise
• crude oil surges
• plant maintenance
• downstream operations resume.

This week, the price of polyester bottle chips broke through 7,000 CNY/ton, mainly driven by cost factors, especially the rise in crude oil and PTA prices. Supply is operating at a low level, with demand mainly driven by essential needs. In the short term, PET bottle chip prices are expected to fluctuate at a high level within the range of 7,000-7,500 CNY/ton.

• PET bottle flake prices
• rising costs
• tight supply
• stable demand

This week, the caustic soda price remained stable, with the market average price at 654 CNY/ton, a year-on-year decrease of 31.3%. In Shandong, Zhejiang, and Inner Mongolia regions, the prices for 32% ion-membrane alkali were 600-680 CNY/ton, 850-950 CNY/ton, and 2050-2150 CNY/ton (converted to 100%), respectively. Downstream demand was purchasing as needed, and it is expected that prices may continue to stabilize in the later period.

• Caustic soda prices
• market analysis
• chemical industry index
• supply-demand relationship

This week, the styrene market price in China significantly increased, rising from 7,890 CNY/ton at the beginning of the week to 8,910 CNY/ton by the end of the week, with a price increase of 12.93%, mainly due to the impact of geopolitical conflicts.

• Geopolitical conflicts
• styrene prices
• market dynamics
• chemical products

This week, the price of Aniline continued to rise, from 9,445 CNY/ton to 10,345 CNY/ton, with a price increase of 9.53%. The tense situation in the Middle East led to an increase in international crude oil and pure benzene prices. Coupled with maintenance plans at major factories and low inventory, this has pushed the price of Aniline to exceed 10,000 yuan. It is expected that the price of Aniline will remain high in the short term.

• Middle East conflict
• rising raw material prices
• aniline prices
• international crude oil prices

This week, the titanium dioxide market in China has seen an increase, with the average price rising from 13,900 CNY/ton to 14,160 CNY/ton, a price increase of 1.87%. Twenty-eight companies have issued letters announcing price hikes. Demand from outside China is mainly for essential needs, and there is a strong wait-and-see sentiment in the market. It is expected that the titanium dioxide market prices will remain firm in the short term.

• Titanium dioxide market: prices rise
• companies announce price hikes
• market adopts a wait-and-see stance.

March 6, the average price of isopropyl alcohol in the Chinese market increased to 6,96667 CNY/ton, up 663% from the previous day The rise in the prices of raw materials, propylene and acetone, has pushed up costs, leading producers to raise prices, and there is a strong sentiment among stockholders to follow the increase In terms of demand, buyers are mainly purchasing based on their immediate needs and are cautious about high prices

• isopropanol
• market trend
• price increase
• raw material cost

This week, the price of sodium metabisulfite in China rose by 2.86%, with the average price of industrial-grade sodium metabisulfite increasing from 2,333 CNY/ton to 2,400 CNY/ton. The price of upstream sulfur increased by 7.15%, and the price of downstream caprolactam increased by 3.78%. It is expected that the price of sodium metabisulfite will maintain a volatile but relatively strong trend in the short term.

• Sodium metabisulfite price
• sulfur price increase
• industrial grade sodium metabisulfite
• fluctuating and strengthening trend

From March 2 to 6, the BDO price in China increased from 7,371 CNY/ton to 7,557 CNY/ton, a price increase of 252% The market has warmed up due to reduced supply and increased demand Some facilities have been shut down for maintenance, strengthening the support on the supply side The cost aspect is mixed, affected by the weakening of calcium carbide and the rise in methanol

• BDO market
• price increase
• supply reduction
• demand increase