Price Trends

In July 2026, the toluene market price in China rose overall, increasing from 5741 CNY/ton to 6600 CNY/ton, a cumulative increase of 14.96%. The rise in crude oil prices, tight supply, and strong downstream demand collectively contributed to the price increase. It is expected that the market will mainly remain at high levels with fluctuations in August, and attention should be paid to changes in crude oil prices and supply and demand.

• cost support
• tight supply
• diverging demand
• high-level fluctuations

In July, the Chinese acetone market showed a strong upward trend, with supply contraction and demand recovery driving continuous price increases Phenol and acetone plant maintenance led to a decrease in operating rates, tightening spot supply, and downstream buyers stocked up, releasing demand Rising costs and improved market sentiment further supported the upward trend

• Acetone Market
• Price Increase
• Supply-Demand Relationship
• Technical Analysis

In July, the Chinese phenol market showed an upward trend, reversing the weakness seen in June. Due to plant maintenance, a recovery in demand, and cost support, prices broke through 8,100 CNY/ton, stabilizing at 8,200-8,250 CNY/ton by the end of the month. It is expected that in early August, prices will remain strong with slight fluctuations, and may enter a consolidation phase at high levels in the middle to late part of the month.

• Phenol market: volatile upward trend
• plant maintenance
• rebounding demand

In July, the marine fuel market in East China saw an increase, with the average price of 180CST fuel oil rising from 6073.50 CNY/ton to 6262.50 CNY/ton, a price increase of 3.73%. International crude oil prices first rose and then fell, with Singapore's fuel oil inventory increasing to 19.46 million barrels. It is expected that the recent Chinese marine fuel oil market will mainly focus on consolidation.

• Marine fuel market
• fuel oil prices
• international crude oil
• Singapore fuel oil inventories

July PTA prices trended upward with fluctuations, influenced by the rebound in crude oil, PX plant maintenance, and geopolitical conflicts. Although there was a slight pullback at the end of the month, cost support and low inventory levels limited the price decrease. It is expected that as demand improves, the price level will moderately rise. Attention should be paid to the situation in crude oil, PX maintenance, and downstream order conditions.

• Crude oil prices
• PTA maintenance
• PX plant maintenance
• off-season for textiles

In July, the Chinese anhydrous hydrogen fluoride market rose, with tight supply and a price increase of 600 CNY per ton. The high prices of raw materials, fluorspar and sulfuric acid, supported the cost. The shutdown of major enterprises in North China led to a decrease in the operating rate to 43%. On the demand side, the refrigerant industry was in the off-season, with mainly rigid demand procurement. It is expected that the market will remain stable and slightly strong in the short term.

• Anhydrous hydrogen fluoride prices have risen
• fluorspar supply is tight
• hydrogen fluoride supply has decreased
• refrigerant demand is in the off-season.

In July, the price of polyethylene showed an initial increase followed by high-level fluctuations The average prices of LLDPE, LDPE, and HDPE in China rose by 1218%, 1205%, and 623% respectively The situation between the US and Iran pushed up costs, but fluctuations in oil prices limited the upward potential; supply was tight in the short term but is expected to ease in the long term; and demand was weak during the off-season, which suppressed market performance

• Polyethylene Market
• Impact of Crude Oil Prices
• Supply and Demand Conditions
• High-Range Volatile Trading Pattern

International oil prices have fallen sharply, dragging down the market for cis-1,4-polybutadiene rubber As of July 28, the price of cis-1,4-polybutadiene rubber in the East China region dropped to 13,540 CNY per ton, while the most active futures contract, BR2609, closed at 12,120 CNY per ton

• International oil prices
• cis-1
• 4-polybutadiene rubber
• market conditions
• supply-and-demand fundamentals

In July, the Chinese propylene oxide market first declined, then rose, and finally surged, with prices easing at the end of the month The price at the beginning of the month was 7,800 CNY/ton, rising to 10,000 CNY/ton by July 27, and then falling back to 9,400 CNY/ton On the supply side, many facilities were shut down or operating at reduced capacity, while overall demand was weak

• Propylene oxide market
• price fluctuations
• tight supply
• weak downstream demand

In July, the market price of titanium dioxide in China fell by 522%, with the average price dropping from 16,460 CNY per ton to 15,600 CNY per ton The upstream raw materials were weak, and it was the off-season for downstream demand, leading to high inventory levels among manufacturers, with many enterprises reducing production or shutting down Market transactions were flexible, with actual prices negotiated on a case-by-case basis

• Titanium dioxide prices fall
• weak market demand in the off-season
• import and export data
• prediction of weak and stable operation

The U.S. and Iran have sent out signals of de-escalation, bringing an end to the series of airstrikes and ushering in a phased ceasefire. As a result, prices of octanol, phthalic anhydride, and DOP have halted their upward trend and are now stabilizing. However, this ceasefire is fragile, with a high risk of renewed conflict. Consequently, products in the plasticizer industry chain are expected to remain weakly stable at elevated levels in the near future.

• U.S.-Iran relations
• plasticizer industry chain
• crude oil prices
• geopolitical risks

This week, the melamine market in China experienced a "V-shaped" reversal, with prices rising from 6,000 CNY/ton to 6,125 CNY/ton, a price increase of 208% After consolidating at the bottom, the market strongly broke through on July 27, with the 10-day moving average approaching an upward cross with the 20-day moving average, indicating sufficient short-term rebound momentum, but the uptrend still needs confirmation

• Melamine Market: Prices Stop Declining and Begin to Rebound
• Technical Analysis
• Future Outlook

On July 28, 2026, the average price of quasi-first-grade metallurgical coke was 1,957 CNY per ton Driven by rising costs, coke prices had previously increased cumulatively in nine rounds However, in July, the market reversed course: steel mills reduced prices twice, and futures markets turned pessimistic, sending spot prices into a downward cycle It is expected that there is still room for another three to four rounds of price reductions in the short term

• Coke Market
• Price Trends
• Cost Support
• Steel Demand

On July 27, the price of polyester bottle chips fell, with the mainstream ex-factory tax-inclusive price in East China ranging from 7,250 to 7,380 CNY per ton. The futures market opened significantly lower and closed at 7,192 CNY per ton. The cost of PTA and MEG weakened in tandem, and the pullback in crude oil led to a collapse in cost expectations. The supply and demand fundamentals were weak, and the short-term market trend was expected to be volatile and weak.

• Polyester bottle chip prices have fallen
• cost support has weakened
• supply and demand fundamentals are weak
• the futures market has dropped significantly.

In July, the hydrogen peroxide market in China fluctuated downward, with the average price at the beginning of the month dropping from 653 CNY/ton to 650 CNY/ton by the 27th. The main factors affecting the market were oversupply and weak demand. Technical analysis shows that although the short-term price is at a medium-low level, there is potential for an increase at the beginning of August, with the expected price range between 600-700 CNY/ton.

• Hydrogen peroxide market conditions
• oversupply
• weak demand
• technical analysis

As of July 26, the average market price of acetic acid in China was 3,22333 CNY/ton, a decrease of 021% from July 20 Affected by the decline in the price of raw material methanol and the expectation of increased supply, the acetic acid market is showing a weak trend The weak demand downstream has also led to a reduction in the price of acetic anhydride

• Acetic acid market
• Methanol price
• Acetic anhydride market trend
• Supply-side support

As of July 26, the price of ethyl acetate was 5860 CNY/ton, an increase of 16.67 CNY/ton from July 20, a price increase of 0.29%. Some plants in China are under maintenance on the supply side, while the demand side is in the off-season, with purchases mainly based on demand. Cost support has weakened, and market sentiment is cautious. It is expected that prices will fluctuate narrowly in the short term.

• ethyl acetate
• price fluctuation
• supply and demand game
• market sentiment

On July 27, as US-Iran hostilities were temporarily suspended and geopolitical tensions eased, international oil prices plunged sharply, with both WTI and Brent crude oil futures hitting one-week lows Although market sentiment has cooled, capacity constraints in the Strait of Hormuz remain unresolved, and supply-side constraints persist

• Geopolitics
• crude oil prices
• supply-demand relationship
• market sentiment

On July 24, as hopes for the resumption of US-Iran talks were rekindled, international crude oil prices experienced a sharp pullback, with Brent crude falling to $9678 per barrel Although short-term sentiment has softened, the weekly trend remains strong The core logic behind this development lies in the restoration of negotiation expectations and improved navigational conditions in key shipping lanes, prompting risk-averse capital to exit the market

• U.S.-Iran negotiations
• geopolitical risks
• crude oil price correction
• global crude oil supply

This week, the 180CST fuel oil market in East China fluctuated and rose, with the average price increasing to 6250 CNY/ton, a price increase of 3.09%. The rise in international crude oil prices and the risk of supply disruptions in the Middle East have pushed up oil prices. Fuel oil inventories in Singapore have increased, while middle distillate inventories have decreased. It is expected that the Chinese marine fuel market will continue to rise in the short term.

• Fuel oil 180 CST
• market prices are rising
• international crude oil
• risk of supply disruptions