ECHEMI Analysis

Recent formic acid prices have been fluctuating, with the benchmark price for 85% industrial-grade formic acid at 3,353 CNY per ton, a month-on-month increase of 25.59%. As the "Golden September and Silver October" period approaches, downstream demand is expected to improve, but terminal purchases remain cautious. A major factory in Liaocheng plans to undergo maintenance this month, which is expected to alleviate high inventory levels, potentially leading to a price increase.

• Formic acid prices
• maintenance schedules
• "Golden September
• Silver October"
• easing inventory pressure

In September 2025, the market price of acrylic acid continued to be under pressure, with the benchmark price dropping to 6,250.00 CNY/ton, a decrease of 6.02% from the beginning of the previous month. The supply pressure increased, and there was intense competition between cost support and weak demand. In the short term, prices will remain low and consolidate, while in the medium to long term, the industry will shift towards a premium for technology.

• Acrylic Market
• Supply-Demand Dynamics
• Cost Support
• Industry Transformation

In August, the price of soda ash in China continued to fall, with the average price of light soda ash decreasing from 1286 CNY/ton to 1210 CNY/ton, a price decrease of 5.91%. The increase in supply and weak demand led to an accumulation of inventory. Glass prices also fell, affecting the demand for soda ash. It is expected that the price of soda ash will remain weak and fluctuate in September.

• Soda ash market
• price decline
• supply and demand relationship
• future market forecast

Recently, the price of petroleum coke from local refineries in China has increased slightly by 114% to 2,440 CNY per ton Crude oil prices have been fluctuating and rising, but there is a downward trend The shipment of petroleum coke from local refineries is good, and the downstream demand is stable The amount of spot goods at the ports has increased, leading to a slight decrease in the price of coke The market for calcined coke has risen, and the inventory of enterprises is low

• Refined petroleum coke
• market prices rising
• downstream demand
• market forecast

In August, the price of polyester staple fiber in China fluctuated and adjusted, with the market average price at 6,536 CNY/ton, a decrease of 061% from the beginning of the month Affected by cost fluctuations, polyester staple fiber showed a trend of first falling, then rising, and finally dropping again The PTA market price first fell and then rebounded, but fell again at the end of the month The downstream weaving industry had weak demand, and the peak season in September is uncertain

• Polyester staple fiber prices
• cost fluctuations
• weak demand
• PTA market conditions

In August, the Chinese ABS market continued to show weakness, with an average price of 10,125 CNY/ton, a decrease of 182% from the beginning of the month Supply was abundant, and the industry load increased from 67% to 71% before stabilizing, with high inventory levels Cost support was limited, and weak demand led to cautious purchasing by end-user enterprises

• ABS market: relaxed supply
• weak demand
• limited impact of cost factors

In August, the Chinese epichlorohydrin market first declined and then rose, declining again towards the end of the month The price of propylene, a raw material, slightly increased, and supply grew due to the resumption of production at some facilities In the first half of the month, weak demand led to a drop in prices In the latter half, restocking demand supported a rebound in prices, but demand weakened again at the end of the month

• Propylene Oxide Market
• Price Fluctuations
• Supply-Demand Changes
• Impact of Raw Material Costs

In August, the PTA market initially declined before rebounding The average price in East China reached 4,891 CNY/ton, up 145% from the beginning of the month On the supply side, some plants underwent maintenance, resulting in an operating rate of around 68% However, three major production units are set to resume operations in September, helping to ease the balance between supply and demand

• PTA market
• crude oil price fluctuations
• petrochemical industry supply and demand
• expectations for the "Golden September" peak season

In August, asphalt prices in Shandong experienced volatile downward movements, dropping from 3,730 CNY/ton at the beginning of the month to 3,660 CNY/ton by the end. This trend was influenced by a combination of factors, including falling international crude oil prices, weak downstream demand, and the slow depletion of social inventories. Although September is expected to see an improvement in demand, ample supply and ongoing uncertainty on the cost side could still push spot prices lower.

• Asphalt prices decline
• cost factors weigh negatively
• weak demand
• ample supply

In August, the polyethylene market in China showed mixed trends, with high-pressure products experiencing stronger performance due to tight supply, while linear and low-pressure products mainly fluctuated and consolidated. As demand transitions from the off-season to the peak season and with favorable policy support, it is expected that polyethylene will show a relatively strong trend with fluctuations in September.

• Polyethylene market
• mixed increases and decreases
• changes in supply
• improved demand

In August, the spot market price of natural rubber in China rose slightly to 14,966 CNY/ton, with a price increase of 3.52%. Raw material prices remained high and stable, with tight supply supporting the prices. Inventory in the Qingdao region decreased to 606,200 tons, a decline of 5.34%. The operating rate of downstream tire production increased, providing support to the market. It is expected that the natural rubber market will experience fluctuating increases in the later period.

• Natural rubber
• Market conditions
• Inventory decline
• Tire production rate increase

In August, the Chinese PVC spot market experienced a fluctuating decline, with an average price of 4,676 CNY per ton, and the monthly price fell by 2.83%. Insufficient cost support and negative supply and demand fundamentals led to the decline in PVC prices. The price of calcium carbide was weak, providing limited support. In the short term, the supply and demand for PVC remains weak, and it is expected that prices will remain under pressure.

• PVC market conditions: prices decline
• supply-and-demand pressures
• impact of the futures market

In August, the SBR (styrene-butadiene rubber) market in China showed a slight upward trend with prices increasing from 12,108 CNY/ton at the beginning of the month to 12,500 CNY/ton The price of the raw material butadiene rose, while the price of styrene fell The facility utilization rate for SBR in China dropped to around 68% The Fushun Petrochemical plant was shut down for maintenance The operating rate of the downstream tire industry slightly increased, supporting the demand for SBR

• Styrene-butadiene rubber
• market conditions
• cost support
• tire utilization rates

In August, the EVA market in China showed a slight recovery, with the benchmark price increasing by 0.77% to 10,966 CNY/ton. The supply pressure eased, and the operating rate dropped to 77%. The price of raw material ethylene increased, while the price of vinyl acetate decreased. The increase in photovoltaic demand supported the market, but high-priced goods still faced resistance from downstream buyers. It is expected that the EVA spot market may continue to test for further increases later on.

• EVA Market
• Supply-Demand Changes
• Raw Material Prices
• Future Market Forecast

In August, the dichloromethane market in China experienced a downward fluctuation The operating rate of the supply side climbed to around 85%, and weak demand led to significant inventory pressure, causing some manufacturers to lower prices The cost side, including methanol and liquid chlorine, saw price declines, providing insufficient support Although exports performed well, the overall supply and demand imbalance is expected to keep prices under pressure in the short term

• Dichloromethane
• market conditions
• oversupply
• weak cost support

In August 2025, the pure benzene market prices in Shandong region first increased and then decreased, starting at 607533 CNY/ton at the beginning of the month and dropping to 6012 CNY/ton by the end of the month Sinopec lowered the price of pure benzene to 6000 CNY/ton Due to the impact of future imports and insufficient market confidence, it is expected that pure benzene will maintain a volatile consolidation trend in the short term

• Pure benzene prices
• market analysis
• crude oil futures
• overseas pure benzene

In August, the caustic soda prices generally increased In Shandong region, the average price at the beginning of the month was 861 CNY per ton, rising to 884 CNY per ton by the end of the month, a price increase of 267% The quotations for 32% ion membrane caustic soda remained stable in different regions, with acceptable market demand and not much inventory pressure for enterprises

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

In August, the DOP price fluctuated and fell by 4.25%, affected by the decline in the prices of raw materials such as 2-ethylhexanol and phthalic anhydride, as well as increased supply, even though the price of phthalic anhydride later rebounded. Weak demand, combined with ample supply, suggests that the DOP price will continue to fluctuate and fall in the future.

• DOP prices decline
• raw material price fluctuations
• strong supply
• weak demand
• outlook for the future

In August, the styrene market experienced volatile declines Prices averaged 7,646 CNY per ton at the beginning of the month, dropping to 7,550 CNY per ton by the end—representing a price decrease of 126% At the start of the month, supply increased due to the resumption of operations at existing plants and the commissioning of new production capacity

• Styrene market: prices decline
• supply increases
• demand decreases

In August, weak demand in the hydrofluoric acid market led to a price decline, dropping to 10,650 CNY per ton Meanwhile, the price of fluorite—a key raw material—rose to 3,26875 CNY per ton, though overall supply remained relatively stable Downstream demand for refrigerants remained sluggish, further weighing on hydrofluoric acid prices

• Hydrofluoric acid prices
• fluorite market
• cost pressure
• weak downstream demand