ECHEMI Analysis

Recently, the Chinese formic acid market has been in a weak supply-demand balance, with prices stabilizing at 2,400 CNY per ton. Supply is ample, but inventory levels are moderately high, and demand is weak. Some manufacturers have planned maintenance, which is expected to alleviate inventory pressure and support price increases. In the short term, a slight upward trend is anticipated, while long-term trends will depend on improvements in supply and demand.

• Formic acid market
• supply and demand balance
• maintenance expectations
• price forecast

On May 15, the international crude oil market surged due to the U.S.-Iran geopolitical stalemate and disruptions in shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. WTI and Brent crude oil futures rose by 4.2% and 3.4%, respectively. Global petroleum inventories are being depleted at an accelerated pace, and the supply gap is proving difficult to close, suggesting that oil prices are likely to remain high in the short term.

• Geopolitics
• crude oil prices
• critical inventory levels
• Strait of Hormuz

Since May, the PTA market in China has been operating weakly, with prices slightly declining to 6,573 CNY per ton. Despite a significant reduction in supply due to large-scale maintenance, cost support is limited, and demand remains consistently weak, making it difficult for a short-term recovery. Analysts expect that PTA prices will continue to follow a downward trend in the short term.

• PTA market
• weakening cost support
• weak demand
• shrinking supply

Since May, the market price of polyester staple fiber in China has slightly declined, with weakening support from the cost side, and crude oil and PX fluctuating at high levels The PTA market has been operating weakly, with continued weakness in demand, and a strong wait-and-see attitude in the downstream pure polyester yarn market

• Polyester staple fiber prices: cost support weakens
• weak demand
• downward channel

The polyethylene market is showing a volatile trend in the short term, with supply gradually easing while demand remains weak The end of the peak season for agricultural films has led to a decline in demand, and although demand from sectors such as packaging and injection molding is stable, it lacks strength The cost side, with crude oil prices falling, has weakened support

• Polyethylene market: Prices fluctuate
• supply increases
• demand is in the off-season.

This week, the spot and futures prices of polyester bottle chips both fluctuated downward. The spot price in East China fell to 8,800-8,900 CNY/ton, while the futures price dropped to a low of 8,078 CNY/ton. The cost side, PTA, weakened, with stable supply but increasing inventory. Demand has become weaker, and market sentiment is pessimistic. It is expected that the market will remain weak in the short term, with support at the cost level.

• Polyester bottle chips
• Price trend
• Market analysis
• Future outlook

In the first half of May, China's PP market showed a narrow fluctuation, with the price level slightly increasing by 0.07% compared to the beginning of the month. The crude oil and propylene raw material markets were volatile, and the supply side was generally tight due to the restart and shutdown of facilities. The demand side was cautious due to resistance to high prices. It is expected that both supply and demand will be weak in the future, maintaining a consolidation trend.

• PP market conditions: weak supply and demand
• crude oil market
• cost support

In the first half of May, the dichloromethane market in Shandong, China, rose unilaterally by more than 14%, with prices reaching 2340 CNY/ton The main driving factors were supply tightness due to plant maintenance and low inventory, as well as the concentrated release of downstream demand after the holiday

• The price of dichloromethane is rising
• cost support is weakening
• the supply side is contracting
• and demand is being released in a concentrated manner in the short term.

This week, the market price of pure benzene in the Shandong region of China fell from 8,390 CNY/ton to 8,303.33 CNY/ton, a decrease of 1.03% within the week. Sinopec refineries in multiple locations lowered their prices by 200 CNY/ton to 8,300 CNY/ton. International crude oil futures were nearly flat, with market confidence being moderate. It is expected that the pure benzene market will experience range-bound fluctuations in the short term.

• Pure benzene price
• market analysis
• crude oil futures
• chemical raw materials

This week, the caustic soda prices remained stable overall, with the market average price at 624 CNY/ton, a year-on-year decrease of 265% In Shandong, Zhejiang, and Inner Mongolia regions, the prices for 32% ion-membrane caustic soda (converted to 100%) were 580-680 CNY/ton, 850-900 CNY/ton, and 2200-2300 CNY/ton, respectively There was no significant improvement in supply and demand, and downstream buyers were cautious

• Caustic soda prices: market stable
• demand in the off-season
• inventory pressure.

This week, the styrene market in China continued to decline, falling from 9,560 CNY/ton at the beginning of the week to 9,300 CNY/ton by the end of the week, with a price decrease of 2.72%.

• Styrene market
• price decline
• weekly price decrease
• chemical products

In the 19th week of 2026, China's commodity market saw more declines than increases, with the chemical sector leading the decline, while energy and some non-ferrous metals showed strength The raw materials in Shanghai and Shenzhen decreased by 054%, and the spot and futures commodities decreased by 048% In the chemical products, sulfur and yellow phosphorus saw the most significant price increases, while liquid ammonia decreased by over 10%

• Commodities
• Chemicals
• Energy
• Nonferrous Metals

This week, the titanium dioxide market price in China remained stable, with an average price of 17,180 CNY/ton. International company Kronos announced a price increase of 325 USD/ton in the MEAA region starting from July 1st, and Ningbo Xinfu also raised its prices. The demand in the Chinese market is moderate, with a wait-and-see attitude prevailing. It is expected that the market will continue to be dominated by a wait-and-see attitude in the short term, with relatively flexible prices.

• Titanium dioxide market prices
• cost pressure
• rising international prices
• market wait-and-see attitude

This week, China’s polymeric MDI market prices stopped falling and began to rise, with a weekly price increase of 2.64%. On the supply side, tensions have intensified due to maintenance shutdowns at major producers. Although pure benzene prices on the cost side weakened slightly, they remained supported by oil prices. On the demand side, inquiry volumes have increased, but actual transactions remain limited. The market is expected to stabilize in the short term.

• Polymeric MDI
• market price
• tight supply
• moderate demand

This week, acetic acid prices continued their downward trend, with the average market price dropping to 3,08333 CNY per ton—a decrease of 571% Despite numerous plant maintenance activities, downstream demand remains weak, cost pressures are high, and sellers are eager to offload their inventories The price of methanol, the key raw material, has been fluctuating at high levels, putting downward pressure on acetic acid prices

• Acetic acid market
• price decline
• supply and demand competition
• raw material methanol

This week, the isopropanol market price in China fell from 8,216.67 CNY/ton at the beginning of the week to 8,141.66 CNY/ton by the end of the week, a decrease of 0.91%. The decline in the price of raw material acetone and weak terminal demand led to weaker market confidence, with downstream buyers being cautious. It is expected that the market will remain weak in the short term.

• Isopropyl alcohol market: prices decline
• demand is weak
• cost support weakens.

This week, the price of sodium metabisulfite in China increased, with the average price of industrial-grade products rising from 3996 CNY/ton to 4010 CNY/ton, a price increase of 0.33%. Although the upstream soda ash price fell by 1.32%, the significant rise in sulfur prices by 7.56% pushed up the price of sodium metabisulfite. It is expected that the market price will remain volatile but slightly strong in the short term.

• Sodium metabisulfite price
• raw material cost increase
• market price trend
• chemical commodity market conditions

From May 8 to 15, the BDO price in China decreased from 8,470 CNY/ton to 8,420 CNY/ton, a price decrease of 0.59%. The increase in supply, coupled with limited growth in demand, has led to an intensification of the supply-demand contradiction. The rise in calcium carbide prices and the weak methanol market have resulted in complex cost impacts. It is expected that the BDO market will mainly focus on consolidation in the future.

• BDO Market
• Supply and Demand Analysis
• Cost-Related Impacts
• Future Market Forecast

From May 8 to 15, the methanol market price in East China ports rose slightly by 0.83% to 3,137 CNY/ton, but fell 6.63% month-on-month. Reduced supply and cost support were beneficial to the market, but weak demand dragged down prices. The main methanol futures contract on the Zhengzhou Commodity Exchange closed up 0.80% at 2,907 CNY/ton. It is expected that the market will consolidate and operate under the influence of multiple factors.

• Methanol Market
• Market Analysis
• Supply Contraction
• Weak Demand

Since May 2026, the EVA market in China has accelerated its decline As of May 14, the benchmark price of EVA has dropped to 12,016 CNY/ton, a decrease of 721% from the beginning of the month The fundamental supply and demand situation is weak, with increased supply and insufficient demand Technical analysis indicates that there may be a small rebound in the short term, but the overall downward trend remains unchanged

• EVA market
• price decline
• supply-demand imbalance
• technical rebound