Price Trends

This week, the styrene market prices in China showed a weak downward trend, decreasing from 9,920 CNY/ton at the beginning of the week to 9,830 CNY/ton by the end of the week, with a price decrease of 0.91%.

• Styrene
• Market Analysis
• Price Decline
• Weekly Report

This week, the price of anhydrous hydrogen fluoride remained stable at a high level The benchmark price of hydrofluoric acid was 15,100 CNY per ton, up 295% from the beginning of the month The increase in fluorspar supply has led to a weakening in prices, while the price increase of sulfuric acid has slowed but remains at a high level, providing support for the cost of hydrofluoric acid Downstream demand for refrigerants is good, but purchases are cautious

• Anhydrous hydrogen fluoride
• stable pricing
• raw material cost support
• cautious downstream demand

This week, the price of sodium metabisulfite in China rose slightly, with the average price of industrial-grade products increasing from 3966 CNY/ton to 3980 CNY/ton, a 0.34% price increase. The main driver was a 1.40% rise in the price of the upstream raw material, sulfur. It is expected that in the short term, the price of sodium metabisulfite will maintain a strong and volatile trend.

• Sodium metabisulfite
• price increase
• sulfur
• cost support

Recently, the market price of acetic acid has dropped sharply—from 4,750 CNY/ton on April 11 to 3,966.67 CNY/ton on April 22, representing a price decrease of 16.49%. The price of the raw material methanol has also fallen slightly, weakening cost support. Coupled with weak downstream demand, the price of acetic anhydride has also been significantly reduced. It is expected that the acetic acid market will remain in a weak and consolidating trend in the short term.

• Acetic acid market conditions: prices are falling
• market supply is increasing
• cost support is weakening.

This week, the market price of propylene oxide in China has significantly declined, mainly due to the excessively high price increase earlier, oversupply, and weak demand from downstream sectors As of April 21, the benchmark price of propylene oxide dropped to 11,100 CNY per ton, a decrease of 976% compared to the beginning of the month

• The propylene oxide market is declining
• supply exceeds demand
• downstream demand remains weak
• cost support is questionable.

On April 21 at 24:00, China's retail prices for finished oil products saw their first reduction of the year, with gasoline and diesel each being reduced by 555 yuan and 530 CNY per ton, respectively. Due to the decline in international oil prices and weak demand, the crude oil change rate dropped to -12.1%. In the short term, the finished oil market is expected to be mainly characterized by fluctuations.

• Refining product price adjustments
• crude oil prices decline
• gasoline and diesel prices cut
• geopolitical impacts

Since April, the Chinese polyester staple fiber market has been fluctuating downward, with the average price dropping to 8,106 CNY per ton International crude oil prices have fallen, and the PTA maintenance season has led to a reduction in supply However, downstream demand is weak, and the terminal textile industry is in the off-season Analysts expect that PTA supply will continue to decrease, and costs will be supported, but the demand side remains cautious

• Polyester staple fiber
• PTA maintenance
• crude oil prices
• off-season for textiles

This week, the spot market for PTA in East China rose slightly by 4.12%, mainly due to reduced supply. Industry-wide concentrated maintenance led to a load reduction to 70%. Although demand is weak due to the off-season for textiles, the continuous contraction of supply and expected cost support are likely to boost prices. In the future, attention will be on plant maintenance, inventory changes, and the situation in the Middle East.

• PTA supply is tightening
• cost-side support
• textile off-season
• plant maintenance progress

This week, the polyester bottle chip market in China showed a fluctuating upward trend, with prices rising from 8,450-8,550 CNY/ton at the beginning of the week to 8,600-8,750 CNY/ton by the end of the week The main driving factors were strong support from the cost side (high and volatile crude oil prices, PTA maintenance) and tight supply, but weak demand limited transactions

• Polyester bottle flakes
• price fluctuations
• cost support
• tight spot supply

This week, the pure benzene market price in Shandong region of China increased from 8,436.67 CNY/ton to 8,626.67 CNY/ton, a price increase of 2.25%. International crude oil futures closed higher, supporting market confidence in pure benzene. In the short term, the pure benzene market in China is expected to operate with a strong and volatile trend, and it is necessary to pay attention to the trends of crude oil, foreign markets, and changes in demand.

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

This week, the caustic soda price in China showed a weak trend At the beginning of the week, the average market price was 738 CNY/ton, and by the end of the week, it had dropped to 724 CNY/ton, a decrease of 19% The quoted prices in Shandong, Zhejiang, and Inner Mongolia were 650-760 CNY/ton, 1000-1050 CNY/ton, and 2200-2300 CNY/ton (converted to 100%), respectively Although supply has increased, inventory clearance is not significant

• Caustic soda prices
• market analysis
• inventory pressure
• downstream demand

This week, the styrene market in China showed a weak fluctuation trend, with prices slightly decreasing from 10,140 CNY/ton at the beginning of the week to 10,120 CNY/ton by the end of the week, resulting in an overall price decrease of 0.2%.

• Styrene Market
• Price Decline
• Chemical Products
• Market Analysis

This week, the price of anhydrous hydrogen fluoride remained high and stable, with the benchmark price of hydrofluoric acid at 15,100 CNY per ton, up 2.95% from the beginning of the month. The prices of raw materials, sulfuric acid and fluorspar, remained high and stable, with the price of sulfuric acid increasing by 32.91%. Downstream refrigerants have entered the peak production season, with good demand but cautious purchasing, resulting in average market transaction volumes.

• hydrofluoric acid
• prices remain high and stable
• supported by raw material costs
• downstream demand is steady

This week, the butanol market in Shandong, China, has been operating weakly, with prices falling from 8,666 CNY/ton to 8,600 CNY/ton, a decrease of 0.77%. The cost of propylene, a key input, has dropped, leading to a weakening of cost support. Market demand is moderate. It is expected that the market will remain weak and volatile in the short term, with a risk of further declines.

• Butanol prices have fallen
• cost support has weakened
• market transactions are moderate
• the market is operating weakly.

This week, the price of sodium metabisulfite in China rose by 0.85%, with industrial-grade products increasing from 3,916 CNY/ton at the beginning of the week to 3,950 CNY/ton by the end of the week. The rise in raw material costs and tight supply have driven the price increase. It is expected that prices will remain volatile but slightly stronger in the short term. Technical analysis shows that although the current trend is upward, the room for further increases is limited.

• Sodium metabisulfite
• price increase
• cost increase
• tight market supply

This week, the market for maleic anhydride in China saw a significant decline, with the average market price reaching 8,050 CNY/ton as of April 16, a decrease of 8.13% from last week. Both the supply and demand sides showed weakness, and the prices of upstream raw materials fluctuated downward. In the short term, the price of maleic anhydride may remain in a high-level fluctuation, and attention should be paid to plant maintenance, raw material prices, and changes in downstream demand.

• Maleic anhydride market conditions
• cost support
• market volatility
• downstream demand

From April 1 to 15, 2026, the price of butadiene in China’s market dropped from 18,333.33 CNY/ton to 16,133.33 CNY/ton, representing a cumulative decline of 12%. The primary reasons are weakening cost support and weak downstream demand. Although supply remains relatively tight, it is difficult to offset the pressure from weak demand; therefore, the market is expected to experience narrow fluctuations in the near term.

• Butadiene market: weak demand
• weakening cost support
• tight supply

In the first half of April, the price of titanium dioxide in China rose by 5.5%, from 15,260 CNY/ton to 16,100 CNY/ton. The increase in sulfuric acid prices pushed up production costs, leading to price increases by titanium dioxide manufacturers. Lomon Group announced a price increase of 1,500 CNY/ton in China starting from April 15. It is expected that the price of titanium dioxide will continue to rise in the short term.

• Titanium dioxide market prices
• cost pressure
• price hike wave
• market outlook

In the first half of April, the average market price of industrial thermal phosphoric acid in China increased from 8,287 CNY/ton to 8,640 CNY/ton, a price increase of 4.25%. The price of yellow phosphorus has risen, strengthening cost support, and companies have followed with price adjustments. It is expected that the market price of phosphoric acid will continue to rise moderately in the short term.

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

As the situation in the Middle East eases and crude oil prices decline, China’s PTA prices have quickly retraced, weakening cost support. Although the industry has entered a maintenance period, leading to tighter supply, demand remains sluggish, with the textile industry in its off-season and polyester finished-product inventories accumulating. Going forward, it will be crucial to monitor plant maintenance schedules, crude oil price trends, and the recovery of downstream sectors.

• PTA prices
• crude oil volatility
• spring maintenance
• recovering demand