Recent Maleic Anhydride Market Trends Show a Slight Downward Trend in China

August 25, News

According to the commodity analysis system, the recent maleic anhydride market in China has slightly declined. As of August 25th, the average market price of maleic anhydride produced by n-butane oxidation method remained at 5,680.00 CNY/ton, a decrease of 0.66% from 5,717.50 CNY/ton on August 18th.

Supply side: Recently, the overall anhydride market has slightly declined. Recently, the auction at Wanhua Yantai site was suspended, while the East China site first increased then decreased, and the main anhydride factories have adjusted their prices accordingly. Currently, Wanhua Yantai's three production lines are operating at 70% capacity, and Hubei Zhongneng's liquid anhydride unit has already started production and storage. Recently, the downstream unsaturated resins manufacturers in China have mainly maintained just-in-time inventory and are in a wait-and-see mode. As of August 25, in the Shandong region, the factory price for solid anhydride is around 5,300 CNY/ton, and the factory price for liquid anhydride is around 4,750 CNY/ton.

Upstream: Butane prices have been rising recently, with the price in Shandong reaching around 4,750 CNY per ton as of August 25.

Downstream: Currently, the market for unsaturated resins is weak and stable. The demand from downstream sectors for unsaturated resins is limited, and the prices of upstream raw materials are also weak, providing little support to the unsaturated resins market. The overall market situation is in a weak consolidation phase.

The maleic anhydride product analyst notes that recently, the price of upstream n-butane has been rising, providing cost support for maleic anhydride. However, demand from the key downstream sector—unsaturated resins—remains weak, limiting purchasing activity and hindering upward momentum in the maleic anhydride market. As a result, the market is expected to fluctuate within a narrow range in the near term.