Recent Surge in Epichlorohydrin Market Prices in China

September 09, News

Recently, the market price of epichlorohydrin has soared, with some manufacturers withholding quotations. Downstream demand is moderate, mainly characterized by purchasing according to need, with a general attitude of caution and observation. According to the monitoring and analysis system, as of September 9th, the benchmark price of epichlorohydrin in China was 12,900 CNY/ton, an increase of 11.21% from early September.

Price influencing factors:

On the raw materials front: This week, prices for propylene and glycerin moved in opposite directions. The latest reference price for 99.5% glycerin in East China is 9,250 CNY per ton, up 200 CNY per ton from the previous week. Meanwhile, propylene market prices saw a slight decline. Overall, raw material prices remain at relatively high levels, providing favorable support for epoxy chloropropane prices. According to the market analysis system, as of September 8, the benchmark price for propylene stood at 6,605.75 CNY per ton—down 0.86% compared to the beginning of this month (6,663.25 CNY per ton).

Device status:

Zibo Feiyuan's 100,000 tons/year glycerol-based plant was shut down on August 31, and the restart time will be announced later; plants in Hubei Minteng, Hebei Zhuotai, Zhejiang Zhenyang, and Guangxi Jinze are still in a shutdown state; Quzhou Juhua's 100,000 tons/year glycerol-based plant was shut down in the early morning of September 4, and the restart time will be announced later; in addition, some plants have been shut down for a long time. The overall operating rate of the epichlorohydrin industry is 50-60%. In summary, the supply of epichlorohydrin is tight, and it is expected that the market price will continue to rise in the near future.

On the demand side: The downstream epoxy resins market has seen price hikes from manufacturers, driven by rising costs of the key raw material—epichlorohydrin. However, most manufacturers remain cautious and are adopting a wait-and-see approach, as weak demand persists for high-priced raw materials. This is partly due to insufficient follow-through in end-user demand, resulting in lackluster actual transaction activity. Overall, demand-side support for the epichlorohydrin market remains limited.

Market Forecast: Epoxy Chloropropane analysts believe that high prices of key raw materials—glycerol and propylene—continue to provide strong cost support. Additionally, unexpected disruptions have fueled a more aggressive pricing outlook among suppliers, while tight spot-market inventories have prompted some manufacturers to temporarily halt quoting altogether. As a result, epoxy chloropropane prices are expected to keep rising in the near term. However, ongoing monitoring of both raw material costs and shifts in market supply and demand will remain critical.