On October 14th, China's acetone market is expected to remain weak and difficult to adjust

October 14, News

Yesterday, Sinopec lowered its listed prices, prompting the market to continue its downward trend. In East China, Sinopec reduced its listed price by 100 yuan to 4,400 CNY per ton, while in North China, the listed price for acetone was cut by 200 yuan to 4,300 CNY per ton. Meanwhile, factory profit margins have once again declined, making it difficult to reverse the current loss-making situation in the short term.

Supply remains ample, with port inventories rising to a high of 31,000 tons at the start of the week. Chinese phenol-ketone producers are operating at nearly 80% capacity, resulting in relatively high spot availability on the market. As a result, traders are under significant pressure to offload their stocks, leading to frequent offers of lower-priced goods. Meanwhile, Sinopec has recently announced a coordinated reduction in its listed prices, further fueling the market's wait-and-see sentiment. On the demand side, participation from intermediate traders remains limited, while downstream factories are primarily driven by immediate needs, resulting in few actual transactions. However, given that market prices are currently at their annual lows, downstream buyers are opting for cautious, demand-driven procurement at moderate volumes.

Here are the acetone price quotations from major markets across the country as of October 14: