Asian market prices for propylene have stabilized around the lower half of the $1,100 range, coming off a gradual rise that began in mid-July. One major factor here has been...
market prices
Price Spread Widens for Paraxylene and Naphtha
The margin between paraxylene (PX) and naphtha has been rising as of late. This comes as PX inventories – which had been piling up over the April–June period – began...
Synthetic Rubber Prices Poised to Continue Upward Trend
Synthetic rubber prices in Japan are continuing to rise, driven largely by an across-the-board increase in raw material costs. This has included naphtha, butadiene, styrene monomer and acrylonitrile (AN), each...
Synthetic Rubber Prices on the Rise in Japan
Japan’s domestic prices for synthetic rubbers are rising, driven by continuing high prices for raw material butadiene in the international market. And with prices for crude oil and naphtha having...
Asian Caprolactam Prices Hinge on Chinese Operations
The Asian market for caprolactam has somewhat stabilized. While export prices for the chemical recently entered a temporary adjustment period following a continued rise, a returned upward trend from mid-May...
POM Prices Set to Continue Upward
Polyacetal (POM) prices are on the rise. Amid opaque short-term prospects for remedying the overwhelming shortage of capacity to supply global demand, the feeling runs deep among industry watchers that...
Acetic Acid Prices Reach New High in Asia
Acetic acid prices have hit a new high in the Asian market. Coming in at $850 per ton, current prices are approximately 15 percent higher than those in early April....
Asian Market Grows Anxious Over Increasingly Tight Hydroquinone Supplies
An increasing sense of tightness is developing in Asia around the supply and demand of hydroquinone. Prices have increased by as much as 20 percent over last year, and the...
Titanium Dioxide Prices Continue to Rise in Asia
Titanium dioxide prices are on the rise in Asia. Current prices are around $3,000 per ton, representing an increase of more than 10 percent since March. Since the beginning of...
Needle Coke Prices Continue to Rise
International market prices for needle coke are maintaining an upward trend. This is being driven by strong demand for graphite electrodes – which are used to make electric furnace steel...
Tightrope Dance Continues for Asian Supply and Demand of Caustic Soda
The supply–demand balance for caustic soda is standing tight in Asia. Demand in Southeast Asia came in at an estimated 2.7 million tons for 2017. By application, demand was particularly...
Signs of Change Appear for Urethane Raw Material Prices
International market prices for urethane raw materials are beginning to show signs of change after staying high in recent times. This is largely because of alleviation in the tight supply–demand...
Benzene Supply Set to Remain Tight in Asia
Benzene supply is likely to remain tight in Asia, driven in part by continuing strong demand for benzene derivatives such as styrene monomer (SM). Overall global demand for benzene is...
Needle Coke Prices Continue Upward Trend in Asia
The Asian market is witnessing continued high prices for needle coke. This is because, in addition to inquiries for use in lithium-ion secondary battery anode material, demand has been increasing...
Acetic Acid Prices Hit Nine-Year High off Shortages in China
The price of acetic acid has reached its highest point in around nine years, with market prices in Asia having risen by approximately 30 percent from mid-December to mid-January. Currently,...
MEK Price Remains High in Asian Market
Methyl ethyl ketone (MEK) continues to sit at a high price point in the Asian market, where current prices for the chemical are around $1,600–$1,700 per ton. This figure has...
Naphtha Prices Shift Upward as Crude Oil Market Reverses
The tide continues to change for the pricing of naphtha, a raw material for petrochemicals that has been strongly influenced of late by a historic depreciation of crude oil. The...
Benchmark Price of Japanese Naphtha Rises for First Time in Three Quarters
Japan’s benchmark price for naphtha has shifted to an increase for the first time in three quarters, averaging 44,600 yen ($408) per kiloliter across the 2017 October–December period. This marks...
Asian Naphtha Prices Continue to Climb
The naphtha market in Asia has risen yet another level. Impacted by the elevated cost of crude oil, the price of naphtha passed $500 per ton in September of last...
Bisphenol A Prices Escalate in Asia
The market price for bisphenol A (BPA) is rising in Asia. The price of BPA raw material benzene has been on the rise due to a delay in new plant...
