Chemical Prices Today (June 25, 2026): Daily Market Trends & Price Changes

Basic chemicals continued to face broad downward pressure on June 24, with most bulk solvents and petrochemical products extending their declines amid weak downstream purchasing activity and cautious market sentiment. Acetone, Benzene, Toluene, Xylene, Propylene, PET, and Isopropyl alcohol all recorded notable daily losses, reflecting softer demand from coatings, plastics, and chemical intermediates sectors as buyers maintained a wait-and-see approach. Meanwhile, several products showed resilience. Boric acid continued to edge higher on stable industrial consumption, while Propylene glycol surged nearly 11% day-on-day, supported by tight spot availability and short-term replenishment demand. Hydrogen peroxide and Heptane also posted moderate gains amid balanced supply conditions. On the raw materials side, weakness in crude oil-related aromatics continued to weigh on solvent markets, while the ongoing correction in battery materials pushed Lithium carbonate down more than 6% week-on-week. Nickel prices also softened as stainless steel and battery demand remained subdued. Although Hydrochloric acid declined sharply on the day, monthly prices remained more than 30% above previous levels, indicating that supply-side tightening earlier in the quarter continues to support historical pricing levels.

Fine chemicals showed mixed performance on June 24, with market sentiment remaining cautious amid uneven downstream demand. Tetrahydrofuran (THF) experienced the most significant correction, falling more than 10% day-on-day and over 6% on a weekly basis. The sharp decline was mainly attributed to increased market supply and weaker purchasing activity from downstream spandex and solvent sectors, although prices still remained moderately above levels seen a month earlier. In contrast, Stearic acid rebounded by more than 2% from the previous session, supported by higher feedstock costs and short-term replenishment demand from rubber, plastics, and personal care industries. However, weekly prices remained nearly 10% lower, suggesting that the market is still recovering from previous oversupply pressures. Dimethyl carbonate (DMC) recorded a slight increase, reflecting relatively balanced supply-demand fundamentals and stable demand from electrolyte and chemical intermediate applications. Despite the modest daily gain, monthly prices continued to show a mild decline, indicating that the market remains under pressure from sufficient industry inventories and cautious procurement activity.

Energy and plastics markets weakened on June 24 as declining crude oil prices and cautious downstream demand continued to weigh on market sentiment. WTI Crude Oil recorded the largest decline among the energy products, falling more than 4% on the day and nearly 8% on a weekly basis. The correction reflected easing geopolitical risk premiums and growing concerns over global economic growth and fuel consumption, resulting in lower feedstock costs across the petrochemical chain. The weakness in crude prices also pressured refined products. Gasoline declined by 1.43% day-on-day as softer transportation fuel demand and lower crude input costs reduced market support. Meanwhile, Asphalt remained relatively stable, with only a slight decrease, as seasonal infrastructure demand continued to provide some support despite weaker energy markets. Within the plastics sector, ABS extended its downward trend, falling 1.66% on the day and nearly 14% compared with a month earlier. The decline was mainly driven by weak demand from household appliances, consumer goods, and manufacturing sectors, combined with sufficient market inventories. HDPE prices remained comparatively stable, posting only a marginal daily decline, although continued pressure from abundant supply and subdued downstream purchasing kept weekly and monthly performance in negative territory. Overall, lower crude oil prices and cautious purchasing activity across manufacturing sectors continued to pressure both energy and plastic markets, while demand recovery remained insufficient to offset existing supply-side pressures.