Chemical Prices Today (July 17, 2026): Daily Market Trends & Price Changes

Basic chemicals traded with a mixed performance today, as solvent and petrochemical markets continued to face uneven demand recovery and margin pressure. Acetone declined 1.75% day-on-day to CNY 5,963/ton, although weekly gains remained strong at 14.44%, indicating that recent corrections were mainly driven by short-term profit taking after rapid increases. Isopropyl alcohol moved higher by 2.24% to CNY 6,833/ton, supported by firmer solvent demand and relatively stable downstream procurement, while monthly performance remained negative at -9.14% due to earlier market weakness. Dichloromethane recorded the strongest daily increase among major products, rising 4.86% to CNY 2,244/ton, with weekly gains reaching 7.70%, reflecting improved buying activity and tighter supply conditions. Meanwhile, Propylene dropped 3.16% to CNY 8,661/ton, following weaker Asian market sentiment as lower crude oil and naphtha prices pressured upstream costs and downstream buyers remained cautious.   Aromatic products showed mixed movements, with Benzene and Xylene slightly lower on the day but maintaining weekly increases of 7.84% and 7.17%, respectively. The market continued to monitor refinery operating adjustments and petrochemical margin recovery, as producers across Asia faced challenges from oversupply and uneven demand growth.   Methanol decreased 0.72% to CNY 2,638/ton, while remaining supported by relatively firm weekly momentum. Global methanol trade flows have experienced structural changes due to supply disruptions and shifting regional balances, increasing volatility in Asian markets.   Industry news: Recent restructuring initiatives by major Chinese refiners, including Sinopec’s organizational overhaul focusing on refining, chemicals and new materials, highlight ongoing efforts to improve profitability amid weaker petrochemical demand and changing market conditions. These developments, combined with cautious downstream purchasing and continued supply optimization, are expected to keep basic chemical prices volatile in the near term. 

Fine chemicals showed a highly differentiated performance on July 17, with several specialty chemical products experiencing sharp volatility driven by supply adjustments, inventory movements, and downstream restocking activities. Imidazole recorded the largest daily increase, surging 36.36% to CNY 30,000/ton. The sharp rebound was mainly attributed to limited spot availability and short-term supply tightening, while the product remained slightly lower on a monthly basis (-2.39%), suggesting that the recent move was primarily a correction from previous weakness rather than a broad market recovery. Lactic acid remained relatively stable, edging up 0.31% to CNY 8,088/ton, supported by balanced supply-demand fundamentals and steady food, pharmaceutical, and biodegradable material applications. In contrast, Lauric acid declined 4.09% to CNY 16,900/ton as fatty acid markets faced short-term inventory pressure after earlier replenishment activity. Market participants continued to monitor demand recovery in oleochemical derivatives, where restocking expectations for the third quarter remain an important factor.   Petroleum jelly (Petroleum) dropped significantly by 9.71% to CNY 9,300/ton, reflecting weaker buying interest and downstream inventory adjustments. Meanwhile, Sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) increased 1.12% to CNY 18,000/ton, supported by relatively firm demand from detergent, personal care, and industrial surfactant applications. The monthly gain of 4.17% indicates that the product continues to benefit from comparatively stable specialty chemical consumption. PTMEG (Polytetramethylene ether glycol) gained 0.86% to CNY 19,667/ton, with weekly growth reaching 5.78%. The market remained supported by improving downstream demand from spandex and polyurethane-related industries, while supply-side optimization and raw material cost fluctuations continued to influence pricing. Broader Asian chemical markets have experienced supply adjustments as producers manage feedstock availability and operating rates amid uncertain raw material conditions. Melamine was largely unchanged, declining only 0.05% to CNY 6,005/ton. The market remained under pressure from weak downstream demand and competitive supply conditions, although prices have shown signs of stabilization after previous declines. Asian melamine markets have recently been affected by slower global buying interest and logistics-related challenges, limiting near-term upside potential. Industry news: Recent specialty chemical markets have been shaped by raw material cost volatility, supply chain adjustments, and cautious downstream procurement. Asian chemical producers are maintaining disciplined production strategies as feedstock availability and operating margins remain key concerns. Meanwhile, global fine chemical markets continue to experience differentiated trends, with some products benefiting from inventory restocking cycles while others face pressure from weak end-user demand and excess availability. 

Energy, plastics, rubber and other chemical markets showed mixed movements on July 17, with energy commodities facing renewed volatility while polymer markets remained supported by recent weekly gains. WTI crude oil declined 2.50% to USD 78/barrel, following a correction after strong weekly gains of 8.45%. The pullback reflected short-term profit taking, changing expectations around global oil supply-demand balances, and renewed attention on inventory levels. Despite the daily decline, crude oil prices remained significantly supported compared with the previous week. Anthracite recorded the largest decline among energy-related products, falling 10.00% to CNY 1,575/ton. The sharp decrease was mainly driven by weaker downstream demand from industrial users and pressure from high inventories in the domestic coal market. Meanwhile, Kerosene moved in the opposite direction, increasing 2.44% to CNY 8,400/ton, supported by firmer demand expectations and short-term supply adjustments in refined energy products. Asphalt remained broadly stable, edging up 0.11% to CNY 4,388/ton, with weekly gains reaching 1.02%. Market sentiment was supported by expectations of seasonal infrastructure activity, although monthly performance remained negative at -2.03% due to earlier weakness in construction-related demand. Energy markets continued to be influenced by fluctuations in crude oil prices, refinery operating rates, and regional demand recovery trends. Plastics markets showed differentiated performance. ABS declined 2.04% to CNY 9,617/ton after recent increases, as downstream electronics and appliance demand remained cautious. However, weekly growth remained strong at 6.14%, indicating that the correction was mainly related to short-term inventory adjustments. HDPE decreased slightly by 0.46% to CNY 10,763/ton but maintained positive momentum, with weekly and monthly gains of 5.91% and 2.20%, respectively, supported by relatively stable demand from packaging and industrial applications. POM experienced an exceptional increase, surging 220.00% to CNY 12,800/ton, with weekly growth reaching 61.23%. The sharp movement was mainly attributed to tight spot availability, supply-side constraints, and rapid inventory rebuilding. Market participants continued to monitor production recovery and downstream procurement behavior, as such large short-term price movements may reflect temporary supply disruptions rather than structural demand expansion. Rubber-related products remained under pressure, with Carbon Black declining 2.10% to CNY 8,400/ton. The product maintained a monthly increase of 3.35%, but near-term demand from the tire industry remained cautious due to uneven automotive market recovery and pressure on downstream margins. Meanwhile, Carbon (activated carbon) was relatively stable, declining only 0.27% to CNY 12,267/ton, as industrial demand remained balanced. Other chemical products showed mixed trends, with Lead rising 1.60% to CNY 15,850/ton despite monthly losses of 3.20%. The rebound was supported by short-term metal market recovery and improved buying interest. However, broader non-ferrous markets continued to face uncertainty from global economic conditions and fluctuating industrial demand. Industry news: Global commodity markets during July 17-20 were primarily influenced by crude oil price volatility, changing expectations for global economic growth, and adjustments in industrial supply chains. Energy producers and chemical manufacturers continued to optimize operating rates amid uncertain demand recovery. In the polymer sector, inventory restocking, supply disruptions, and improving downstream purchasing activity supported selected products such as HDPE and POM, while other materials remained constrained by cautious end-user demand. Overall, Energy, Plastics, Rubber and Other chemical markets are expected to remain highly differentiated in the near term, with supply-side factors continuing to dominate short-term price movements.