Daily Chemical Market Price Overview — August 13, 2026
The latest daily chemical price update highlights key movements across major sectors including
Basic Chemicals,
Fine Chemicals,
Energy, and
Plastics. This report summarizes daily, weekly, and monthly price fluctuations to help manufacturers, traders, and procurement professionals better monitor short-term market volatility, identify supply-demand shifts, and track broader pricing trends across the global chemical value chain.
Market attention today focused on exceptional gains in
Mineral Oil,
Dimethyl Sulfoxide (DMSO), and
Anthracite, supported by supply-side tightening and selective downstream restocking. Meanwhile, significant corrections in
Lauric Acid,
Ferrous Sulfate,
Dichloromethane, and
Isopropyl Alcohol reflected cautious procurement activity and continued pressure in several solvent and specialty chemical markets.
Top Price Movers
Mineral Oil recorded the strongest price increase across all monitored products today. The exceptional jump was likely driven by a sharp adjustment in specialty-grade and high-viscosity mineral oil quotations, supported by tighter feedstock availability and elevated petroleum-related production costs. Although weekly prices are up nearly 15%, monthly values remain slightly lower, indicating that the latest rally is largely supply-driven rather than demand-led.
Lauric Acid experienced the largest decline in the fine chemicals sector, falling nearly 40% in a single session. The sharp correction likely reflects quotation normalization following previous supply disruptions and weaker sentiment in palm oil-derived oleochemical markets. Monthly prices remain down 14.68%, highlighting persistent pressure from soft downstream demand and abundant regional supply.
Price dropped 39.45% today — Significant short-term correction in the oleochemicals market.
Dimethyl Sulfoxide (DMSO) posted the second-largest gain among chemical products today. The increase was supported by tighter spot supply and active purchasing from pharmaceutical and electronics-related downstream sectors. Weekly prices have advanced 5.81%, suggesting that market fundamentals remain firm despite a slight month-on-month decline.
Basic Chemicals Prices
| Product |
CAS |
Price (CNY/TON) |
Daily |
Weekly |
Monthly |
| Acetone prices |
67-64-1 |
6,350 |
-2.13% |
1.62% |
12.01% |
| Ammonium chloride prices |
12125-02-9 |
880 |
10% |
-3.17% |
1.97% |
| Aniline prices |
62-53-3 |
11,925 |
0.85% |
0.95% |
7.77% |
| Benzene prices |
71-43-2 |
7,494 |
-0.98% |
0.97% |
-1.17% |
| Calcium carbide prices |
75-20-7 |
2,430 |
1.25% |
0.25% |
-3.51% |
| Dichloromethane prices |
75-09-2 |
1,945 |
-5.03% |
-3.88% |
-0.24% |
| Ethyl acetate prices |
141-78-6 |
5,843 |
3.25% |
1.35% |
0.63% |
| Ethylene glycol prices |
107-21-1 |
5,100 |
-0.39% |
-1.06% |
10.28% |
| Ferrous sulfate prices |
7720-78-7 |
280 |
-22.87% |
-1.44% |
2.78% |
| Isopropyl alcohol prices |
67-63-0 |
6,967 |
-4.99% |
1.28% |
4.51% |
| Lithium carbonate prices |
554-13-2 |
149,000 |
0.68% |
2.4% |
-6.62% |
| Methanol prices |
67-56-1 |
2,668 |
0.87% |
1.83% |
-1.59% |
| Mineral oil prices |
8042-47-5 |
72,000 |
76.69% |
14.97% |
-3.32% |
| Nickel prices |
7440-02-0 |
128,783 |
-0.44% |
-0.79% |
0.84% |
| PET prices |
- |
7,439 |
-0.08% |
-1.03% |
2.04% |
| Phenol prices |
108-95-2 |
8,205 |
-1.26% |
-2.15% |
5.34% |
| Phosphoric Acid prices |
7664-38-2 |
8,688 |
0.15% |
-0.09% |
-3.51% |
| Propylene prices |
115-07-1 |
8,591 |
1.66% |
3.21% |
-0.25% |
| Propylene glycol prices |
57-55-6 |
9,267 |
1.09% |
0.86% |
3.99% |
| Toluene prices |
108-88-3 |
6,733 |
0.24% |
3.82% |
3.84% |
| Urea prices |
57-13-6 |
1,713 |
-0.29% |
-0.8% |
-2.19% |
| Xylene prices |
1330-20-7 |
6,743 |
-0.25% |
2.45% |
6.85% |
China's
Basic Chemicals market showed a mixed performance on August 13. Among major gainers,
Mineral Oil surged 76.69% day-on-day, likely reflecting a significant adjustment in high-viscosity and specialty-grade quotations amid tight feedstock availability. Global energy markets also remained volatile as concerns over crude supply disruptions and declining oil inventories continued to support petroleum-derived products.
Ammonium Chloride rose 10.00%, supported by improved fertilizer demand and fluctuating operating rates at soda-ash integrated producers, while
Ethyl Acetate,
Propylene,
Propylene Glycol, and
Methanol recorded moderate gains on firmer feedstock costs and selective downstream replenishment. Recent industry reports indicate multiple propylene production units across Asia remain under maintenance or operating at reduced rates, contributing to tighter spot availability and supporting olefin prices.
On the downside,
Ferrous Sulfate
dropped sharply by 22.87%, while solvent markets remained under pressure.
Dichloromethane
declined 5.03%,
Isopropyl Alcohol
fell 4.99%, and
Acetone
eased 2.13%, reflecting cautious purchasing behavior and sufficient market supply. Recent acetone market commentary has highlighted weak downstream solvent demand and relatively abundant inventories despite still-elevated monthly price levels. Aromatics were mixed, with
Benzene
down 0.98% and
Phenol
down 1.26%, whereas
Toluene
,
Aniline
, and
Xylene
maintained positive weekly momentum.
In battery materials,
Lithium Carbonate
increased 0.68% on the day and remained up 2.40% week-on-week, supported by resilient demand from energy storage and electric vehicle sectors. However, the product was still down 6.62% month-on-month as market participants balanced improving downstream consumption against expectations of future supply growth. Overall, the market continues to be driven by a combination of energy-related cost support, maintenance-driven supply constraints in selected petrochemical chains, and cautious procurement from downstream industries.
Fine Chemicals Prices
China's
Fine Chemicals market exhibited significant volatility on August 13, driven by sharp movements in selected specialty chemicals and intermediates. The strongest performer was
Dimethyl Sulfoxide (DMSO), which surged 11.63% day-on-day, supported by tightening spot availability and active replenishment from pharmaceutical and electronics-related downstream sectors.
Calcium Carbonate also advanced 4.17%, reflecting localized procurement demand and inventory adjustments. Despite the daily rebound, calcium carbonate prices remained more than 50% below levels seen a month earlier, indicating that the market is still recovering from a period of severe oversupply and price correction.
On the downside,
Lauric Acid
recorded the largest decline, plunging 39.45% from the previous session. The sharp correction likely reflects quotation normalization after earlier supply-side disruptions and weaker sentiment across vegetable oil-derived oleochemical markets.
Oleic Acid
fell 2.56% on the day but remained up 15.03% month-on-month, suggesting that underlying feedstock cost support from palm oil and fatty acid markets continues to underpin medium-term pricing.
Trichloroethylene
declined 3.96%, while
Potassium Permanganate
eased 1.59%, reflecting cautious purchasing activity from industrial users and adequate market supply.
Performance among industrial intermediates was relatively stable.
Melamine
slipped 0.40% day-on-day but maintained gains on both a weekly and monthly basis. Recent industry reports indicate that maintenance shutdowns at several melamine producers have tightened supply, partially offsetting the impact of softer urea feedstock costs and cautious downstream purchasing from laminate, wood panel, and resin manufacturers. Meanwhile,
PTMEG (Polytetramethylene Ether Glycol)
fell 2.56%, pressured by weak spandex profitability and moderate demand from the textile sector, despite ongoing maintenance activities at selected PTMEG and BDO facilities. Market reports also show that China's PTMEG and spandex chains continue to face supply-demand rebalancing, with downstream buyers maintaining conservative procurement strategies.
Overall, the fine chemicals sector remains characterized by divergent trends. Products linked to pharmaceuticals and specialty applications are benefiting from tighter supply conditions, while oleochemicals and textile-chain intermediates continue to face demand-side headwinds. The market is expected to remain highly product-specific in the near term, with feedstock cost fluctuations, plant operating rates, and downstream restocking behavior serving as the primary drivers of price direction.
Energy and Plastics chemicals Prices
China's
Energy and Plastics Chemicals market was generally stable to firmer on August 13, supported by selective energy-sector strength and improving sentiment in certain polymer chains. The most notable mover was
Anthracite, which surged 11.11% day-on-day. The increase was likely driven by tighter regional coal supply, safety inspections at mining operations, and seasonal replenishment demand from downstream industrial users. Although prices remain slightly below levels seen one month ago, the latest rebound suggests improving short-term fundamentals within the coal market.
In the plastics segment,
ABS
gained 1.57%, supported by firmer styrene and acrylonitrile feedstock costs as well as gradual restocking from appliance and automotive manufacturers. Market participants have reported relatively balanced inventories and stable operating rates among major ABS producers, helping maintain positive pricing momentum. By contrast,
PVC
slipped 0.56% despite remaining slightly higher on a weekly basis. The decline reflects continued pressure from weak construction-sector demand and abundant market supply. Recent industry reports indicate that China's PVC market has remained under pressure from oversupply conditions and sluggish downstream consumption, particularly in pipes, profiles, and building materials, limiting the sustainability of price recoveries.
Energy products were comparatively stable.
Asphalt
edged up 0.23%, supported by ongoing infrastructure and road construction demand, while fluctuations in crude oil prices continued to influence feedstock costs. Industry outlooks suggest that China's infrastructure investment and transportation projects remain important long-term drivers for asphalt consumption, although price gains are being moderated by ample supply and volatile petroleum markets. Meanwhile,
Gasoline
declined 0.51% on the day after recent gains, reflecting a combination of softer wholesale demand and short-term adjustments in refined oil markets. Nevertheless, gasoline prices remained up 6.68% month-on-month, indicating that broader energy-market support from crude oil fluctuations and seasonal transportation demand continues to underpin pricing.
Overall, the
Energy and Plastics Chemicals
sector remains influenced by diverging fundamentals. Coal-related products are benefiting from tighter supply conditions, while plastics markets continue to face uneven downstream demand. The outlook for the coming weeks will largely depend on crude oil price movements, construction-sector activity, producer operating rates, and the pace of downstream replenishment across manufacturing and infrastructure-related industries.
Data Source & Update Methodology
The above pricing data is compiled from multiple market channels including domestic ex-works quotations, distributor transaction references, port prices, and mainstream spot market assessments. Data was updated on
August 13, 2026, based on the latest available trading activity and real-time market feedback collected by GuideTrends analysts and industry participants.
All prices are for reference purposes only and may vary depending on region, transaction volume, specification, and contract terms.
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