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

Basic chemicals traded on a mixed note, with Benzene, Acetone, Aniline, Methanol and Toluene posting moderate daily gains, while Dichloromethane, Propylene, Ammonium chloride and Ammonium sulfate weakened amid cautious downstream buying and relatively ample supply. Benzene rose 3.43% day on day to CNY 7,751/ton, supported by tight availability following sharply reduced imports and low domestic operating rates; recent industry data showed Jiangsu benzene inventories falling to a multi-year low, providing continued short-term support to the market. Meanwhile, Acetone increased 1.31% to CNY 6,413/ton, although its weekly change remained negative, suggesting that the market is still facing mixed downstream demand and supply-side uncertainty. Methanol gained 1.81% to CNY 2,762/ton, while Ethylene glycol and Propylene glycol increased 0.49% and 2.16%, respectively, keeping the broader C2/C3 chemical chain relatively firm. In contrast, Propylene fell 2.59% to CNY 8,391/ton as additional PDH capacity and relatively soft downstream demand continued to weigh on the market. Dichloromethane recorded the sharpest conventional decline, falling 7.47% to CNY 1,895/ton, reflecting weaker purchasing interest and supply pressure. Overall, the market remains highly differentiated: tight inventories and feedstock costs are supporting selected aromatics and oxygenates, while products with sufficient supply and weaker downstream margins continue to face downward pressure. Several exceptionally large single-day movements, including Iron and Zinc oxide, should be interpreted cautiously and may warrant further verification against underlying market quotations.

Fine chemicals showed a mixed trading pattern, with Dimethyl carbonate and Citric acid maintaining a relatively firm tone, while Oleic acid, Trichloroethylene and Calcium carbonate recorded notable declines. Dimethyl carbonate increased 0.78% day on day to CNY 4,417/ton, extending its monthly gain to 10.99%, as supply-side tightening and cost support continued to provide a floor for the market despite relatively cautious downstream demand. Recent market analysis has pointed to a continuing balance between supply contraction and weak domestic demand, suggesting that the recent price recovery remains fundamentally supply- and cost-driven rather than demand-led. Oleic acid fell 2.56% to CNY 9,500/ton, although prices remained 14.85% higher on a monthly basis, indicating that the correction is taking place from an elevated base and remains closely linked to upstream vegetable oil and palm-oil market conditions. Trichloroethylene dropped sharply by 17.65% to CNY 4,200/ton. However, public market quotations have recently shown substantial regional and specification differences, with premium-grade and high-purity products trading at materially different levels, suggesting that the unusually large daily decline may partly reflect a change in quotation basis or product specification rather than a broad-based market collapse. Calcium carbonate showed an even more pronounced statistical decline of 72.22%, falling from CNY 1,800/ton to CNY 500/ton. Public market data indicate that approximately CNY 500/ton is a common quotation level for certain industrial-grade calcium carbonate products in China, while food-grade, nano-grade and higher-purity products are quoted considerably higher. Therefore, the extreme daily movement should be treated primarily as a potential benchmark or specification adjustment rather than a confirmed physical-market price crash. Meanwhile, Melamine edged down 0.19% to CNY 6,213/ton but remained 3.94% above its monthly level, while Citric acid was unchanged at CNY 6,200/ton and retained a 3.14% monthly increase. Overall, the fine chemicals market remains highly differentiated, with specialty products supported by supply constraints and upstream costs, while commodity-oriented products continue to face weak downstream purchasing and significant quotation dispersion across grades and regions.

Energy, plastics and rubber markets remained broadly firm, with WTI Crude Oil, Gasoline and ABS leading the gains, while HDPE, Carbon Black and Silica remained largely stable. WTI Crude Oil increased 1.23% day on day to USD 82/barrel in the latest market data, with the broader crude market continuing to receive support from heightened geopolitical risks, constrained shipping through the Strait of Hormuz and stalled U.S.-Iran negotiations. Actual WTI settlement subsequently moved above USD 84/barrel on August 17, highlighting the persistence of the geopolitical risk premium. Gasoline rose 1.00% to CNY 8,693/ton and remained 6.88% higher on a monthly basis, reflecting stronger refined-product pricing amid tight global refinery capacity and supply disruptions. Recent market developments showed that refined-product markets are experiencing considerably stronger pressure than crude itself, with the U.S. diesel crack spread reaching a record level above USD 100/barrel, underscoring the tightening balance in global fuel markets. In China, July crude throughput remained 15.8% below the previous year despite a modest month-on-month recovery, while crude inventories continued to decline, suggesting that refinery supply and stockpiling dynamics will remain important for the domestic energy complex. In plastics, ABS advanced 2.23% to CNY 9,950/ton, extending its weekly increase to 3.25%, as higher upstream costs and relatively firm styrene-related feedstock markets provided support. By contrast, HDPE edged up only 0.12% to CNY 10,513/ton, indicating that stronger crude prices have not yet translated into a broad-based rally across commodity polyethylene. In rubber-related materials, Carbon Black and Silica were unchanged at CNY 8,486/ton and CNY 6,000/ton, respectively. Recent synthetic rubber trading has remained characterized by weak supply-demand dynamics and cautious downstream purchasing, limiting the immediate upside from higher energy costs. Nevertheless, elevated feedstock costs and recent price increases across the silicone chain, including DMC, silicone oil and 107 rubber, continue to provide a degree of cost-side support for specialty rubber and additive materials. Asphalt increased 0.46% to CNY 4,350/ton but remained 0.76% lower on a monthly basis, suggesting that the recent crude oil rebound has yet to generate a sustained recovery in domestic asphalt demand. Overall, the market is showing a clear divergence between energy and selected plastics supported by higher feedstock costs and rubber-related products constrained by relatively soft downstream demand. The near-term direction of the broader chemicals complex will therefore depend heavily on whether elevated crude and refined-product prices persist long enough to be transmitted into polymer and rubber production costs.