Chemical Prices Today (June 8, 2026): Daily Market Trends & Price Changes

China's Basic Chemicals market showed a sharply divergent performance on June 8. Among major gainers, Sulfur surged 14.53% day-on-day as supply tightened significantly amid import disruptions and declining port inventories, with spot market sentiment remaining highly bullish. The rally also continued to support upstream and downstream products including Phosphoric Acid, which extended its monthly increase to over 13%, reflecting stronger fertilizer and industrial procurement demand. Dichloromethane, Acetone, Methanol, and Ammonium Chloride also recorded notable gains, supported by restocking activity and firmer feedstock costs. Meanwhile, Acetonitrile fell nearly 9% on the day, marking the largest decline among tracked products as buyers remained cautious following recent market volatility. Other solvents including Ethyl Acetate, Propylene Glycol, and Isopropyl Alcohol continued to weaken amid subdued downstream consumption and sufficient market supply. In battery materials, Lithium Carbonate rebounded 1.25% day-on-day but remained almost 10% below levels seen a month ago, while Cobalt and Nickel markets showed mixed sentiment. Recent industry reports indicate that China's sulfur market has entered an acute supply-tightness phase, with domestic inventories falling sharply and some downstream chemical producers facing raw material shortages. The ongoing sulfur shortage has strengthened pricing across the phosphate and sulfur-based chemical chain, while broader petrochemical solvents continue to face demand-side pressure despite selective replenishment activity. Overall, the sector remains characterized by a combination of supply-driven rallies in sulfur-related products and persistent weakness across oversupplied solvent markets.

China's Fine Chemicals market experienced significant volatility on June 8, with price movements driven by a combination of supply adjustments and shifting demand patterns. Among the gainers, Trichloroethylene rose 6.74% day-on-day, supported by tighter spot availability and steady procurement demand from metal cleaning and industrial solvent applications. Creatine Monohydrate also advanced 4.88%, reflecting resilient demand from the global sports nutrition and dietary supplement sectors, where export orders have remained relatively stable despite broader market uncertainty. On the downside, Dimethyl Sulfoxide (DMSO) posted the sharpest decline, falling 11.61% on the day and extending its monthly loss to nearly 16%, as ample market supply and weak downstream purchasing continued to weigh on sentiment. Lactic Acid dropped 8.67% following softer demand from food additives and biodegradable material applications after previous price gains encouraged cautious buying behavior. Oleic Acid also edged lower amid balanced supply conditions and limited replenishment activity. Meanwhile, Potassium Citrate and Sodium Metabisulfite remained largely stable, supported by consistent demand from food processing, pharmaceutical, and water treatment sectors. Recent industry developments indicate that global nutrition and health-product markets continue to provide support for specialty ingredients such as creatine, while oversupply pressure persists across several solvent-related fine chemical segments. Overall, the market remains characterized by selective strength in health and specialty additives, contrasted with ongoing weakness in solvent products facing excess supply and cautious downstream consumption.

China's Energy, Plastics and Other Chemicals markets displayed a mixed performance on June 8, reflecting divergent trends across upstream energy commodities and downstream industrial materials. The most significant decline came from Anthracite, which fell 10.00% day-on-day as coal demand remained subdued amid seasonal weakness in industrial consumption and ample supply from domestic producers. In global energy markets, WTI Crude Oil retreated 2.15%, extending its monthly decline to more than 6%, as investors weighed concerns over slowing economic growth and the potential impact of increasing crude supply from major producing regions. The softer crude environment also limited gains in refined products, with Gasoline remaining largely stable despite ongoing summer transportation demand. By contrast, Asphalt edged higher, supported by infrastructure construction activity and relatively firm demand from road maintenance projects. Within the plastics segment, ABS prices posted a marginal increase of 0.18%, benefiting from short-term restocking demand; however, prices remained more than 12% below levels seen a month ago, highlighting persistent pressure from weak appliance and consumer goods manufacturing activity. In the broader chemicals sector, Activated Carbon softened slightly as environmental treatment and industrial purification demand remained steady but insufficient to offset competitive market supply. Recent industry developments suggest that global oil markets continue to face uncertainty surrounding supply-demand balances, while China's coal sector remains under pressure from adequate inventories and moderate industrial operating rates. Overall, the market is currently characterized by weakness in upstream energy feedstocks, selective resilience in infrastructure-related materials such as asphalt, and continued caution across plastics and industrial chemical value chains.