Chemical Prices Today (July 30, 2026): Daily Market Trends & Price Changes

China's Basic Chemicals market showed mixed performance on July 30, with significant divergence across solvents, petrochemicals, and specialty materials. Acetonitrile recorded the largest daily decline, falling 14.15%, while Acetone also extended its weakness amid sluggish downstream purchasing and ample market supply. In contrast, Borax, Ethylene Oxide, Dichloromethane, and Propylene posted notable gains, supported by tighter spot availability, selective downstream replenishment, and improving industrial demand. Battery materials remained mixed, with Lithium Carbonate easing further despite accelerating inventory destocking, reflecting continued caution over future supply growth, while Cobalt edged higher on bargain buying. Overall, market sentiment remained selective as buyers focused on immediate procurement needs rather than aggressive stock building. Recent industry news indicates that global acetone and phenol markets continue to face oversupply pressure due to new production capacity, weighing on solvent prices, while lithium markets remain balanced between healthy EV demand and expectations of additional upstream supply, limiting upside momentum despite improving inventory trends. :contentReference[oaicite:0]{index=0}

China's Fine Chemicals market exhibited heightened volatility on July 30, driven by sharp movements in several key specialty products. Dimethyl Sulfoxide (DMSO) surged 11.63%, marking the strongest daily gain in the segment, supported by tightening spot availability and active downstream replenishment following earlier production adjustments. Conversely, PTMEG (Polytetramethylene Ether Glycol) declined 11.96% as weak demand from the spandex industry and cautious purchasing continued to weigh on market sentiment. Oleic Acid also fell sharply by 9.59%, reflecting softer feedstock vegetable oil prices and profit-taking after recent gains, although weekly performance remained positive. Meanwhile, Dimethyl Carbonate (DMC) extended its recovery with a 0.79% daily increase and solid weekly and monthly gains, supported by improved domestic procurement and tighter near-term supply despite a generally cautious battery materials market. Sodium Acetate remained largely stable, indicating balanced supply-demand fundamentals. Recent industry news suggests that the global fine chemicals market continues to experience differentiated trends, with specialty solvent supply tightening in some regions while battery chemical demand remains restrained by elevated inventories. At the same time, international market participants continue to monitor export activity, raw material costs, and downstream textile and new energy sectors, resulting in selective procurement rather than broad-based inventory rebuilding. :contentReference[oaicite:0]{index=0}

China's Energy, Rubber, Plastics and Other Chemicals markets were generally firmer on July 30, supported by a rebound in the energy complex despite mixed downstream industrial performance. WTI Crude Oil recorded the largest gain, rising 6.33%, as geopolitical concerns and expectations of tighter global crude supply lifted international oil prices, providing cost support across the petroleum value chain. Domestic Anthracite prices jumped 11.11% following tighter regional coal availability and replenishment demand from industrial users, while Gasoline advanced 1.62% in line with higher crude prices and improving transportation fuel consumption. Asphalt edged higher as rising feedstock costs partially offset seasonally moderate infrastructure demand. In downstream materials, ABS posted a modest increase, benefiting from firmer upstream styrene costs, although overall plastics demand remained cautious. The Carbon Black market remained largely stable with a slight decline, as weak tire sector demand offset higher energy costs, while Lead prices rose nearly 1% on selective restocking despite continued pressure from subdued battery replacement demand. Recent industry news indicates that stronger global crude prices, driven by supply-side uncertainties and expectations of tighter inventories, have improved sentiment across energy-related commodities. However, downstream sectors including plastics, rubber products, and construction materials continue to purchase cautiously amid uncertain manufacturing demand, limiting the transmission of higher feedstock costs into finished product prices.