Chemical Prices Today (August 24, 2026): Daily Market Trends & Price Changes

Basic chemicals showed a broadly firmer but highly differentiated trend, with Dichloromethane, Acetonitrile, Acetone, and Aniline posting the strongest daily gains as supply tightness, producer price increases, and downstream replenishment supported spot markets. Dichloromethane surged 17.4% to CNY 2,395/ton, supported by tighter operating supply, elevated liquid chlorine costs, and stable R32-related demand, while Acetonitrile jumped 26.67% to CNY 9,500/ton as acrylonitrile plant maintenance reduced by-product availability and sellers maintained firm offers. Acetone also advanced 6.61% amid low producer inventories and higher factory quotations, while Aniline rose 6.60%, extending its monthly gain to above 10%, in line with continued support from the polyurethane chain and relatively firm MDI market conditions.

Feedstock and intermediate chemicals also remained supported, particularly Ethylene glycol, Toluene, Xylene, Propylene glycol, and Hexane. Ethylene glycol increased 3.11% to CNY 5,508/ton and has gained nearly 12% over the month, with supply-side contraction remaining the key market driver as domestic units entered the seasonal maintenance period and imports tightened. The broader EG market also received cost support from firmer crude oil, naphtha, and ethylene prices. Meanwhile, Toluene and Xylene rose 3.04% and 3.23%, respectively, reflecting stronger aromatics sentiment, although Benzene declined 1.31%, highlighting continued divergence within the aromatic chain.

Elsewhere, price movements were relatively mixed. Isopropyl alcohol, Propylene glycol, Methanol, and Lithium carbonate recorded moderate daily increases, while Cobalt, Propylene, Sulfur, and Titanium dioxide weakened or remained under pressure. Cobalt fell 0.30% and remained down more than 11% on a monthly basis, while Sulfuric acid and Titanium dioxide continued to show substantial monthly declines of 9.91% and 7.05%, respectively. Overall, the market is increasingly characterized by tight supply and cost-driven strength in selected intermediates rather than a broad-based demand recovery, with downstream purchasing still cautious across several end-use sectors.

Industry background: Recent chemical-market developments continue to point toward supply-side support in several value chains. In the acetonitrile market, maintenance and lower operating rates at upstream acrylonitrile units have tightened crude acetonitrile availability, while pharmaceutical, laboratory, and high-purity solvent demand has remained relatively resilient. In the polyurethane chain, several major producers have raised MDI prices or maintained tight supply, while a large MDI unit entered scheduled maintenance in August, providing additional support to Aniline and related intermediates. At the same time, Asian Propylene prices have received support from tighter regional supply following PDH shutdowns and higher upstream energy costs, although domestic propylene prices remained softer on August 24. These developments suggest that August chemical markets are being driven primarily by plant maintenance, inventory levels, and cost support, with demand recovery remaining selective rather than broad-based.

Fine chemicals remained broadly stable, but selected products continued to show strong upward momentum. Potassium Citrate was the strongest daily mover, rising 6.42% to CNY 8,833/ton, while Dimethyl carbonate increased 0.73% and extended its monthly gain to 11.88%. Activated carbon and Citric acid were unchanged on the day but remained higher by 5.17% and 3.14%, respectively, on a monthly basis. The overall market remained characterized by relatively limited spot-price volatility, with supply-cost factors providing stronger support for selected products than broad-based downstream demand.

Dimethyl carbonate continued to attract market attention, rising to CNY 4,550/ton and gaining nearly 12% over the month. The recent market has remained at a relatively high level, with cost-side support becoming an important driver as upstream raw-material prices remain firm. Industry assessments in August indicated that domestic industrial-grade DMC was trading at high levels with the pace of gains slowing, suggesting that the market has shifted from rapid appreciation toward high-level consolidation. The combination of firm production costs, controlled producer inventories, and relatively stable demand from downstream solvent and electrolyte-related applications is providing a floor for prices, although stronger resistance may emerge as prices move higher.

Oleic acid was the only major decliner among the listed fine chemicals, falling 2.56% to CNY 9,500/ton, although its monthly increase remained as high as 14.95%. The daily correction appears more consistent with high-price profit taking and short-term market consolidation than a fundamental reversal. Recent developments in the broader oleochemical chain have shown stronger palm-oil prices and renewed expectations of tighter overseas supply following plant-related disruptions, which have increased production-cost support for fatty acids and related products. As a result, the market remains relatively firm despite the latest daily correction.

Potassium Citrate recorded the most significant one-day increase, jumping 6.42%, while Citric acid remained unchanged at CNY 6,200/ton. The divergence between the two products suggests that the recent movement is more product-specific than a broad-based repricing across the citrate chain. Citrate products continue to benefit from stable demand in food, beverage, pharmaceutical, and industrial applications, while changes in production costs, inventory levels, and export orders can result in significant short-term differences between individual products. The 3.14% monthly increase in Citric acid nevertheless indicates that the underlying market tone remains moderately firm.

Other fine chemicals remained relatively subdued. Dimethyl sulfoxide edged up 0.41% on the day but remained down 2.80% on a monthly basis, indicating that the recent market is still undergoing price correction after earlier weakness. Sodium acetate stayed unchanged but remained 8.74% lower than one month earlier, while Melamine was flat on the day after a 0.50% weekly decline. Hydroquinone, Glycolic acid, Lactic acid, Ferric chloride, Sodium hypochlorite, and Water softener salt all remained unchanged, highlighting generally cautious downstream procurement and limited short-term pricing momentum across several specialty chemical segments.

Industry background: The current fine-chemical market is increasingly showing a split between products supported by upstream cost inflation and tighter supply and products constrained by weak downstream purchasing. Recent energy and commodity-market developments remain important, as international oil and other energy prices have experienced increased volatility, while China's domestic energy supply remains broadly balanced. In the oleochemical chain, higher palm-oil prices and overseas plant disruptions have strengthened cost expectations for fatty-acid products. Meanwhile, DMC continues to benefit from relatively firm raw-material costs and demand from solvent and lithium-battery-related applications. Overall, the fine-chemical sector is likely to remain in a highly differentiated, range-bound market in the near term, with products exposed to tighter supply and rising feedstock costs retaining greater upside potential than products primarily dependent on discretionary downstream demand.

Energy, plastics, and rubber markets remained relatively firm, although price movements were increasingly differentiated across products. Gasoline rose 0.78% to CNY 9,117/ton and has gained 8.33% over the month, while WTI Crude Oil remained at USD 87/barrel in the supplied dataset, up 2.35% on a weekly basis and 5.13% over the month. HDPE and ABS also edged higher, rising 0.71% and 0.16%, respectively. In contrast, Asphalt declined 1.08% on the day despite remaining 3.10% higher on a weekly basis. Overall, energy-related products continued to provide cost support to downstream polymer markets, but short-term volatility increased as crude oil prices reacted to changing geopolitical expectations.

WTI Crude Oil remained the key macro driver for the broader chemical and materials complex. International oil prices had previously recorded six consecutive sessions of gains, but prices reversed on August 24 after the United States announced expanded sanctions against Iran. Reuters reported that WTI fell about 2.35% to USD 85.01/barrel and Brent declined to USD 92.17/barrel, as traders viewed the announced measures as broadly anticipated and took profits after the recent rally. Nevertheless, geopolitical supply risk remains elevated, with the market continuing to monitor Iranian oil exports, shipping conditions through the Strait of Hormuz, and the possibility of further disruptions. This suggests that crude prices may remain volatile rather than entering a sustained downward trend.

Refined products continued to outperform crude oil in relative terms. Gasoline increased 0.78% on the day and has risen 8.33% over the month, indicating that downstream fuel markets remain tighter than the crude market alone would suggest. Recent industry reports indicate that Asian imports of refined products such as diesel, jet fuel, and gasoline have fallen materially from pre-conflict levels, while refining margins remain elevated because of constrained availability of suitable crude grades and limited spare refining capacity. This supply-side tightness provides continued support for Gasoline and other refined petroleum products, even as crude oil experiences short-term corrections.

Plastics remained comparatively stable, with HDPE rising 0.71% to CNY 10,650/ton and ABS increasing 0.16% to CNY 10,183/ton. Both products remained positive on a monthly basis, although the gains were moderate at 0.84% and 3.41%, respectively. The market appears to be receiving support from firm upstream energy and petrochemical costs, but downstream demand has not yet generated sufficient momentum for a broad-based rally. HDPE therefore remains more of a cost-supported consolidation market, while ABS has comparatively stronger monthly performance but continues to face resistance from cautious downstream purchasing and relatively adequate supply.

POM was the most prominent mover in the plastics segment, jumping 8.93% to CNY 6,100/ton. However, the product remains down 20.94% over the month, making the latest increase more consistent with a short-term rebound from a deeply depressed price base than a confirmed reversal of the broader trend. The sharp daily movement may reflect low-price inventory replenishment, producer price adjustments, and temporary improvement in market sentiment. Nevertheless, the large negative monthly performance indicates that supply-demand fundamentals remain weaker than the headline daily increase suggests, and further price recovery will likely depend on sustained purchasing rather than one-off replenishment.

Rubber-related chemicals remained largely stable, with Carbon Black rising 0.41% to CNY 8,900/ton while Silica was unchanged at CNY 6,033/ton. Carbon Black has remained broadly flat on a monthly basis, suggesting that stronger upstream energy and feedstock costs have so far been largely offset by relatively cautious tire and rubber demand. The market therefore remains balanced, with producers receiving some cost support but limited room for aggressive price increases unless downstream tire production and replacement demand improve materially.

Asphalt moved in the opposite direction, falling 1.08% to CNY 4,580/ton, although it remained 3.10% higher on a weekly basis. The recent correction is consistent with short-term profit taking and weaker spot purchasing after the previous increase. Unlike gasoline, asphalt demand is closely linked to infrastructure and construction activity, making its price response less directly tied to crude oil movements. The current combination of a positive weekly trend and negative daily movement suggests that the asphalt market is consolidating after a short-term rebound, with downstream construction demand remaining the key factor to watch.

Other chemicals were comparatively weak, with Carbon declining 0.27% to CNY 12,167/ton, while Anaerobic bacteria and other listed products remained unchanged. Carbon has now declined 0.70% over the month, indicating limited short-term demand momentum despite relatively firm energy-related costs. The stability of anaerobic bacteria and the absence of significant price movement in other products suggest that demand in these smaller specialty segments remains relatively balanced, with pricing largely determined by individual supply-demand conditions rather than broad commodity-market movements.

Industry background: The current market is increasingly characterized by a divergence between energy-driven cost support and uneven downstream demand. Crude oil remains exposed to geopolitical developments surrounding Iran and the Strait of Hormuz, while refined fuels continue to face tighter supply conditions and elevated refining margins. This provides a relatively strong cost floor for petrochemical products such as HDPE and ABS, although downstream buyers remain cautious. In plastics, the exceptional daily increase in POM stands out against its substantial monthly decline and should therefore be interpreted as a potential technical or inventory-driven rebound rather than a confirmed structural recovery. Meanwhile, Carbon Black and Silica remain broadly range-bound as tire-sector demand is balanced against feedstock costs. Overall, Energy is likely to remain the primary external driver, while plastics and rubber markets will continue to depend on the balance between upstream cost pressure and downstream purchasing activity.