ECHEMI Analysis

In December, the palm oil market in China experienced a weak and fluctuating decline, with an overall price decrease of nearly 2%. The average market price fell from 8,690 CNY/ton to 8,530 CNY/ton. Positive factors included a reduction in Malaysian palm oil production and tighter supply; negative factors were high inventories in China and moderate demand. Analysts expect the market to rise in January.

• Palm oil market conditions: prices decline
• supply-demand relationship
• increased demand during holidays

Since mid-December, PTA prices have continuously risen by 916%, reaching 5045 CNY/ton With relatively low supply and demand pressure, low processing fees have prompted factories to reduce production and undergo maintenance, with the operating rate dropping to around 72% The rebound in crude oil prices has supported costs, but losses in the downstream polyester sector and a decrease in orders have limited the momentum for further price increases

• PTA price
• supply-and-demand pressure
• crude oil price
• textile off-season

Since mid-December, prices of polyester staple fiber have risen significantly. As of the end of December, the average price stood at 6,503 CNY per ton, representing a price increase of 3.77%. This rise is supported by favorable cost factors, including higher crude oil and PTA prices. However, due to weak downstream demand and the impact of the off-season for textiles, it is expected that the pace of price increases for polyester staple fiber will narrow in the short term.

• cost support
• polyester staple fiber prices
• PTA supply and demand
• textile off-season

In December, polyethylene prices continued to decline, with average prices of LLDPE, LDPE, and HDPE falling by 7.68%, 5.93%, and 7.95%, respectively. The release of new production capacity and the resumption of operations at existing facilities have intensified supply pressure, while demand has entered the off-season, resulting in weak downstream demand. With insufficient cost support and an escalating supply-demand contradiction, the polyethylene market is expected to remain weak.

• Polyethylene market
• price decline
• supply-demand contradiction
• off-season demand

In 2025, the Chinese cyclohexanone market experienced a downward trend, with prices falling from 8,800 CNY/ton at the beginning of the year to 6,350 CNY/ton by the end of the year The main reasons were supply-demand contradictions and weak cost factors In 2026, capacity growth is expected to slow down, demand recovery will be gradual, and exports will increase slightly, while import volume will rise Prices are expected to fluctuate within the range of 6,000-7,500 CNY/ton

• Cyclohexanone market
• supply and demand dynamics
• price forecast
• industry upgrade

In 2025, China's aniline prices started high but then declined, with an average annual price of 9,375 CNY per ton and a year-end average price of 7,945 CNY per ton—a decrease of 1525% The main driving factors included the release of new production capacity, falling benzene prices, and weak demand for MDI For 2026, prices are expected to fluctuate between 8,000 and 10,000 CNY per ton, with an average price increasing slightly by 5% to 8%

• Aniline price trends
• supply and demand changes
• cost factors
• market forecasts

In December, the Chinese urea market experienced a fluctuating increase, with the reference average price rising from 1702 CNY/ton to 1732 CNY/ton, a price increase of 176% In the first half of the month, prices slightly increased and then stabilized In the second half of the month, prices rapidly increased due to the influence of Indian tenders, but dropped at the end of the month Quotations in Shandong, Hebei, Henan, and Liaoning regions were around 1660-1750 CNY/ton

• Urea market
• Price trend
• Supply and demand situation
• Future market forecast

In December, the demand for cyclohexane in the Chinese market was weak, with no significant increase in the operating rates of downstream industries and limited export orders. The market supply and demand were balanced, but inventories were high, leading to a downward trend in prices. In the short term, it is expected that the cyclohexane market in China will maintain a stable but slightly weak operation, lacking strong support from the demand side.

• Cyclohexane market: Demand is weak
• inventories remain high
• prices are declining.

In 2025, the bisphenol A market in China saw both supply and demand weaken, with prices fluctuating downward. Although there was a temporary rebound at the end of the year, the overall supply was loose, and weak downstream demand coupled with insufficient cost support led to a price decline of over 20%. It is expected that in 2026, the concentrated release of new production capacity will continue the supply-demand contradiction, and the market trend may be "weak first, then stable."

• Bisphenol A market
• weak supply and demand
• insufficient cost support
• prices fluctuating downward

This week, the soda ash market in China was weak, with prices adjusted to 1250 CNY/ton, a decrease of 0.64%. Downstream demand was insufficient, and supply was high, leading to an oversupply in the fundamentals. The glass market was also weak, with prices falling by 3.15%. It is expected that the soda ash market in China will continue to be weak in the later period.

• Soda ash market: prices down
• oversupply
• weak glass market conditions

This week, the price of petroleum coke from local refineries in China rose by 399%, reaching 254075 CNY/ton The international crude oil market has increased, influenced by the tense situation between the US and Venezuela and the instability of the Russia-Ukraine situation Refinery shipments are moderate, with downstream purchases mainly based on demand, and port inventory has slightly increased

• Petroleum coke from local refineries
• market prices rising
• international crude oil
• port inventory

In December 2025, the coking coal market operated weakly, with an average price of 1,442 CNY per ton. Demand remained weak, steel mills increased maintenance activities, and pig iron production declined. Although supply was ample, sales were sluggish, and prices underwent three rounds of reductions, with a cumulative price decrease of 150 to 165 CNY per ton. In the short term, both costs and demand remain weak, leaving coking coal prices under continued downward pressure.

• Coke market
• prices decline
• demand weakens
• supply is ample

This week (1222-26), the PVC spot market in China rebounded, with the average price of calcium carbide method SG-5 type reaching 4,450 CNY/ton, a weekly increase of 195% The futures market drove the spot market to rebound, with trading volume increasing and inventory continuing to decline, although supply remains ample The price of calcium carbide decreased slightly but remained at a high level

• PVC market
• price rebound
• ample supply
• improved market sentiment

This week, the styrene market in China saw a slight increase, rising from an average price of 6,636 CNY/ton at the beginning of the week to 6,688 CNY/ton by the end of the week, with a price increase of 0.78%.

• Styrene
• Market Analysis
• Price Trends
• Chemical Products

As of December 26, the price of hydrofluoric acid was 12,733.33 CNY/ton, an increase of 1.6% from the end of last month. The high prices of raw materials, sulfuric acid and fluorspar, support the cost, but the demand side is weak. The stable export market has alleviated some of the pressure. It is expected that the market price of anhydrous hydrogen fluoride will rise by about 350 CNY/ton in the later period.

• cost support
• market demand
• price trends
• export support

In December, the price of titanium dioxide in China increased, with the average price of sulfate process rutile titanium dioxide rising from 13,500 CNY/ton to 13,740 CNY/ton, a price increase of 178% In the middle and late part of the month, several companies issued letters to raise prices, and the market trend was stable and improving In November, China's titanium dioxide import volume was 5,300 tons, a year-on-year decrease of 20

• Titanium Dioxide Market
• Price Increase
• Production Costs
• Import and Export Data

This week, the isopropanol market price in China remained stable, with the national average at 519333 CNY/ton Manufacturers' quotations remained steady, and traders mostly adopted a wait-and-see attitude Downstream buyers purchased according to their needs, with transactions mainly driven by essential demand In Shandong, the quotations ranged from 5100 to 5150 CNY/ton, while in Jiangsu, they ranged from 5200 to 5300 CNY/ton

• Isopropanol market
• prices stable
• downstream demand average
• transactions moderate

In 2025, the DMF market price hit bottom, and the industry faced severe challenges. Looking ahead to 2026, with the recovery of demand and the adjustment of supply structure, DMF prices are expected to see a turnaround, but it is still necessary to pay attention to the impact of changes in the macroeconomic environment on the market.

• DMF price
• price trends
• market turning point
• 2025 economy

In 2025, the Chinese acetone market continued to decline, with a cumulative price decrease of 3237% for the year, dropping from 5,992 CNY/ton at the beginning of the year to 4,050 CNY/ton by the end of the year The market weakness was due to factors such as supply-demand mismatch, weakened cost support, and negative feedback in the industry chain

• Acetone Market: Prices Decline
• Supply-Demand Imbalance
• Impact on the Industrial Chain

In December, the average market price of ammonium sulfate in China fell from 1,173 CNY/ton to 1,080 CNY/ton, a decrease of 7.95%. The market was stable in the first half of the month but showed a weaker trend in the second half, with sluggish transactions. The operating rate of the coke grade remained stable, while the operating rate of the caprolactam grade decreased. It is expected that the market for ammonium sulfate will remain weak and consolidate in the short term.

• Ammonium sulfate market
• price decline
• weak market demand
• future forecast