This week, the epoxy propane market has shown a significant downward trend. The main reason is due to the concentrated release of high initial price increases, coupled with the gradual recovery of supply side equipment leading to market oversupply, as well as the combined effect of multiple factors such as insufficient new orders from downstream demand side and cautious procurement. According to the monitoring system of Shengyi Society, as of April 21st, the benchmark price of Shengyi Society’s epoxy propane was 11100 yuan/ton, a decrease of -9.76% compared to the first day.
Raw material side: Recently, the trend of the propylene spot market on the cost side has diverged: Shandong spot has narrowly increased compared to the previous trading day, accompanied by a rebound in demand from industry buyers after the price hit bottom; However, the ex factory quotation of Shandong HSBC Petrochemical has been lowered by 100 yuan/ton to 8950 yuan/ton, indicating that increased supply or weak demand is putting downward pressure on spot prices. Overall, the cost support of propylene raw material for epichlorohydrin still exists. According to the monitoring system of Shengyi Society, as of April 21st, the benchmark price of propylene in Shengyi Society was 9057.67 yuan/ton, an increase of 3.11% compared to the beginning of this month (8784.33 yuan/ton).
Supply side: The positive news on the supply side has subsided in the early stage, and maintenance equipment has gradually resumed. High profits have stimulated the operating rate of enterprises to rise to 90%, and the market has shifted from tight to loose. The expectation of new production capacity and resumption of production in the future further suppressed prices, resulting in a significant decline in the market price of epoxy propane this week.
Demand side: Weak downstream demand dragged down the price of epoxy propane. After the initial price increase, the downstream demand side saw a decline in new orders, resulting in a weakened demand for epoxy propane procurement; Around April 20th, many polyether companies held a wait-and-see attitude, mainly focusing on restocking for essential needs, and the transaction atmosphere was relatively weak.
Comprehensive forecast: Business Society’s epoxy propane analyst believes that pessimistic market sentiment is still fermenting in the short term, and prices are expected to continue to be under pressure. If there are no major equipment shutdowns or policy incentives in the future, the price of epichlorohydrin may continue to remain weak and consolidate. It is recommended to focus on changes in the operating rate of supply side devices and the pace of downstream polyether procurement.
| http://www.sulfamic-acid.com |

