According to the Commodity Market Analysis System of Business Society, as of December 21st, the average price quoted by domestic industrial grade 85% formic acid enterprises was 3150.00 yuan/ton, a decrease of 5.26% compared to Monday’s price.

This week, the domestic industrial grade 85% formic acid market has experienced a downward trend within a certain range, with mainstream quotes from enterprises ranging from 3000 to 3500 yuan/ton. Recently, the upstream sulfuric acid market has stabilized, while the upstream methanol market has risen narrowly, with increased cost support. Downstream inquiries and purchases are generally active, with transactions mainly based on demand. In addition, due to weather conditions in some regions, holders are offering discounts to ship, weakening the focus of negotiations in the formic acid market.

Business Society formic acid analysts believe that the current cost support is average, downstream buying is in high demand, and market transactions are still acceptable. It is expected that the domestic industrial grade 85% formic acid market will remain stable in the short term, and more attention still needs to be paid to market news guidance.

Product name: isobutyraldehyde

Latest price (December 20th): 8100.00 yuan/ton

On December 20th, the domestic market price of isobutyraldehyde slightly increased, with a price increase of 33.33 yuan/ton compared to December 19th, an increase of 1.67%, and a year-on-year increase of 22.73%. The price of raw material propylene has stabilized at a low level, with average cost support. The downstream market for new pentanediol is consolidating at a low level, and downstream customers have weak enthusiasm for purchasing isobutyraldehyde. Some manufacturers have stopped for maintenance, resulting in a decrease in the circulation of goods in the market, and some dealers have raised their prices.

In the future, it is expected that the domestic market price of isobutyraldehyde will fluctuate and rise, with consolidation being the main trend. The average market price is around 8200 yuan/ton.

Recent price trends of tetrahydrofuran

According to the Commodity Analysis System of Business Society, the domestic market price of tetrahydrofuran has slightly declined this week. This week, the average price of tetrahydrofuran in the mainstream domestic market dropped from 12975.00 yuan/ton at the beginning of the week to 12825.00 yuan/ton over the weekend, a decrease of 1.16%, and the weekend price increased by 0.59% year-on-year.

Upstream support is average, downstream demand weakens

From the supply side perspective, the prices of mainstream domestic tetrahydrofuran distributors have slightly decreased this week, with average inventory levels.

From the upstream raw material market of tetrahydrofuran, the 1,4-butanediol market saw a slight decline this week, with prices dropping from 9557.14 yuan/ton at the beginning of the week to 9542.86 yuan/ton at the end of the week, a decrease of 0.15%, and a year-on-year decrease of 0.49% at the end of the week. The market situation of maleic anhydride has slightly increased this week, with prices rising from 7200.00 yuan/ton at the beginning of the week to 7380.00 yuan/ton over the weekend, an increase of 2.50%. The weekend price has increased by 4.83% year-on-year. Overall, the upstream raw material market prices fluctuate, with average cost support. However, due to the impact of supply and demand, it has a positive impact on the price of tetrahydrofuran.

From the downstream market of tetrahydrofuran, the price of spandex in the market has stabilized at a low level this week. The price of spandex is 32575.00 yuan/ton, with a year-on-year decrease of 8.24% over the weekend. The downstream spandex market prices are consolidating at a low level, and downstream customers are less proactive in purchasing tetrahydrofuran.

Future prospects

In late December, the domestic tetrahydrofuran market may experience a slight fluctuation and decline. The upstream maleic anhydride market has slightly increased, with good cost support. The downstream spandex market has a downward trend, and downstream demand has weakened. Business Society’s tetrahydrofuran analyst believes that in the short term, the domestic tetrahydrofuran market may experience slight fluctuations and declines due to various factors such as supply and demand and raw materials.

According to the Commodity Market Analysis System of Business Society, the average market price on December 18th was 3150 yuan/ton, a decrease of 4.55% compared to the previous working day’s 3300 yuan/ton. The main factory in East China gradually recovered after an unexpected malfunction, and the market supply of goods increased. The northern region was affected by rainy and snowy weather over the weekend, and transportation was restricted. Manufacturers accumulated inventory and had a strong intention to clear inventory. However, downstream customers were affected by buying up but not buying down sentiment, resulting in weak purchasing sentiment, low market trading, poor factory shipments, and a significant decrease in acetic acid prices.

In the future, there is a clear trend of oversupply on the market, and it is expected that the short-term acetic acid market will continue to be weak and consolidate.

This week, the domestic Shandong propane market experienced a volatile decline. According to the commodity market analysis system of Business Society, the average price of propane in Shandong Province was 5545 yuan/ton on December 11th, and 5520 yuan/ton on December 15th. The weekly decline was 0.45%, a decrease of 0.89% compared to the same period last year.

As of December 15th, the mainstream prices of propane in different regions of China are as follows:

Region/ December 15th

East China region/ 5250-5400 yuan/ton

North China region/ 5400-5500 yuan/ton

Shandong region/ 5300-5400 yuan/ton

Northeast region/ 5350-5500 yuan/ton

This week (12.11-12.15), the propane market in Shandong experienced a weak downward trend and a sluggish market atmosphere. Due to the recent sluggish trend of propane, upstream inventory pressure has increased, leading to price reductions and inventory clearance. In the atmosphere of downstream buying up but not falling, demand growth is limited, and prices continue to decline.

Saudi Aramco announced its CP in November 2023, with propane at $610 per ton, an increase of $10 per ton compared to the previous month; Butane costs $620 per ton, an increase of $5 per ton compared to the previous month.

Overall, the northern market is affected by heavy snowfall, with some areas experiencing poor transportation, further suppressing demand. It is expected that the possibility of a downturn in the propane market consolidation will increase.