Product name: Sulfuric acid

Latest price (September 1st): 312.00 yuan/ton

On September 1st, the domestic sulfuric acid market price significantly increased, with a price increase of 18 yuan/ton compared to August 31st, an increase of 6.12%, and a year-on-year increase of 23.81%. The upstream sulfur market has continued to rise recently, with increased cost support. The downstream market for hydrofluoric acid and titanium dioxide has slightly increased, and downstream customers have a good enthusiasm for purchasing sulfuric acid. Duo Zhong Li is good, and the product trend is upward.

In the future, it is expected that the domestic sulfuric acid market price may fluctuate slightly, with an average market price of around 340 yuan/ton.

Since the domestic phenol market rose in July, it has been fluctuating at high levels in August. According to the market analysis system of the Business Society, the national market average price was 8207.5 yuan/ton on August 1st, with a rise and fall within the month. On the 31st, it closed at 8207.5 yuan/ton. The major mainstream markets are as follows:

On August 31st, the phenol offers in various markets across the country were as follows:

Region/ Quotation/ Monthly fluctuations

East China region/ 8230./-200

Shandong region/ 8150./100

The surrounding area of Yanshan/ 8200./50

South China region/ 8300./-150

In early August, although the cost side cost increased, the support for phenol was limited. The increase in domestic plant construction combined with port inventory dropping to 15000 tons, and the market was operating in a mixed cycle of ups and downs.

In mid to late August, firstly supported by cost, the factory raised the overall listing price, and the prices quoted by the holders were higher. However, terminal procurement was limited, and shipments were not smooth. Most traders reported higher prices but lower prices. Subsequently, Jiangsu Ruiheng stopped, and the contract volume was tight towards the end of the month. The pressure on holders to ship goods was not significant, pushing up again. However, terminal enterprises still needed to follow up, with limited trading volume and limited growth.

From the perspective of the business community, the raw materials sector remained strong in September. Domestic units Wanhua Chemical and Changchun Chemical have maintenance plans, but downstream configuration units are also undergoing maintenance, which has little impact on market supply. Downstream phenolic resin has become weak during the high temperature off-season, and demand may improve. It is expected that the market will not fluctuate much in September and will continue to fluctuate at high levels, with negotiations ranging from 7900 to 8400 yuan/ton.

According to monitoring data from Business Society, as of August 30, 2023, the factory price of domestically produced industrial grade dimethyl carbonate was set at 4300 yuan/ton. Compared with August 1 (the reference price of dimethyl carbonate was 4666 yuan/ton), the price was reduced by 333 yuan/ton, a decrease of 7.86%.

From the data monitoring chart of the Business Society, it can be seen that from August 8.1 to August 30, the overall market situation of dimethyl carbonate in China showed a weak decline. This month, the overall operating rate of dimethyl carbonate plants in China has increased, and the overall on-site supply has increased. The supply side is under pressure, coupled with average downstream demand performance. The electrolyte solvent market is cautious in stocking, with few transactions, and the market atmosphere is cold. The demand side provides limited support for dimethyl carbonate, and the supply and demand transmission is slow. In order to stimulate shipment, dimethyl carbonate factories have successively lowered the factory price of dimethyl carbonate, The cumulative decrease within the month is around 200-400 yuan/ton, and the overall center of gravity of dimethyl carbonate is weak and moving downwards. As of August 30th, the domestic market price of dimethyl carbonate is referenced around 4100-4500 yuan/ton.

Analysis of Future Market Trends

At present, the trading of new orders for dimethyl carbonate on the market is cautious, with a focus on maintaining just demand. The overall downstream operating rate is low, and the support provided to dimethyl carbonate is limited. The dimethyl carbonate data analyst at the Business Society believes that in the short term, the domestic market for dimethyl carbonate is mostly weak and the operation is mainly adjusted. The specific trend still needs to pay more attention to changes in supply and demand news.

According to the Commodity Market Analysis System of Business Society, the domestic asphalt market was weak and declined in August. From August 1st to 29th, the average price of asphalt producers in Shandong Province decreased from 3809 yuan/ton to 3726 yuan/ton, a decrease of 2.19%, and the price decreased by 15.91% year-on-year.

At the beginning of the month, the impact of international crude oil decline factors weakened cost support, and the supply side remained stable while increasing. At the same time, weather factors have affected an increase in precipitation in some regions of China, resulting in slightly flat demand.

In the first half of this month, international crude oil remained strong, but cost support was limited. The supply side continued to maintain a high level, and demand remained average. The asphalt market was weak in the short term.

In the latter half of the month, there was still an imbalance between supply and demand, with significant supply pressure and a short-term weakness in the asphalt market.

On the cost side, the crude oil market in August was relatively high and volatile. As of the close on August 28th, the settlement price of the main contract for WTI crude oil futures in the United States was at $80.10 per barrel; The settlement price of the main contract for Brent crude oil futures is at $84.42 per barrel. The first half of the month continued to ferment due to market supply concerns, coupled with a period of positive oil consumption during the peak season. International crude oil futures continued their upward trend, reaching a nearly 9-month high; In the second half of the month, the number of active oil drilling rigs in the United States decreased, driven by the sharp rise in diesel prices. However, weak economic data and the suppression brought by the strengthening US dollar limited the increase in oil prices.

On the supply side, the main production enterprises have slightly increased production, driving an overall increase in supply in the area. The comprehensive operating rate of the asphalt industry has increased month on month, with negative impacts on the supply side.

On the demand side, the demand for asphalt in the market is relatively flat, with varying demand in different regions. The market has slowly recovered in the early stages of demand, and demand in some regions has gradually increased. However, some regions are still difficult to show significant improvement due to the impact of rainfall. The demand side of the asphalt market has a relatively stable impact.

As of the close of August 29th, the oil asphalt futures market has declined. The main asphalt contract 2311 opened at 3739 yuan/ton, with a maximum price of 3739 yuan/ton and a minimum price of 3688 yuan/ton. It closed at 3715 yuan/ton in the end, a decrease of 33 yuan/ton compared to the previous trading day, a decrease of 0.88%. The trading volume is 223808 hands, the holding volume is 221188 hands, and the daily increase is 23159.

In the future market forecast, the supply continues to be high, and from the demand side, there will be short-term rainfall in the northeast region of North China, which may hinder demand. Business Society asphalt analysts predict that the domestic asphalt market will be mainly weak in the short term.

The price of plasticizer DOP increased significantly in August

According to the Commodity Market Analysis System of the Business Society, as of August 28th, the price of DOP was 12133.33 yuan/ton, an increase of 14.65% compared to the price of 10583.33 yuan/ton on August 1st. June August is the traditional off-season for plasticizers, but this year’s off-season is not weak. Since mid June, DOP prices have bottomed out and rebounded, hitting new highs repeatedly. The price of plasticizer DOP increased significantly in August and reached a new high for the year.

The price of isooctanol increased significantly in August

According to the Commodity Market Analysis System of the Business Society, the price of isooctanol on August 28th was 12200 yuan/ton, an increase of 22.20% compared to the price of 9983.33 yuan/ton on August 1st. The planned production of domestic isooctanol units and unexpected vehicle pick-up have led to a tight supply of isooctanol, low inventory of isooctanol, and an upward shift in market focus. In August, the price of isooctanol continued to skyrocket. The price of isooctanol has skyrocketed, and the cost of plasticizer DOP raw materials has increased. As the price of isooctanol has risen to a high level, buying sentiment towards pursuing higher prices has become cautious. With the restart of the isooctanol plant, the supply expectation of the isooctanol market is loose, and the sustained rise of isooctanol in the future is limited in support.

The market of raw material phthalic anhydride in August stopped rising and stabilized

According to the market analysis system for phthalic anhydride products of the Business Society, as of August 28th, the quotation for neighboring phthalic anhydride was 8637.50 yuan/ton, an increase of 1.02% compared to the price of 8550 yuan/ton on August 1st; The price of phthalic anhydride decreased by 1.29% compared to 8750 yuan/ton on August 10th. Downstream production has declined, demand for phthalic anhydride has weakened, coupled with an increase in production in the phthalic anhydride industry, leading to an increase in market supply expectations and a downward pressure on the market. Moreover, the domestic price of naphthalene phthalic anhydride rebounded after a decline, while the price of ortho benzene stabilized after an increase. The support for the price increase of ortho phthalic anhydride weakened, and the price difference between ortho phthalic anhydride and naphthalene phthalic anhydride widened. The downward pressure on ortho phthalic anhydride still exists. In the future, the price of ortho phthalic anhydride will stabilize, the cost of plasticizer raw materials will stabilize, and the downward pressure on plasticizers will still exist.

According to the Commodity Market Analysis System of the Business Society, as of August 28th, the price increases of various products in the plastic sector compared to July 1st, from high to low, are PVC (12.48%), PP (wire drawing) (7.28%), and LLDPE (4.89%). Since July, as the plastic industry approaches the traditional peak season, the market has started to heat up, and various products in the plastic sector have seen a rise, with plastic futures rising at the same time. In the two months since July, the plastic industry has been dominated by Lido. On the macro level, inflation in the United States has cooled beyond expectations, the necessity for the Federal Reserve to raise interest rates has decreased, and concerns about economic recession have eased. In terms of cost, the seasonal peak demand from refineries and OPEC production cuts in oil producing countries have led to a strengthening of international crude oil prices. At the same time, downstream plastic enterprises are gradually increasing their stocking, improving consumption follow-up, and enhancing market momentum. Under the dual support of rebounding consumption and high costs, the prices of plastic futures and three materials have fluctuated and risen.

Future expectations

Analysts from Business Society’s plasticizer product data believe that although August is the traditional off-season for plasticizers, the upstream and downstream of the plasticizer industry chain are both rising against the trend. In terms of raw materials, in August, the production of isooctanol was at a low level, and the supply of isooctanol was insufficient. The price of isooctanol continued to rise sharply, and the downstream demand for phthalic anhydride was weak. The support for benzene raw materials was no longer there. In August, the price of phthalic anhydride stopped rising and fell, and the overall cost of plasticizer product DOP raw materials increased significantly; The downstream plastic futures market has rebounded, and the demand for plasticizers has rebounded; The operating rate of plasticizer enterprises is low, and the supply of plasticizers is tight. In the future, as the peak season approaches, the demand for plasticizers is expected to rebound. However, in September, upstream and downstream enterprises of plasticizers are expected to resume construction, and the supply of raw materials such as isooctanol and plasticizer DOP is expected to increase, resulting in a double increase in supply and demand; The supply of isooctanol has increased, the support for the rise of isooctanol has weakened, and the expected high price of raw material isooctanol has fallen; Downstream customers have a low acceptance of high prices. As the supply of plasticizers increases, the downward pressure on plasticizers increases, and it is expected that the high price of plasticizer DOP will fall back.