Yesterday (19th), the commodity futures market opened in the red, with styrene leading the gains. The main contracts of styrene futures rose by more than 4%, the main contracts of Shanghai tin and ethylene glycol futures rose by more than 3%, and the main contracts of LPG, methanol, Shanghai nickel, stainless steel, No. 20 plastic, PP, and Shanghai zinc futures rose by more than 2%.
It is understood that after the Spring Festival, the prices of dozens of chemical raw materials such as bisphenol A, n-butanol, neopentyl glycol, isobutyraldehyde, etc. have soared, with a maximum increase of 1,000 yuan per ton. Even more than 50%, using “price increases” to get a “good start” for the resumption of work and production in 2021.
Titanium dioxide rose by 1,000 yuan/ton
On the 19th, Panzhihua Tianlun Chemical Co., Ltd. sent a letter stating that due to recent changes in titanium dioxide market prices, production The cost of raw materials and other materials continues to rise. It has been decided that from now on, based on the existing execution price, the domestic price of TLA type anatase titanium dioxide will be increased by 800 yuan/ton, and the domestic price of TLR type rutile crude product will be increased by 1,000 yuan/ton. Foreign trade prices were increased by US$150/ton.
The current quotation of titanium dioxide is 18066.67 yuan/ton, an increase of 933.34 yuan/ton from the quotation at the beginning of the month. The quotations of Ningbo Xinfu and Fangyuan titanium dioxide are both 18,500 yuan/ton. The quotations of Shandong Dongjia, CNNC Huayuan, Shandong Daon, Yunnan Dahutong, Dongfang Titanium and other companies have exceeded 18,000 yuan/ton.
Bisphenol A rose by 6,500 yuan/ton, an increase of 50.78%
On the 18th, the bisphenol A market was hot, with market quotes at 19,000-19,300 Yuan/ton, some companies even quoted prices as high as 19,833.33 yuan/ton, an increase of 800 yuan/ton from the beginning of the month, an increase of 6,500 yuan/ton from this year’s low, an increase of 50.78%, and is about to exceed 20,000 yuan/ton. Nanya Plastics Bisphenol A factory has suspended its quotation and its inventory is low. Its products are mainly supplied to downstream Kunshan epoxy resin and long-term users, and external sales are very small. The bisphenol A market rose sharply before the holiday, and the supply was tight. Traders had a strong mentality of pushing up prices but reluctant to sell. After the Spring Festival, when production started, bisphenol A “lived up to expectations” and continued to hit new highs.
Isobutyraldehyde rose by 2,100 yuan/ton, an increase of 30.88%
On the 18th, isobutyraldehyde was quoted at 8,900 yuan/ton, an increase from the price at the beginning of the month 2,100 yuan/ton, an increase of 30.88%. Some manufacturers quoted prices as high as 9,000 yuan/ton, and Luxi Chemical even quoted a high price of 10,500 yuan/ton. Before the Spring Festival, downstream isobutyraldehyde continued to replenish its positions in order to maintain operations during the Spring Festival holiday. After the replenishment, the inventory of the isobutyraldehyde factory was smoothly transferred to the downstream industry. As the holiday approached, major downstream isobutyraldehyde replenishers made two more restockings. The demand from the downstream was strong. Strong support for the market price of isobutyraldehyde. With no pressure on the supply and demand side and isobutyraldehyde factory inventory, the isobutyraldehyde market is likely to be strong, which will continue to support the downstream neopentyl glycol market.
BDO rose by 4433.33 yuan/ton, an increase of 27.59%
On the 18th, BDO quoted 20,500 yuan/ton, an increase of 4433.33 yuan/ton from the price at the beginning of the month , an increase of 27.59%. The bullish atmosphere is still strong after the holiday, with suppliers showing strong intention to support the market. The BDO market in South China has become more focused, with manufacturers offering high prices to support the market. Downstream demand for replenishment continues, and high auction activity continues to boost the market. The market’s voice is biased toward sellers, and the focus of negotiations remains firm and upward. Some companies announced new settlement prices and listing prices:
Styrene rose by 1,805 yuan/ton, an increase of 25.91%
On the 18th, styrene was quoted at 8,771.67 yuan/ton, an increase of 1,805 yuan/ton from the price at the beginning of the month, an increase of 25.91%. The biggest reason for this round of styrene surge is undoubtedly the centralized production reduction and shutdown of international equipment.
In the United States, due to record-breaking freezing temperatures and winter precipitation in Texas, starting from February 15, two sets of Styrolution and one set of LyondellBasell totaled more than 1.5 million tons/ The styrene unit in 2016 was shut down unplanned, the CosMar unit was forced to shut down due to an upstream unit failure, the operating rate of one unit was reduced, and Westlake was shut down unplanned. A series of unexpected supply cuts further supported the continuous rise in the US styrene spot market. Spot styrene closed at US$1,270-1,280/ton FOB US Gulf on February 17, setting a new high since September 2018.
Oil prices may continue to strengthen under expectations of inflation and economic recovery, and styrene is expected to follow the rise in oil prices. In the next March to April, imports of styrene are expected to decrease in volume and prices will fall. Global overhauls are concentrated. With new styrene installations discharging materials in mid-to-late March, styrene’s current upward trend may be maintained until the end of March. At present, styrene is mainly finishing on the strong side, and the price may exceed the 9,000 yuan/ton mark.
Pure benzene rose by 1,100 yuan/ton, an increase of 23.5%
On the 18th, the price of pure benzene was 5,780 yuan/ton, an increase of 1,100 yuan from the price at the beginning of the month / ton, an increase of 23.5%, and the quotation in East China has reached 6,000 yuan / ton. During the Spring Festival, the strength of crude oil and the unplanned shutdown of some equipment in the United States triggered a sharp rise in the price of pure benzene in the external market. Among them, FOB South Korea increased by US$40/ton to US$776/ton compared with before the holiday.
CFR China rose by US$36.5/ton to US$774.5/ton. Driven by the surge in downstream styrene for the same reason, domestic pure benzene has been actively pushing up. The price of pure benzene is expected to continue to rise from late February to March.
N-butanol rose by 2166.67 yuan/ton, an increase of 22.22%
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Isooctanol rose by 1,200 yuan/ton, an increase of 11.61%
On the 18th, isooctyl alcohol was quoted at 11,533.33 yuan/ton , an increase of 1,200 yuan/ton, or 11.61%, from the quotation at the beginning of the month. The price of isooctyl alcohol fluctuated and rose, the overall market was strong, and the downstream DOP market was strong and temporarily stable.
Aniline rose by 866.67 yuan/ton, An increase of 10.97%
On the 18th, the price of aniline was 8766.67 yuan/ton, an increase of 866.67 yuan/ton from the price at the beginning of the month, an increase of 10.97%. The price of aniline in Nanjing was 8800-8900 yuan/ton, and in Shandong The price is 8,700-8,900 yuan/ton, which is higher than before the holiday. Affected by the severe weather in the United States and the expected tightening of crude oil supply in the market, crude oil has continued to rise. In addition, driven by the surge in external styrene, domestic pure benzene prices have followed suit, and the cost of aniline has increased. The sharp rise supported the upward price increase of aniline.
Lithium iron phosphate rose by 3,000 yuan/ton, an increase of 7.89%
On the 18th, the quotation of lithium iron phosphate 41,000 yuan/ton, an increase of 3,000 yuan/ton, or 7.89%, from the quotation at the beginning of the month. As new energy vehicles continue to be popular, downstream demand is strong, and the expansion of the lithium battery industry chain is also in full swing.
Car companies are turning to lithium iron phosphate batteries one after another, which has also caused the price of lithium iron phosphate to rise and production capacity to be tight. The focus of market negotiations among heavyweight companies has shifted upward, and prices have been raised. The mainstream quotation of domestic power lithium iron phosphate is between 41,000 and 45,000. Yuan/ton, the mainstream quotation of energy storage lithium iron phosphate is 36,000~40,000 yuan/ton, the price is also on the rise, and the focus of negotiations is on the high side. At present, some leading lithium iron phosphate companies have stopped accepting new orders, which may affect 2021. China’s new energy vehicle market structure.
Polymer MDI rose by 5.45%, and major manufacturers raised the price by 2,270 yuan/ton
On the 18th, the price of polymer MDI was 20,000 yuan/ton, an increase of 933.34 yuan/ton, or 5.45%, from the quotation at the beginning of the month. Tosoh Specialty Chemicals (USA) Company issued a notice to increase the price of Millionate brand MDI in North America, saying that starting from March 1, 2021, or according to the contract The terms stipulate that Tosoh Specialty Chemicals (USA) will increase the price of this brand of MDI by US$0.35/kg (approximately RMB 2,270/ton).
Affected by the cold wave weather in the United States, Before the holiday, the domestic polymeric MDI market consolidated in a high range, and the increase is expected to be sufficient after the holiday. The domestic heavy-duty MDI device was overhauled at the end of February, and the foreign European Huntsman MDI device was overhauled in March. In addition, the United States was affected by the sudden cold wave, and the BASF MDI device was frozen. loss, Covestro’s MDI equipment reduces the load. There are too many reports of device failures and maintenance abroad. Europe and the United States are in the post-epidemic economic recovery period. Urban to suburban areas support the demand for polyurethane applications in construction, automobiles, home appliances, furniture and bedding industries, supporting the demand for isocyanates. Domestic raw material exports will There is a good trend, and the domestic polymer MDI market price is likely to be rising steadily.
Lithium carbonate rose by 3,600 yuan/ton, an increase of 5.25%
On the 18th, lithium carbonate was quoted at 72,200 yuan/ton, an increase of 3,600 yuan from the price at the beginning of the month / ton, an increase of 5.25%. The Spring Festival holiday has officially ended, and the market atmosphere has become active. Industrial-grade lithium carbonate is quoted at 71,500 yuan/ton, and battery-grade lithium carbonate is quoted at 74,000 yuan/ton. The prosperity of the global new energy industry continues to rise, the domestic and European electric vehicle markets resonate, and the upward trend of the upstream lithium carbonate market continues to strengthen.
Epoxy resin rose by 1,000 yuan/ton, an increase of 4%
On the 18th, the price of epoxy resin was 26,000 yuan/ton, an increase from the price at the beginning of the month 1,000 yuan/ton, an increase of 4%. Some manufacturers have closed their doors. Although the price lists of some manufacturers have not changed for the time being, the actual orders received have been raised by more than 1,000 yuan/ton from the base price on the price list. The price of liquid epoxy resin in Zhuhai Hongchang is only one step away from 30,000 yuan/ton. During the Spring Festival, epoxy resin operated strongly. A Jiangsu manufacturing company, Guodu Chemical Industry, and Hongchang Electronics stopped production for a short period of time. After Huangshan She County suspended production on January 28, it has not yet fully resumed work. Most plans to restart around February 21, during the holiday. Orders for liquid epoxy resin in February are basically full. In the later period, demand from downstream wind power, electronics, paint and other industries is optimistic. The market outlook for liquid epoxy resin is improving, which will form a positive support for epichlorohydrin.
“Good start” after the holiday, the chemical market will continue to rise
The dynamics of the chemical industry under the epidemic in 2020 have surprised everyone, and in 2021 The start of the year continues this unpredictable trend. The extremely cold weather in the United States and other places has pushed international crude oil to soar to a 13-month high. Under force majeure, chemical giants such as Exxon Mobil, Chevron Phillips Chemical Company, and Marathon Petroleum Company have shut down equipment or even suspended production. Cold wave weather has led to a reduction in U.S. crude oil production. European and American vaccines are actively promoting vaccines, and international oil prices continue to rise. U.S. commercial crude oil inventories have dropped significantly. Vaccines and the U.S. economic stimulus plan continue to boost demand expectations. The tight supply situation has inevitably pushed up the prices of chemical products. It is expected that the chemical market will maintain an upward trend in the near future, and raw material prices will also continue to rise. </p
