Price trend

According to data from SunSirs, as of May 31, the average price of maleic anhydride was 11,000.00 RMB/ton (both including tax), a decrease of 2.22% from the 11,250.00 RMB/ton on May 1.

On May 31, the maleic anhydride commodity index was 103.62, which was the same as previous day. It was 16.21% lower than the highest point of the cycle at 123.67 points (2017-12-26), and 102.46% higher than the lowest point of 51.18 points on April 14, 2020. (Note: Period refers to 2011-09-01 to present)

Analysis review

In May, the maleic anhydride market price rose first and then declined. The market was weak and the wait-and-see sentiment was strong. The transaction was mainly based on on-demand procurement. The operating rate was basically stable in this month. As of the 31st, solid maleic anhydride in Shandong was about 9,000 RMB/ton, liquid maleic anhydride in Jiangsu was about 9,300 RMB/ton, solid maleic anhydride in Shanxi was about 9,500 RMB/ton, solid maleic anhydride in Hebei was about 9,500 RMB/ton, and solid maleic anhydride in South China was about 9,600 RMB/ton.

Affected by the expected impact of the Gulf of Mexico hurricane, oil prices were relatively firm; demand growth was expected due to vaccination; the US driving season also stimulated increased demand. As of the end of the month, the settlement price of the main contract in the US WTI crude oil futures market was reported at 66.32 US dollars/barrel, and the settlement price of the main contract in the Brent crude oil futures market was reported at 68.72 US dollars/barrel,.

At present, affected by environmental factors, the operating rate of downstream unsaturated resins has slowed down, and the resin market has a strong wait-and-see sentiment, with just-need purchases mainly.

According to the monitoring of SunSirs, the price of hydrogenated benzene first rose and then fell in May. As of May 31, the average market price of hydrogenated benzene in the North China was 7,650 RMB/ton. In May 2021, the overall operating rate of hydrogenated benzene enterprises was around 75%, which increased from the previous month. Currently, the price of hydrogenated benzene is high, corporate profits are improving, and production and sales are active. Hydrogenated benzene companies have lower operating costs than pure benzene, and most manufacturers schedule production based on profitability. The price of n-butane was basically stable, and the price in Shandong was 4,300 RMB/ton.

Market outlook

The maleic anhydride product analyst of SunSirs believes that the state continues to monitor the price of raw materials, and under the game of supply and demand divergence, the price of chemical products has fallen, and the divergence of supply and demand in the maleic anhydride market has increased. The downstream mainly focuses on just-needed purchases. The price of maleic anhydride has weakened. The sentiment is strong, and the price of maleic anhydride is expected to decline in June.

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