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Home > News > A wait-and-see sentiment prevails, leading to a decline in monomer prices.

A wait-and-see sentiment prevails, leading to a decline in monomer prices.

Published on 2026-10-12
  1. Daily Summary

① Raw Materials: Ethylene oxide (EO) prices in East China reached 9,700 RMB/ton, while domestic ethylene prices fell to 8,950 RMB/ton.

② Demand: New market orders were sparse, and downstream purchasing willingness remained weak.

  1. Spot Market Overview

Table 1: Domestic Polycarboxylate Superplasticizer Monomer Price Summary (Unit: RMB/ton)

Market Specification 2026/10/10 2026/10/12 Change Value Change %
East China EPEG 10,100–10,600 10,000–10,300 -100 / -300 -0.99% / -2.83%
HPEG 10,200–10,700 10,100–10,400 -100 / -300 -0.98% / -2.80%
TPEG 10,200–10,700 10,100–10,400 -100 / -300 -0.98% / -2.80%
South China EPEG 10,300–10,500 10,200–10,400 -100 / -100 -0.97% / -0.95%
HPEG 10,400–10,600 10,300–10,500 -100 / -100 -0.96% / -0.94%
TPEG 10,400–10,600 10,300–10,500 -100 / -100 -0.96% / -0.94%
Northeast China HPEG 10,000–10,200 9,800–10,200 -200 / 0 -2.00% / 0.00%
EPEG 10,000–10,200 9,800–10,200 -200 / 0 -2.00% / 0.00%
TPEG 10,100–10,300 9,900–10,300 -200 / 0 -1.98% / 0.00%
Data Source: Chempricehub Information

Today, domestic polycarboxylate superplasticizer monomer prices continued their downward trend. The supply-demand pressure in the raw material ethylene oxide market remained manageable, with prices holding steady. In East China, recent market shipments were moderate; producers proactively lowered quotes to alleviate shipping pressures, but downstream buying demand in the region showed no significant improvement. Although the fundamentals of the ethylene oxide market remain acceptable, the monomer market continues to offer discounts to facilitate sales, increasing cost pressures. Downstream participation in procurement remains low. Overall, the price of EPEG in the key East China market is expected to range between 9,950 and 10,250 RMB/ton on the next business day.

  1. Production Dynamics

Today, the capacity utilization rate for the polycarboxylate superplasticizer monomer industry stood at 28.44%, a decline from the previous period. The gross margin for HPEG was -479 RMB/ton.

  1. Price Forecast

On the next business day, domestic polycarboxylate superplasticizer monomer prices may see slight softening. The primary raw material, ethylene oxide, is likely to remain stable as market participants adopt a wait-and-see approach. Supply within the EO market has increased slightly, keeping supply pressure manageable. However, order intake across downstream industries remains poor, with consumption limited to rigid demand. Today, lower negotiated prices appeared in the East China ethylene market, suggesting a high probability of continued weakness in the short term, offering limited support from the cost side. Low-priced monomer inventory is impacting the market, with most downstream buyers observing rather than purchasing actively. Transactions are primarily driven by small-volume rigid demand, with limited follow-up purchases expected, leading to volume-based negotiations. Consequently, the price of EPEG in the key East China market is projected to be between 9,950 and 10,250 RMB/ton.

  1. Related Products Status

① Ethylene Oxide (Raw Material): Ethylene oxide prices are expected to remain stable. On the supply side, operating loads of existing plants are steady, with no new inventory entering the market. Combined with the impact of prior contract deliveries, tight supply conditions persist in some regions. On the demand side, downstream industries exhibit strong wait-and-see sentiment, with limited actual new orders. Key downstream markets continue to purchase based on rigid demand only. Regarding costs, ethylene prices remain firm, with ample supply available in the market, though transactions are concentrated around rigid demand purchases. Overall, both supply and cost factors provide certain support to ethylene oxide, leading to an expectation of continued price stability. Future developments upstream and downstream should be closely monitored.

  1. Data Calendar

Table 2: Domestic Polycarboxylate Superplasticizer Monomer Data Overview (Unit: 10,000 tons)

Data Indicator Release Date Previous Period Data Expected Trend This Period
Sellable Inventory Rate Thursday 17:00 PM -27.68% ↗
Weekly Output Thursday 17:00 PM 3.19 ↘
Capacity Utilization Rate Thursday 17:00 PM 28.44% ↘
Data Source: Chempricehub Information
Notes:
1. ↓↑ indicates significant fluctuation, highlighting data dimensions with changes exceeding 3%.
2. ↗↘ indicates narrow fluctuation, highlighting data dimensions with changes within 0–3%.

Comments

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  • Elena Vasquez 2026-10-13 10:00
    With capacity utilization at 28.44% and negative margins for HPEG, the wait-and-see sentiment makes sense. Weak downstream demand is the main drag here, not feedstock costs since EO prices are stable. I expect softening ..
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