Lead: China’s pure benzene imports in August reached 402,000 tons, aligning with previous expectations. Due to scheduled maintenance of Asian plants and the redirection of some supply to European and American markets during August–September, monthly import volumes are forecast to decline to 350,000 tons in September and 330,000 tons in October.
According to customs statistics, China’s pure benzene imports for August 2026 totaled 401,979.082 tons, bringing the year-to-date cumulative imports to 3,070,172.652 tons. The total import value for the month was USD 393.07 million, with an average unit price of USD 977.84 per ton. Import volume decreased by 0.29% month-on-month and fell by 8.89% year-on-year. Cumulative imports declined by 16.56% compared to the same period last year.
Customs data also shows that China’s pure benzene exports in August 2026 amounted to 2,850 tons, with cumulative exports reaching 5,977.92 tons. The export value for the month was USD 5.70 million, at an average price of USD 2,000 per ton. Year-to-date export volume surged by 2,109.89% compared to the same period last year.
Regarding trade partners, August imports from South Korea stood at 230,100 tons, a decrease of 20.97% from July. South Korea accounted for 57.24% of total imports, up by 10.05 percentage points from the previous month, exceeding the typical share range of 45–50%.
In terms of other sources, imports from India were 23,500 tons, down by 32,500 tons from July, consistent with forecasts as some Indian cargo was reportedly redirected to Western markets. Imports from Brunei totaled 49,200 tons, followed by Japan (23,500 tons), Vietnam (18,200 tons), Malaysia (14,900 tons), Indonesia (12,000 tons), and Singapore (11,500 tons). Volumes from Oman, Thailand, and other countries remained below 10,000 tons each.
By registration location, the primary entry points for pure benzene imports in August were Zhejiang, Shanghai, and Shandong, with volumes of 168,700 tons, 55,600 tons, and 40,800 tons, respectively. Other regions included Hainan (37,400 tons), Guangxi (32,500 tons), Fujian (26,100 tons), Jiangsu (22,800 tons), Guangdong (8,900 tons), Tianjin (5,800 tons), Chongqing (3,000 tons), and others (300 tons).
By trade mode, general trade dominated imports with 366,300 tons, representing 91.12% of the total. Processing trade accounted for the remaining 35,700 tons, or 8.88%.
August import volumes of 402,000 tons were nearly flat compared to July. Looking ahead, some Asian supply is expected to be diverted to Europe and the US for arbitrage opportunities in September, while concentrated plant maintenance in South Korea will begin in October. Consequently, September imports are estimated to drop to 350,000 tons, with further declines to 330,000 tons anticipated in October.
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