May 20 - Effective July 1, 2026 (or as permitted by contract), Stepan will increase the price of STEPANPOL® and TERATE® rigid polyester polyols for the Americas by $0.185 per pound. This increase is in addition to the price adjustment announced effective May 15, 2026. The adjustment is necessary due to continued increases in raw material, freight, and energy costs.

Chempricehub evaluates rigid polyester polyols: Bullish/Bearish score: 2
Stepan announced a price increase of $0.185 per pound for rigid polyester polyols in the Americas effective July 1, 2026, on top of the May 15 increase. This directly pushes up spot prices for the product, representing a significant bullish factor.

Ethylene glycol: Bullish/Bearish score: 0.5
Ethylene glycol is a key raw material for rigid polyester polyols. The current price hike is driven by increased raw material costs, and the smooth cost pass-through provides some support for ethylene glycol demand, a slight bullish signal for its price. The DCE ethylene glycol main contract (2609) closed at 4,762 CNY/mt on May 19, down 75 CNY/mt from the previous trading day. This news may help alleviate its downward pressure.

PX: Bullish/Bearish score: 0.5
PX is a core upstream raw material for polyester products. The polyol price increase, driven by rising raw material costs, indirectly supports PX demand expectations, providing a minor bullish influence on its price. The ZCE PX main contract (2701) closed at 8,708 CNY/mt on May 19, down 106 CNY/mt from the previous trading day. This news offers some support to its price.