Data source: Customs, Chempricehub
In December 2025, the final actual unloading volume of ocean-going vessels carrying methanol imports to China stood at 1.7546 million metric tons (counted upon berthing), up by 340,000 metric tons or 24.04% from the previous month's customs data of 1.4146 million metric tons.
Data source: Customs, Chempricehub
China's methanol exports in December 2025 are estimated at approximately 20,000 metric tons, down by 12,600 metric tons or 38.65% from the previous month's customs data of 32,600 metric tons.
Imports: With unloading accelerated, most cargoes previously delayed were essentially all discharged in December, supporting a sharp rebound in unloading volume from ocean-going vessels.
Exports: This was driven by contract allocation among dollar-denominated traders, unrelated to regional price spreads.
Estimated monthly import volume of methanol into China by country/region of origin, based on ocean-going vessel data (December)
| Trading Partner | Volume (metric tons) | Share of Imports |
|---|---|---|
| Middle East | 1,383,930 | 78.87% |
| Chile | 102,399 | 5.84% |
| Malaysia | 50,000 | 2.85% |
| New Zealand | 50,000 | 2.85% |
| Saudi Arabia | 40,000 | 2.28% |
| Oman | 38,000 | 2.17% |
| Trinidad | 34,300 | 1.95% |
| Russia | 28,000 | 1.60% |
| Venezuela | 28,000 | 1.60% |
| Total | 1,754,629 | 100.00% |
Data source: Chempricehub
In December, the unloading volume of imported methanol cargoes reached 1.7546 million metric tons (counted upon berthing), with accelerated unloading supporting a significant rebound in vessel arrivals. Among this, the Middle East, as the core supply region, contributed 1.3839 million metric tons, while non-Iranian cargoes accounted for 370,700 metric tons. According to the latest tracking data, total loading volume from the core Middle East region in December amounted to 722,000 metric tons, which has already seen marked reductions amid gas curtailment and plant shutdowns, and will lead to a sharp drop in January arrivals. On the non-Iranian front, cargoes from the Middle East and Russia saw incremental flows toward India for arbitrage opportunities, while South America and Southeast Asia maintained low operating rates due to maintenance and other factors. Combined with certain regional conflicts, non-Iranian methanol supply in January is expected to decline further month-on-month from December, with the possibility of dropping to a low level of around 300,000 metric tons. In summary, this network assesses total estimated methanol imports for January at approximately 1.05 million metric tons. (Due to multiple port-related factors, cargo arrival times may be subject to change; actual port receipts shall be based on final dock arrivals.)
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