Prompt

1. Daily Summary

2. Nov 3: US-Iran tensions remained stable ahead of the US midterm elections, easing supply risk concerns and causing international crude oil prices to fall. NYMEX WTI crude oil futures (December contract) closed at $96.09/bbl, down $0.37 (-0.38%); ICE Brent crude oil futures (January contract) closed at $103.60/bbl, down $1.17 (-1.12%). China INE crude oil futures (contract 2612) fell by 50.3 to 694.9 RMB/bbl; night session fell by 16.1 to 678.8 RMB/bbl.

3. Nov 4: Domestic liquid chlorine prices were adjusted downward to 200 RMB/ton today.

4. Spot Market Overview

Table 1: Domestic Dichloromethane Price Summary (Unit: RMB/ton)

Based on the Shandong region, dichloromethane closed at 3250 RMB/ton today (range: 3200-3300 RMB/ton), remaining stable compared to the previous working day. The domestic dichloromethane market traded sideways, with enterprises flexibly adjusting their quotations based on their own shipment rates and inventory levels. Currently, dichloromethane prices remain high, resulting in low willingness among downstream users and traders to place orders. Demand lacks effective support, and the market is primarily characterized by cautious wait-and-see sentiment.

3. Production Dynamics

The capacity utilization rate for chloromethanes was 69.21%, unchanged from the previous working day. Regarding cost and profit, upstream raw material liquid chlorine prices fell today while methanol prices remained stable, leading to a decrease in the theoretical cost of chloromethanes. Calculated based on externally sourced liquid chlorine, the daily profit margin for chloromethanes was 408 RMB/ton.

4. Price Forecast

Current dichloromethane prices are relatively high, and downstream users and traders lack motivation to follow up on orders, resulting in sluggish trading activity and heavy wait-and-see sentiment in the market. However, some chloromethane producers currently face manageable inventory pressure, and there are plans for subsequent plant shutdowns. Amidst these conflicting factors, the domestic dichloromethane market is expected to trend slightly weaker but remain generally stable. Attention should be paid to future changes in news and fundamentals.

5. Related Product Updates

Refrigerant Market: Based on the bulk market in East China, major fluorine refrigerant R32 manufacturers maintained firm quotations, controlling volume to support prices. As of press time, mainstream large-scale manufacturers in East China quoted around 65,500 RMB/ton (coordinated quotes for domestic and foreign trade). Mainstream market quotations in East China ranged from 63,500 to 64,500 RMB/ton, consistent with morning expectations. Market intelligence indicates that inquiries in the channel bulk market have been passively weak for a long time. Bulk supplies are primarily allocated to original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) under fixed long-term agreements, while small-package shipments occur at a slower frequency. Consequently, source factories are strictly controlling incremental spot supply. Statistics show that industry-wide operating load for fluorine refrigerant R32 remains near 40%. Recently, factory production schedules and consumption momentum have further contracted. Foreign trade export volumes have rebounded, aiding active destocking. With R32 prices hovering at high levels, channel holders are seeking opportunities to sell and reduce inventory. There is little interest in purchasing high-cost inventory, with buyers waiting for clear quotation signals from mainstream manufacturers. Chempricehub predicts that fluorine refrigerant R32 will focus on volume control and price support in the short term, with commercial negotiations determining pricing. Monitor industry unit dynamics and production scheduling rhythms.

6. Data Calendar

Table 2: Domestic Chloromethane Data Overview (Unit: 10,000 tons)