① [Chempricehub] Oct 7: International crude oil prices fell as US-Iran negotiation channels remained open and the Federal Reserve kept rate hike possibilities on the table. NYMEX WTI futures for November settled at $88.28/bbl, down $1.16 (-1.30%); ICE Brent futures for December closed at $100.20/bbl, down $0.38 (-0.38%). China's INE crude oil futures were closed due to the National Day holiday.
② Today, domestic cyclohexanone capacity utilization stands at approximately 59.7%. The trend toward integrated production is maturing, with most units co-producing caprolactam. Commodity-grade supply remains stable, while downstream fiber orders are being placed on an as-needed basis.
③ Sinopec refineries in East, South, and Central China raised pure benzene prices by RMB 300/ton to RMB 10,200/ton, effective September 29.
Table 1: Domestic Cyclohexanone Price Summary (Unit: RMB/ton)
| Market | Specification | Sep 30 | Oct 8 | Change | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| East China | Cyclohexanone | 10,950 | 11,250 | +300 | +2.74% |
Based on the East China market, today’s reference price for cyclohexanone is RMB 11,200–11,300/ton, representing a rise of RMB 300/ton (+2.74%) from the previous trading day. Feedstock pure benzene traded strongly, increasing cost pressure. Suppliers reduced low-price offers, leading to a fluctuating upward trend in market prices.
Today, the integration of cyclohexanone-caprolactam production has intensified, reducing the availability of commodity-grade cyclohexanone. Downstream fiber orders remain limited.
Strong support from feedstock pure benzene, combined with on-demand purchasing by downstream users and reduced spot supply of cyclohexanone, suggests that cyclohexanone prices will likely follow pure benzene in maintaining a bullish trend in the short term.
Pure Benzene Market: On October 8, spot negotiations for pure benzene in East China ranged between RMB 10,500–10,800/ton, with an average price of RMB 10,650/ton, up RMB 295 from the previous business day. Negotiations for late October were quoted at RMB 10,500–10,800/ton (average RMB 10,650), up RMB 650; for late November at RMB 10,000–10,500/ton (average RMB 10,250), up RMB 1,075; and for late December at RMB 9,500–10,000/ton (average RMB 9,750), up RMB 1,125. Unit: RMB/ton.
Caprolactam: Today, the East China caprolactam market price was RMB 13,950/ton (acceptance-based delivered price), up RMB 150/ton from the previous business day. Caprolactam prices showed localized gains driven by strong upstream pure benzene costs. While producers intend to raise prices further, the market remains largely cautious. In the afternoon, some spot transactions were attempted at RMB 14,100/ton (acceptance-based delivered price), but overall market sentiment continues to favor wait-and-see behavior.
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