This month (August 2026), the acetone market center of gravity moved up significantly.

1. Monthly Highlights

• In August, China's acetone monthly output was 270,800 tons, down 7.70% year-on-year and up 6.61% month-on-month.
• In August, the average profit of China's phenol/acetone enterprises was -356 yuan/ton, up 452 yuan/ton month-on-month, an increase of 55.94%.
• In August, 8 phenol/acetone units in China underwent maintenance, involving a total annual capacity of 1.43 million tons, with combined production losses of 84,900 tons.

2. Monthly Market Analysis

Table: Monthly Price Changes in the Domestic Acetone Market (Unit: yuan/ton)

In August, the domestic acetone market trended upward. As of August 28, negotiated acetone prices in Jiangsu were referenced at 7,100-7,200 yuan/ton. The heavy concentration of phenol/acetone unit turnarounds in July kept spot supply tight throughout the month. Combined with typhoon weather delaying some cargo arrivals, port inventories once fell to low levels, and holders were reluctant to sell and eager to push prices higher. On the cost side, stronger crude oil lifted feedstock pure benzene and propylene, providing staged support for acetone. However, downstream buyers remained cautious, and major downstream sectors mostly purchased on a need-only basis. After prices were driven up to a high of 7,300 yuan/ton, procurement slowed noticeably, with limited acceptance of high prices. Toward the end of the month, as phenol/acetone units at Taichem Xingye and Shenghong Refining & Chemical began feedstock input, market participants expected supply to increase, sentiment turned cautious, and some were inclined to take profits, causing the market to ease back slightly after the rally.

3. Market Influencing Factors

1. As of August 28, Sinopec East China's acetone list price was set at 7,300 yuan/ton.
2. In August, the acetone capacity utilization rate was 70.93%, up 4.4 percentage points from the previous month and down 5.74 percentage points year-on-year.
3. As of August 28, acetone port inventory in Jiangyin totaled 13,500 tons, including 11,000 tons at Huaxi and 2,500 tons at Hengyang.

4. Next-Month Market Forecast

The domestic acetone market is expected to see room for a downward move in September. On the supply side, as previously maintained units resume operation and imported supplies gradually arrive, the current tightness in spot availability is expected to ease, with port inventory likely hovering near 12,000 tons. On the cost side, feedstock pure benzene is expected to be weak, reducing cost support for acetone, while losses at phenol/acetone plants are likely to narrow. On the demand side, demand from key downstream sectors such as bisphenol A and isopropanol is expected to improve somewhat, while other downstream industries will mostly follow rigid-demand purchasing. Overall, supply growth and demand recovery will offset each other, while cost support tends to weaken. It is expected that the September acetone market may move lower, and the actual release of end-user demand still requires close monitoring.