What is the current price trend for polyacrylamide and what factors are keeping it range-bound?

What is the current price trend for polyacrylamide and what factors are keeping it range-bound?
As of early September 2026, polyacrylamide spot prices in China remain stable at around 14,000 yuan/tonne, with no clear directional signal across 5-day, 10-day, and 20-day moving averages. The market is characterized as oscillating: short-term prices sit at low levels with limited downside, while the one-year view shows prices near highs, capping upside potential. Upstream acrylamide monomer prices are steady, providing stable cost support. This equilibrium reflects balanced supply-demand dynamics—domestic capacity is ample, but environmental compliance costs and energy prices underpin production costs. Buyers are largely purchasing on a need-basis, avoiding inventory buildup given the lack of price momentum. The absence of major supply disruptions or demand shocks has kept the market in a holding pattern, with traders watching for any shift in feedstock costs or downstream procurement cycles.