Toluene Price Chart & Market Analysis 2026

Toluene Price Information Spec: Toluene, Grade: Premium;99.9%;Toluene, National Standard;BASF-YPC / Grade: Premium;High-grade product;98% or above;Mainstream market;Isomerism

Newest Price 1,180.18

Price Date 20261023

Day's Change +3.9

Day's Range 1,180.18 - 1,184.08

Month's Change -79.62

Month's Range 1,180.18 - 1,100.56

Year's Change +549.55

Year's Range 1,180.18 - 630.63

Opinions

What is the outlook for European toluene supply and its impact on global trade?

Europe's high-cost, small-scale crackers—35% of ethylene capacity is below 500,000 tons/year—make it structurally uncompetitive. For Chinese exporters, this creates opportunity but also risk: if European demand shifts to Asian imports, freight costs and trade flows will reshape pricing. Monitor Shell's final decision as a key swing factor for 2026-2027 toluene balances.

How do crude oil and geopolitical events drive toluene price spikes?

Beyond crude, watch inventory levels as the real price catalyst. In the September rally, pure benzene inventories fell to 36,000 tons—essentially empty tanks—which turned every supply disruption into a hard price floor. For toluene traders, tracking refinery run rates and port stock levels provides better short-term signals than oil price headlines alone.

What are the key supply-demand dynamics shaping China's toluene market?

The capacity-output gap suggests toluene is often produced as a co-product, with economics tied to PX and benzene values. Export growth is notable—from 36,900 tons in 2019 to 1.07 million tons in 2025—with Singapore, South Korea, and Malaysia as top destinations. Watch for shifts in China's PX self-sufficiency, as that directly determines toluene availability for export.

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Overview

Toluene (methylbenzene, CAS 108-88-3) is a colourless, volatile liquid with a characteristic aromatic odour, insoluble in water but miscible with organic solvents. It is a key aromatic hydrocarbon used primarily as a solvent and chemical intermediate.

Industrial: serves as a core solvent in printing inks, paints, and coatings, typically comprising a significant share of ink formulations.
Chemical synthesis: a feedstock for benzene, xylene, and derivatives via hydrodealkylation or disproportionation, and for producing benzoic acid, benzaldehyde, and nitrotoluenes.
Solvent applications: used in rubber, adhesives, and metal-cleaning formulations.
Fuel & additives: a component in gasoline blending and octane enhancement.

China's production landscape is dominated by large integrated refining and petrochemical complexes, with capacity concentrated among major state-owned and private enterprises. Output is primarily derived from catalytic reforming and ethylene cracking, with a growing share from CO₂-based aromatics projects. The market is largely self-sufficient, with regional supply-demand balances shifting as new capacities come online.

Key domestic producers:
Rongsheng Petrochemical – major integrated producer with large-scale toluene and downstream aromatics capacity.
Zhejiang Petrochemical – significant new capacity, partly for internal paraxylene use.
Sinopec – leading state-owned refiner with substantial toluene output across multiple sites.

Properties

Name

Toluene

CAS Number

108-88-3

HS Code

2902300000

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Toluene Price Information Spec: Toluene, Grade: Premium;99.9%;Toluene, National Standard;BASF-YPC / Grade: Premium;High-grade product;98% or above;Mainstream market;Isomerism

Opinions

What is the outlook for European toluene supply and its impact on global trade?

How do crude oil and geopolitical events drive toluene price spikes?

What are the key supply-demand dynamics shaping China's toluene market?

Latest News

Imports have become incidental, with price differentials serving as the primary reference factor for toluene imports.

Shandong's supply of benzene and toluene remains tight, with toluene prices being raised.

Shandong Xylene Prices Revised Upward; Market Expected to Trade in a High-Range Fluctuation

Asia Toluene Market Overview for October 21

Market Overview of the Asian Toluene Market on October 19

Asia Toluene Market Overview for October 20

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