Price trend

Last week, the acrylic acid market showed a dynamic interplay of strong cost support and seasonally weaker demand, resulting in an overall strong upward trend. As of January 26th, the benchmark price of acrylic acid according to SunSirs was 6,116.67 RMB/ton, a 3.87% increase compared to the beginning of the month (5,850.00 RMB/ton).

Cost Side:

As a key upstream raw material for acrylic acid, the cost price of propylene continued to rise strongly recently, providing strong cost support for the acrylic acid market. As of January 26th, the benchmark price of propylene according to SunSirs was 6,171.00 RMB/ton, an increase of 7.93% compared to the beginning of the month (5,717.67 RMB/ton). With this cost support, manufacturers and traders were maintaining relatively firm prices, and their willingness to sell at low prices was weak, resulting in a decrease in low-priced supply in the market.

Demand side:

In late January, downstream industries such as coatings and adhesives entered their seasonal low demand period. Customers were primarily focused on consuming existing contracts or inventory, with limited willingness to actively inquire about prices or place new orders, and generally adopted a wait-and-see attitude. The market mainly relied on essential demand from downstream users for limited purchases, resulting in a generally subdued trading atmosphere and making it difficult for prices to rise significantly.

Market outlook

Overall, the acrylic acid market is likely to continue in a narrow trading range in the short term, characterized by a balance between demand and cost constraints. The market is expected to fluctuate within a range. The following two points warrant attention:

Regional price disparities may intensify: for example, the price increase in the East China market on January 23rd may be related to local supply or short-term demand fluctuations, but whether this trend will continue and spread nationwide remains to be seen, depending on subsequent changes in supply and demand.

Medium- to long-term outlook is leaning towards a surplus: From a broader annual supply and demand perspective, based on existing analyses and forecasts, with the introduction of new production capacity in the future, the overall fundamentals of the Chinese acrylic acid market may tend towards a surplus in 2026.

If you have any inquiries or purchasing needs, please feel free to contact SunSirs with support@sunsirs.com.