SunSirs: Supply and Demand Were Weak, and the Xylene Market Rose Slightly

Price trend

According to the SunSirs Commodity Market Analysis System, the xylene market saw a slight increase last week, rising from 5,540 RMB/ton to 5,570 RMB/ton between September 15 and 22, 2025, a 0.54% increase. The domestic xylene market saw little change last week. Inventories in Shandong were low, leading to minor price adjustments at major refineries, and regional transactions were driven by strong demand. Inventories in East China remained largely unchanged, with prices rising slightly. Trading activity in South China was subdued, with weak downstream purchasing leading to a slight price increase.

Factors affecting price:

Cost: According to the SunSirs commodity market analysis system, as of September 19, the November settlement price of the US WTI crude oil futures contract was $62.40 per barrel. The December settlement price of the Brent crude oil futures contract was $66.04 per barrel.

Supply:

Sinopec's xylene price summary: As of September 22nd, operations were operating normally, production was stable, and both production and sales were steady. Company prices remained unchanged from the previous day. As of September 22nd, the East China company quoted 5,600 RMB/ton, the North China company quoted 5,550-5,650 RMB/ton, the South China company quoted 5,500 RMB/ton, and the Central China company quoted 5,500-5,550 RMB/ton.

Demand Side:

On September 22nd, Sinopec Sales Company quoted a temporary stabilization of paraxylene prices at 7,200 RMB/ton. This price applied to all regions in East China, North China, Central China, and South China. Plants at Yangzi Petrochemical and Zhenhai Petrochemical were operating stably, and sales were normal. As of September 19th, the closing price of paraxylene in the Asian market was $791-793/ton FOB Korea and $816-818/ton CFR China.

Market outlook

The crude oil market has been weak recently, with weak macroeconomic conditions providing insufficient market guidance. Recent changes on the supply side have been limited, with limited market impact. On the demand side, with the holiday approaching, downstream demand was building up for pre-holiday stockpiling, primarily through on-demand inventory replenishment. Overall, recent news has been relatively muted, and the market is expected to remain stable in the short term, with limited volatility.

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