The methanol market is stabilizing as the main part
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On December 18, the domestic methanol market remained largely stable with localized price fluctuations. In Shandong, Lunan Methanol saw a drop of 10–30 yuan/ton, while in parts of Hebei, prices fell by 50 yuan/ton. In Henan, methanol prices declined by 20–40 yuan/ton, while Inner Mongolia and Shanxi maintained steady pricing. Xinao Energy's 600,000-ton/year coal-to-methanol plant reduced output slightly. The southwest region experienced minimal price swings, with normal shipment activities. In the northeast, shipping costs saw a slight decline.
At the ports, East China ports remained quiet, with Jiangsu Port’s tanking price at 10 yuan/ton. The South China port market stayed stable, with flexible negotiation on tanker rates.
In the futures market, methanol contracts showed a mixed trend. The Zhengzhou Methanol main contract 1305 opened at 2,772 yuan/ton, closing down 0.16%. The intraday range was between 2,762 and 2,778 yuan/ton, with a trading volume of 6,396 hands and an open interest of 11,302 hands.
On the international front, CFR China port prices for methanol dropped to 361–362 USD/ton, down 0.5 USD/ton from the previous day. CFR Southeast Asia remained unchanged at 370–372 USD/ton. FOB US Gulf prices were flat at 122.75–123.25 cents/gallon, while FOB Rotterdam fell slightly to 327.75–328.25 EUR/ton.
The natural gas supply restrictions in the northwest region provided some support to the market. However, the overall supply-demand imbalance remains unresolved, and the impact of limited gas supplies is gradually diminishing. Downstream markets remain relatively stable, with weak demand and cautious buying behavior. Some MTBE producers are conducting maintenance to avoid inventory buildup and losses, while formaldehyde manufacturers have slightly lowered prices. In the Northeast, recent snowfall may have affected short-term construction activities. Dimethyl ether prices also saw a small decline, while the acetic acid market remained stable with fair negotiation conditions.
With no significant improvement in the supply-demand gap, methanol prices could still experience short-term volatility, either rising or falling depending on market sentiment and external factors.