The acetic acid market fluctuated in May.

The acetic acid market fluctuated in May. In the first half of the month, acetic acid prices rose strongly. After the May Day holiday, the downstream demand for replenishment increased, the trading atmosphere in the market was good, and the Tianjin Alkali Plant’s equipment failure reduced the load. The company had a strong intention to support the price, and the market trading continued to rise; in late May, acetic acid prices fell weakly, mainly because the downstream gradually resisted the high-priced supply, and the market trading atmosphere was weak. At the same time, as the acetic acid equipment resumed its previous load, the manufacturer’s intention to ship increased. In order to promote transactions, the center of gravity of acetic acid trading shifted downward; at the end of the month, some equipment in East China was shut down, and the company’s quotation rose slightly.

The market price of methanol on the raw material side rose first and then fell. As of May 31, the average price of the domestic market rose by 4.15% within the month. In the middle and early part of the month, some methanol units in the main production areas were overhauled as scheduled, and some units were unexpectedly shut down. The overall supply was tight, which pushed the domestic market to rise. At the same time, the foreign situation was unstable, and the arrival of methanol at the port was affected. The inventory at the port and the mainland was relatively low. Under the tight supply, the methanol market price rose sharply; in the late month, the port supply gradually recovered, and the units in the northwest production area gradually recovered. The overall buying momentum of the methanol market was general, and the domestic methanol market fell from a high level; near the end of the month, the market supply increased, the downstream acceptance sentiment was weak, and the methanol market continued to consolidate weakly.

The downstream acetic anhydride market fluctuated downward in May, with a 3.33% decrease from the beginning of the month. In the middle and early May, the upstream acetic acid price rose strongly, the cost support of acetic anhydride was favorable, the demand for acetic anhydride was stable, and the price of acetic anhydride rose accordingly; in the second half of the month, the price of acetic anhydride fell weakly, the upstream acetic acid fell, the cost support weakened, the acetic anhydride market was obviously bearish, and the price trend was downward.
At present, the acetic acid enterprise equipment is running smoothly, the market supply is sufficient, the enterprise inventory is not under pressure, and the shipment is maintained as the main focus. The downstream side is not very enthusiastic about taking goods, and the market is followed up according to demand. The market trading is limited. In the short term, the acetic acid market is on the sidelines, and the price fluctuates narrowly. In the future, we will pay special attention to the replenishment of downstream stocks.