Global Chemical Price Hike Wave Hits in September

Starting in September, the global chemical sector has entered a new round of large-scale, multi-category price hikes, with leading domestic and international companies issuing dense price adjustment notices. Resins, coatings, nylon, plastic substrates and basic raw materials are all moving higher. As a Hong Kong-based resin and valve import/export trader, Loonwan notes that this round of hikes is characterized by full-sector coverage, synchronized domestic and international increases, and cost-driven dynamics — with direct implications for global procurement decisions.

Here is the breakdown by category:

International Giants Lead, with Significantly Larger Hikes Than Domestic

• BASF: Caprolactam, Nylon 6 and Nylon 6/66 copolymers in North America raised by $0.08/lb** (~1,197 yuan/ton); NPG up €250/ton in Europe and **$221/ton in North America, equivalent to 1,500–1,700 yuan/ton.

• Allnex Resin: Indoor, standard weather-resistant and super weather-resistant resins all raised by 500 yuan/ton, covering general and high-end weather-resistant lines.

• Sherwin-Williams: All products in the Stores Group raised by 8%.

Domestic Leaders Follow, Basic Chemicals Broadly Higher

• Wanhua Chemical: Butadiene +180 yuan/ton, styrene +200 yuan/ton in North/East China, butyl acrylate up 400 yuan/ton, various LDPE grades +50–100 yuan/ton.

• Cyclohexanone: Shandong at 9,300–9,400 yuan/ton, up 250 yuan/ton in a single day, driven by high pure benzene prices.

• Dimethyl carbonate (DMC): Shandong +100, South China +150 yuan/ton, no inventory build, tight supply-demand.

• Methanol: Nationwide increases, Shaanxi/Shanxi +110 yuan/ton, coastal supply contraction plus strong export demand.

This round is a broad-based, synchronized price adjustment across the global chemical market, covering core categories throughout the supply chain including resins, coatings, electronic substrates, plastics, solvents, alcohols and aromatics. Loonwan advises clients to lock in prices for 刚需 categories early in the hike cycle while leveraging multi-region sourcing to compare and offset increases, avoiding concentrated procurement that pushes up overall costs.