Acetic acid steady as crude gains lift butyl acetate costs; downstream demand average

I. Key Focus Areas

1. Crude Oil: On October 30, international oil prices rose as markets focused on the potential escalation of US-Iran tensions and Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia, which exacerbated supply risks. The NYMEX WTI crude oil futures contract for December closed at $104.12/bbl, up $2.12/bbl (+2.08% week-on-week). The ICE Brent crude oil futures contract for December closed at $117.64/bbl, up $2.76/bbl (+2.40% week-on-week). The INE crude oil futures contract (December 2026) fell by 8.3 yuan to 727.6 yuan/bbl during the day session but rose by 30.9 yuan to 758.5 yuan/bbl in the night session.

2. Costs:

   • (1) Glacial Acetic Acid: Prices remained relatively stable in northern China, while quotes in East China shifted lower, leading to a downward price trend. Overall trading sentiment was moderate, with attention focused on downstream procurement intensity. Chempricehub expects that the glacial acetic acid market may experience narrow fluctuations in certain regions in the short term.
   • (2) n-Butanol: Domestic n-butanol prices surged significantly, primarily driven by strong gains in propylene feedstock costs. High cost pressures strengthened support for butanol prices. Downstream users maintained essential purchasing levels but operated cautiously, resulting in inquiries and transactions centered around higher price ranges.

3. Downstream Consumption: The consumption rate across downstream industries remains average.

Core Logic: Weakening costs continue to influence market sentiment, with factories prioritizing shipment of inventory.

II. Price Table

Unit: Yuan/Ton

Data Source: Chempricehub

III. Market Outlook

Domestic butyl acetate prices rose notably, with particularly significant increases in South China. n-Butanol prices surged across all regions, while acetic acid prices remained firm at mainstream levels. This led to a clear increase in butyl acetate production costs. Furthermore, major enterprises saw distinct premiums in auction transactions, prompting neighboring companies to actively raise their quoted prices, thereby driving the overall market higher. Currently, strong support from the raw material side keeps the butyl acetate market firm at high levels.

IV. Data Calendar

Data Source: Chempricehub