News Interaction: Market Trading in a Consolidation Pattern (September 16, 2026)

1. Daily Summary

① September 15: Rising risks to Saudi crude oil supply and the continued stalemate in U.S.-Iran relations drove international oil prices higher. The NYMEX WTI October contract rose by USD 4.44/bbl to USD 105.83, a day-on-day increase of +4.38%; the ICE Brent November contract rose by USD 3.07/bbl to USD 108.75, a day-on-day increase of +2.90%. The INE Crude Oil futures contract for November 2026 (SC2611) rose by CNY 59.7 to CNY 836.2/barrel, with the night session gaining another CNY 23.8 to close at CNY 860/barrel.

② September 16: Domestic liquid chlorine prices rose today to CNY 300/ton.

2. Spot Market Overview

Table 1: Summary of Domestic Dichloromethane Prices (Unit: CNY/ton)

Based on the Shandong region as the benchmark, dichloromethane closed today at CNY 2340/ton (range: CNY 2330-2350/ton), remaining stable compared to the previous working day. Today’s domestic dichloromethane market was characterized primarily by regional adjustments. Current prices are running at high levels, but downstream demand and trader follow-up lack momentum, resulting in limited trading activity within the market. However, costs remain elevated, causing significant losses for chloromethane producers and limiting their willingness to adjust prices.

3. Production Dynamics

The capacity utilization rate for chloromethanes stood at 70.84%, unchanged from the previous working day. Regarding cost and profit margins, upstream raw material liquid chlorine prices rose today while methanol prices remained stable, pushing up the theoretical cost of chloromethanes. Based on calculations using externally sourced liquid chlorine, the daily profit margin for chloromethanes is -CNY 476/ton.

4. Price Forecast

Currently, market sentiment remains cautious, with transactions driven mainly by rigid demand and no significant signs of large-scale restocking. However, chloromethane producers face substantial cost pressures and have little incentive to adjust prices. Amidst mixed news flows, the domestic dichloromethane market is expected to remain largely stagnant, with limited room for adjustment. Attention should be paid to subsequent changes in market news.

5. Related Products Status

Refrigerant Market: Based on the bulk water market in East China, mainstream fluorocarbon refrigerant R32 factories are maintaining high price levels through volume control to protect prices. As of press time, quotes from major manufacturers in East China reference CNY 65,500/ton (coordinated domestic and export quotes); mainstream market quotes in East China reference CNY 63,500-64,500/ton, consistent with morning expectations. Market intelligence indicates that inquiries for bulk water in the channel market have been passively sustained over the long term, with fixed supply guaranteed to OEMs. Shipment frequency for small packages has slowed down; consequently, source factories are strictly controlling spot inventory increments. Statistics show that industry-wide operating loads for fluorocarbon refrigerant R32 remain near 40-50%. Recently, factory production schedules and consumption forces have contracted further. With R32 prices hovering at highs, channel holders are seeking opportunities to offload inventory and reduce stockpiles, showing weak intent to purchase high-cost sources and waiting for clear quote signals from major manufacturers. Chempricehub forecasts that short-term strategy for fluorocarbon refrigerant R32 will focus on volume control and price protection, with commercial negotiations based on contract pricing, while monitoring industry unit dynamics and production scheduling rhythms.

6. Data Calendar

Table 2: Domestic Chloromethane Data Overview (Unit: 10,000 tons)