Today's prices rallied strongly! Basis strengthened rapidly (September 9, 2026).

1. Today's Focus Points

• Yulin Yankuang's methanol auction today started at 3,330 yuan/ton for 2,500 tons, with the full volume eventually cleared at 3,570–3,575 yuan/ton.
• Shaanxi Changqing has scheduled its 600,000-ton/year methanol unit to shut down for maintenance on August 18, with restart expected around mid-September.

2. Today's Market and Outlook

Table 1 Domestic methanol and related product price summary (Unit: yuan/ton)

Data source: Chempricehub

[Today's Commentary] Today's methanol spot price index stood at 3,637.47, up 247.83. Taicang spot prices were 3,725 (+222), while Inner Mongolia North Line prices were 3,610 (+320). Of the prices monitored by Chempricehub across 20 large and medium-sized cities, 17 cities posted gains of varying degrees, ranging from 50 to 375 yuan/ton. The domestic methanol market continued its strong upward momentum today, with prices in many regions surging more than 200 yuan/ton in a single day. Futures remained strong, and amid sustained port inventory drawdowns, overall circulating supply has tightened and the basis has strengthened rapidly. Inland upstream and downstream markets continued their sharp rally, supported by limited upstream supply and pre-holiday downstream stockpiling; overall buying/selling sentiment was fairly good. The market is expected to maintain a relatively strong performance in the near term. In addition, keep a close watch on macro news developments and the pace at which domestic methanol units return from maintenance.

3. Basis

In the afternoon, methanol futures on the Zhengzhou Commodity Exchange traded strong with elevated volatility. The MA2610 contract opened at 3,351 yuan/ton, hit a high of 3,490 yuan/ton and a low of 3,341 yuan/ton, and closed at 3,411 yuan/ton, up 132 yuan/ton from the previous trading day's closing settlement price. As of the close, open interest in the MA2609 contract stood at 578,700 lots, down 148,400 lots from the previous trading day.

4. Production Updates

Table 2 Methanol and downstream production dynamics summary

Data source: Chempricehub

5. Price Forecast

1. The domestic methanol market continued its strong upward momentum today, with prices in many regions surging more than 200 yuan/ton in a single day. Futures remained strong, and amid sustained port inventory drawdowns, overall circulating supply has tightened and the basis has strengthened rapidly. Inland upstream and downstream markets continued their sharp rally, supported by limited upstream supply and pre-holiday downstream stockpiling; overall buying/selling sentiment was fairly good. The market is expected to maintain a relatively strong performance in the near term. In addition, keep a close watch on macro news developments and the pace at which domestic methanol units return from maintenance.

2. In the medium to long term, imported methanol supply remains persistently low. As downstream demand recovers and domestic methanol producers continue maintenance through late September, domestic supply is expected to gradually tighten, which could push inland methanol market prices to fresh highs again.

6. Market Sentiment

Table 3 Sentiment expectations of domestic methanol upstream/downstream practitioners

7. Related Product Updates

Glacial acetic acid: Glacial acetic acid prices rose across the board today. Driven by the sharp jump in feedstock methanol costs, producers continued to push prices up, with traders in all regions following suit. Downstream buyers mostly took delivery against long-term contracts, with only limited just-in-time restocking. Chempricehub expects glacial acetic acid prices to move higher in the near term.

Formaldehyde: The formaldehyde market rose sharply today. With feedstock methanol prices climbing broadly, formaldehyde production costs kept rising, forcing formaldehyde prices up passively. Downstream wood-based panel producers saw their margins squeezed, and some small panel plants began halting production, leading to a notable reduction in formaldehyde demand. Some formaldehyde plants cut operating rates or suspended production under the dual pressure of high costs and weak demand. Chempricehub expects the formaldehyde market to retain some further upside in the near term.

DME: The DME market posted a broad gain today. The strong rally in feedstock methanol forced DME prices up passively. Although current capacity utilization remains low, plant inventories are ample, providing reasonable supply-side support. Traders entered the market actively, while end users stayed cautious toward high prices and mostly placed orders for essential needs. Chempricehub expects the DME market to consolidate at a firm level in the near term.

8. Data Calendar

Table 4 Domestic methanol data release calendar (Unit: 10,000 tons)