Weak demand leads to a decline in market prices (September 15, 2026)

1. Today's Summary

① On September 15, Sinopec East China reduced its ex-factory price for butadiene by CNY 700/ton to CNY 14,200/ton, leading to a decline in downstream synthetic rubber market prices.

② On September 15, the capacity utilization rate of the domestic butadiene industry was 66.41%, an increase of 0.14 percentage points from the previous working day.

2. Spot Market Overview

Table: Domestic Butadiene Price Summary (Unit: CNY/ton)

Based on the delivered price in the Shandong Luzhong region, today's closing price was CNY 14,075/ton, a decrease of CNY 375/ton compared to the previous period. Today, domestic butadiene market prices trended downward. Although high crude oil prices provided some cost support and suppliers maintained firm offers, downstream demand remained weak. The trend for major downstream products, specifically synthetic rubbers, continued to decline, intensifying cautious wait-and-see sentiment in the market. Buying interest remained weak, dragging down market prices. The delivered price range in Shandong Luzhong was CNY 14,000–14,150/ton, while the reference price for tank truck pickups in East China was CNY 13,500–13,700/ton.

On September 15, the capacity utilization rate of the domestic butadiene industry stood at 66.41%, up 0.14 percentage points from the previous working day. Regarding theoretical production profits, as of September 14, the Japanese naphtha market rose, while Sinopec's butadiene price remained stable at CNY 14,900/ton. Consequently, the theoretical production profit for butadiene via C4 extraction declined, with the calculated profit for the C4 extraction process standing at CNY 5,046.12/ton.

4. Price Forecast

In the short term, with no clear signs of improvement in downstream enterprise demand, procurement follow-through remains sluggish. Bearish sentiment is strong in the market, with sellers lowering their offers and actual transaction intentions remaining low. It is expected that the domestic butadiene market will continue to face downward pressure; however, cost-side support may limit the extent of the decline.

5. Related Product Status

Synthetic Rubber Market: Today, market prices for cis-polybutadiene rubber and styrene-butadiene rubber declined. In the Shandong market, Daqing BR9000 prices fell by CNY 600/ton to CNY 15,000/ton, while Qilu SBR 1502 prices dropped by CNY 300/ton to CNY 15,400/ton.

6. Data Calendar

Table 4: Domestic Butadiene Data Overview (Units: 10,000 tons, CNY/ton)