I. Qualitative Analysis of Production Volume and Capacity Utilization Trends

This week (November 6–12, 2026), new methanol units came online in China, increasing total annual capacity to 109.675 million tonnes. Total production reached 2,036,835 tonnes, an increase of 37,860 tonnes from the previous week. The unit capacity utilization rate was 88.35%, down 0.15 percentage points week-on-week.

Table 1: Weekly Comparison of China Methanol Production and Capacity Utilization (Unit: Tonnes, %)

Data Source: Chempricehub Information

New units commenced operation this week, including Zhongmei Yulin’s 2.2 million tonnes/year facility. New maintenance shutdowns were recorded at Jiangsu Suopu, Qinghai Salt Lake, as well as one unit each in Xinjiang and Guizhou. Additionally, new output reductions occurred at Guangju New Materials and one unit in Shandong. Meanwhile, units that had been under maintenance or operating at reduced rates resumed normal operations, including Jimei Huayu, Shanxi Junjie, and one unit in Inner Mongolia. Although total production increased due to the startup of new capacity, the overall capacity utilization rate declined slightly.

II. Forecast Analysis of Production Volume and Capacity Utilization Trends

For next week, China’s methanol production and capacity utilization are projected as follows: production volume is expected to reach approximately 2.0609 million tonnes, with a capacity utilization rate of around 89.39%, representing an increase compared to the current period. Since the planned resumption of capacity exceeds the capacity affected by maintenance and output reductions, both the capacity utilization rate and production volume are expected to rise.

III. Comparison of Capacity Utilization and Price Trends

This week, China’s methanol capacity utilization rate stood at 88.35%, down 0.15 percentage points week-on-week but up 1.70 percentage points year-on-year. While domestic capacity utilization decreased marginally, market supply increased due to the commissioning of new units. Simultaneously, influenced by external factors and reduced demand from downstream users connected to Lubei, prices in major production areas experienced a slight downward fluctuation.

(Note: Due to revisions in some historical data, please refer to the latest figures for this week’s data.)

Sample Description: Chempricehub Information’s weekly methanol production and capacity utilization data for China are based on primary statistical surveys. The sample covers 181 domestic methanol producers, achieving 100% sample coverage. The statistical period runs from Friday of the previous week to Thursday of the current week. Data is released every Thursday at 14:30 on working days.

Definitions:

• Production Volume: Generally refers to the quantity of goods produced by enterprises within a specific period that meet relevant standards (conceptually distinct from commodity volume; refers to weight or volume under specific measurement units), i.e., actual output.
• Capacity Utilization Rate: Refers to the degree to which enterprise capacity is utilized, also known as the operating load. It is generally calculated as the ratio of product output or raw material processing volume to effective capacity.

Statistical Scope: The weekly production volume and capacity utilization statistics cover the period from Friday of the previous week to Thursday of the current week. Data release time is 14:30 every Thursday on working days.