1. Qualitative Analysis of Production Volume and Capacity Utilization Trends

During this week (October 2–8, 2026), China’s methanol production totaled 2,081,935 tons, an increase of 60,150 tons compared to the previous week. The plant capacity utilization rate stood at 92.15%, a week-on-week increase of 2.97 percentage points.

Table 1: Weekly Comparison of China’s Methanol Production and Capacity Utilization (Units: tons, %)

Data Source: Chempricehub Information

This week saw new maintenance shutdowns at facilities such as Qitaihe Baotailong and Zhenwei Green Energy. There were no new reductions in production rates during this period. However, several units that had been undergoing maintenance or operating at reduced loads resumed operations, including Chifeng Boyuan and Inner Mongolia Rongxin. As the total volume recovered from restarts exceeded the volume lost due to new shutdowns, the overall capacity utilization rate rose, leading to an increase in production output.

2. Forecast Analysis of Production Volume and Capacity Utilization Trends

For next week, China’s weekly methanol production and capacity utilization are projected as follows: production is expected to be approximately 2.0216 million tons, with a capacity utilization rate of around 89.48%, representing a decrease from the current period. Planned maintenance shutdowns and production reductions for next week involve greater capacity than those being restored; consequently, the capacity utilization rate is expected to decline, leading to a reduction in production output.

3. Comparison of Capacity Utilization and Price Trends

This week, China’s methanol capacity utilization rate was 92.15%, up 2.97 percentage points week-on-week and up 2.91 percentage points year-on-year. The domestic methanol capacity utilization rate increased significantly this week, resulting in higher market supply volumes. Following the conclusion of the National Day and Mid-Autumn Festival holidays, futures prices hit their upper limit, downstream buyers actively procured materials, and spot transactions performed well, driving an overall rise in market prices.

(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 statistics on China’s methanol production and capacity utilization are based on primary data collection. The sample covers 180 methanol production enterprises nationwide, achieving 100% sample coverage. The statistical period runs from Friday of the previous week through Thursday of the current week. Data is released at 14:30 on Thursdays (working days).

Definitions:

• Production Volume: Generally refers to the quantity of goods meeting relevant standards actually produced by manufacturing enterprises within a specific period. It represents actual output measured in weight or volume under defined metrics, rather than commodity count.
• Capacity Utilization Rate: Indicates the degree to which an enterprise’s production capacity is utilized, also known as operating load. It is typically calculated as the ratio of product output or raw material processing volume to effective production capacity.

Statistical Scope:
The weekly production volume and capacity utilization statistics cover the period from Friday of the previous week through Thursday of the current week. Data is released at 14:30 on Thursdays (working days).