Hydroquinone Price — China Factory EXW 2026

Hydroquinone price Spec: China national standards

China EXW, VAT excluded

Newest China EXW USD 1,462.39 / MT · VAT excluded -1298.6726 (-47.00%) as of 20210323

Newest Price 1,462.39

Price Date 20210323

Day's Change -1,298.67

Day's Range 1,462.39 - 163.72

Month's Change +3,351.77

Month's Range 1,462.39 - 4,814.16

Year's Change +803.1

Year's Range 1,462.39 - 659.29

From a sourcing perspective, this shift alters the competitive landscape. Resorcinol and its derivatives face less regulatory friction, enabling faster market entry. However, hydro...

Also known as 1,4-Benzenediol, 1,4-Dihydroxy benzene, 1,4-Dihydroxybenzene, 6,7-dihydroxy-2H-chromen-2-one

Opinions

What is driving the shift from hydroquinone to resorcinol derivatives in whitening actives?

From a sourcing perspective, this shift alters the competitive landscape. Resorcinol and its derivatives face less regulatory friction, enabling faster market entry. However, hydroquinone's industrial demand—especially in polymerization inhibition and photographic applications—remains stable. The real growth opportunity lies in high-purity grades for pharmaceutical use, where import substitution is still underway.

How does China's hydroquinone supply-demand balance look through 2025?

The supply-demand deficit is structural. Hydroquinone production involves hazardous phenol oxidation processes, and environmental compliance costs are rising. Import reliance will persist unless new capacity comes online. Watch for capacity shifts toward less regulated derivatives like resorcinol, which share feedstock but face fewer cosmetic restrictions.

Why is hydroquinone banned in leave-on cosmetics in China despite its strong whitening effect?

This regulatory stance creates a market paradox. Domestic manufacturers avoid hydroquinone entirely, but cross-border e-commerce still exposes Chinese consumers to foreign whitening products containing it. This gray area drives demand for safer derivatives like arbutin and thiamidol, which are positioning themselves as compliant alternatives in the premium whitening segment.

Hydroquinone price context

What drives Hydroquinone prices

What is driving the shift from hydroquinone to resorcinol derivatives in whitening actives?: From a sourcing perspective, this shift alters the competitive landscape. Resorcinol and its derivatives face less regulatory friction, enabling faster market e...

How does China's hydroquinone supply-demand balance look through 2025?: The supply-demand deficit is structural. Hydroquinone production involves hazardous phenol oxidation processes, and environmental compliance costs are rising. I...

How we assess Hydroquinone price

China factory / mainstream market EXW quotes (VAT excluded where shown) - not a single global public index

Regional and specification detail so buyers can compare like-for-like grades

Landed cost figures from our calculator are planning estimates, not a customs ruling

Overview

Hydroquinone (1,4-dihydroxybenzene, CAS 123-31-9) is a white crystalline solid with a melting point of 172–175°C and moderate water solubility. It functions primarily as a reducing agent and chemical intermediate, with its most prominent consumer-facing role being a skin-lightening agent.

Cosmetics: a highly effective depigmenting agent, though its use is controversial due to side effects such as ochronosis and cytotoxicity.
Pharmaceutical: used in topical treatments for hyperpigmentation at concentrations up to 4% under medical supervision.
Industrial: serves as a raw material for antioxidants, dyes, photographic developers, and polymerization inhibitors.
Emerging applications: a key intermediate in the synthesis of PEEK, a high-performance engineering plastic.

China's production landscape is dominated by industrial-grade material, with domestic output and demand both growing steadily. The market is increasingly tied to downstream PEEK demand, which is expanding rapidly. Regulatory restrictions limit cosmetic use, pushing producers toward industrial and pharmaceutical applications.

Key domestic producers:
Brother Technology – operates a large-scale benzenediol and derivatives production facility.
Zhejiang Longsheng – major producer of benzenediol compounds.
Wuhai Shilian Environmental Technology – active in hydroquinone production.
Shandong Kesheng Chemical – participant in the domestic market.

Properties

Name

Hydroquinone

1,4-Benzenediol

1,4-Dihydroxy benzene

1,4-Dihydroxybenzene

6,7-dihydroxy-2H-chromen-2-one

CAS Number

123-31-9

EINECS No.

204-617-8

Risk Codes

S26;S36/37/39;S61

Safety Description

R22;R40;R41;R43;R50;R68

HS Code

2907221000

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