The domestic petrochemical market is fluctuating at high levels, with prices of various chemical products being adjusted.

Entering April 2026, the domestic petrochemical market, influenced by multiple factors including cost support, plant maintenance, and demand rhythm, generally exhibited a high-level fluctuating trend. Prices of several fine chemical products, such as titanium dioxide and cellulose, increased, while prices of basic olefins and aromatics fluctuated slightly with changes in supply and demand.

On March 31, domestic titanium dioxide producers using the chloride process issued price adjustment notices, raising the sales prices of some grades of products from April 1. The price increase was RMB 1,000 per ton in the domestic market and USD 200 per ton in the overseas market. The price adjustment was mainly due to tight supply of raw material titanium concentrate, rising production costs, and a gradual recovery in demand from downstream coatings and plastics industries. Simultaneously, cellulose ether products such as hydroxyethyl cellulose also saw price increases ranging from RMB 200 to 500 per ton, primarily due to rising prices of raw material ethylene oxide and a contraction in industry supply.

In the basic chemical sector, the supply of polyolefins will tighten temporarily in April and May due to planned maintenance shutdowns of several domestic polyethylene and polypropylene plants, potentially leading to a slight price increase. Within the aromatics industry chain, PX prices in the Asian market rose by approximately 5% month-on-month due to tighter supply, driving up costs for downstream products such as PTA and polyester. International oil prices have recently declined slightly but remain high, with Brent crude futures prices stabilizing in the $85-90 per barrel range, providing strong cost support for basic raw materials such as naphtha and ethylene.

On the demand side, downstream industries such as textiles, packaging, and real estate are in a slow recovery phase, presenting some resistance to cost transmission and limiting the potential for price increases in some chemical products. Industry analysts believe that the petrochemical market in April will continue the pattern of "strong cost support and slow demand recovery," with significant price differentiation across categories and an overall high-level fluctuation. The progress of plant maintenance and changes in downstream orders will be key factors influencing short-term price trends.

In the long run, with the continuous advancement of domestic integrated refining and chemical projects and the gradual implementation of low-carbon technologies, the supply structure of the petrochemical industry will be continuously optimized, the proportion of high-end and green products will steadily increase, and the industry as a whole will move towards a stage of high-quality development.