According to monitoring data from SunSirs, as of March 29, the average price of ECH quoted by ECH enterprises was 8,800.00 RMB/ton, a decrease of 1.40% compared to the price on March 1.
Analysis review
The market price of ECH fell slightly in March. In early March, the price of raw material propylene fell first and then rose. The price of raw material glycerol was stable, and cost support remained. Downstream, replenished with small orders as needed, and demand side support was weak. Factory shipments were under pressure, and the ECH market was operating to be weaker. In mid March, the cost support was limited, and the industry's capacity utilization rate was generally stable compared to the previous period. Some downstream restocking, coupled with the impact of news of parking plans for some devices, drove up market prices. However, the actual purchase of gas by downstream terminals was poor, and the purchasing mentality was cautious. The price of ECH stabilized after rising. In late March, cost support was weak, with some ECH units shutting down or operating at reduced loads. Downstream, they mainly consumed inventory raw materials. Demand performance remained poor, and market sentiment was under pressure. The focus of ECH negotiations was weaker.
From the perspective of upstream and downstream, the reference price of upstream propylene was 7,036.60 RMB/ton on March 28, a decrease of 6.46% compared to March 1 (7,522.60 RMB/ton). On March 28th, the reference price of downstream epoxy resin was 14,533.33 RMB/ton, a decrease of 3.75% compared to March 1st (15,100.00 RMB/ton).
Market outlook
An ECH analyst at SunSirs believes that as of the 29th, cost support is acceptable, with some factories shutting down or reducing their negative prices, supporting manufacturers' attitude towards price supporting. However, the enthusiasm for downstream inquiries and procurement was not high, and the market trading atmosphere was flat. It is expected that the ECH market may be light and sorted out in the short term, and more attention needs to be paid to market news guidance.
