Asian benzene uncertain as Europe trends lower.

摘要

Industry sources say that Asian benzene prices in H2 2017 will depend largely on which of two forces is the stronger: increased demand from key sectors, or increased supply due to completed maintenance and capacity expansions in the region. In 2Q 2017, consumption of benzene by styrene monomer and caprolactam producers in Asia fell as inventories rose and profit margins narrowed, prompting operators to cut rates—the fact that some capacity was already offline for maintenance notwithstanding. In the 3Q, industry participants expect SM producers to increase their benzene uptake significantly, however.