China’s acetone market crashed in October 2025, and prices of CFR Shanghai plunged 8.4% in October 2025 due to the severe oversupply and post-Golden Week stagnant demand. East China port inventory climbed to 30,000 mt as phenol-acetone plants operated at higher than 75% with an unblocked supply of propylene and cumene, while Sinopec raised quotes to reduce inventory. Benzene feedstock prices declined 2.1% on the back of Brent crude at USD 63/bbl, and intra-Asia freight fell 12%. The region was spurred by cheap imports from Thailand, even with PTT Global’s 15-day shutdown. Demand for acetone was still weak as BPA producers reduced run rates, and paints/coatings stood still due to construction delays. No restocking occurred after the holidays, which restricted Acetone prices. ChemAnalyst expects November to be weak, with Q4 restaging unlikely unless PC demand picks up or crude prices stabilize.
