The prices of Purified Terephthalic Acid (PTA) in China rose significantly by 4.2% at the beginning of January 2026. The development was fostered by strengthening exports, notably after India relived some petrochemical import BIS certification requirements, re-established export avenues and took in more volumes of PTA. Urbanisation and growing demand for polyester chain products in the major end-user regions continued to hold the positive factors for the buying interest in the PTA market. Strong PX feedstock prices due to tight near-term supplies as maintenance and other disruptions also lifted upstream cost support. High domestic PTA self-sufficiency in China also strengthened the market. It helped ease import pressure and strengthened the pricing power of local producers. While some users in the downstream sectors may have drawn on their supplies, the combination of high PX costs, export demand, and throughput in the polyester sector painted a increasingly bullish picture for PTA prices as head into 2026.
