During the week ending July 11, 2025, the Cyclohexanone market posted uneven regional performance. The United States and Europe were firm on the back of firm downstream demand and balanced supply. China's market slipped further because of soft buying, surplus offer, and declining raw materials prices. Buyers in all regions remained prudent, demand-led procurement. Western markets should remain steady while China could see sustained pressure unless demand or cost conditions improve.
For the week ending July 11, 2025, the global Cyclohexanone market reflected a blend of regional patterns, with the United States and Europe posting generally stable market fundamentals and China still facing downward pressure. The key drivers were volatility in upstream raw materials prices, balanced but risk-hedging downstream demand from Caprolactam and Adipic Acid segments, and shifting container freight patterns affecting trading behavior. All regions' Cyclohexanone market players reported a preference for conservative procurement strategies in the face of ongoing economic and geopolitical uncertainty.
The United States Cyclohexanone market remained resilient on the back of solid downstream demand and controlled supply conditions. Raw material prices such as Benzene and Cyclohexane saw marginal drops, but such marginal decreases were not robust enough to alter the overall trend of the market. Demand for Caprolactam and Adipic Acid manufacturers was moderate, on the back of steady requirements from textile, packaging, and automotive industries. Local Cyclohexanone production functioned normally with no meaningful outages, and import-exports were stable. Despite a rise in transpacific freight rates, US supply chains performed extremely well, maintaining regular stock levels. The overall atmosphere of the US Cyclohexanone market was neutral, with consumers acquiring based on immediate needs and not for speculative reasons.
Europe's Cyclohexanone market remained firm, with steady prices and minimal volatility. Upstream prices of Benzene moved higher, while Cyclohexane prices softened slightly, generating a largely neutral cost environment. Downstream demand for Caprolactam and Adipic Acid stayed steady, with the latter in the automotive and textile sectors seeing demand stay relatively consistent but show no significant expansion. Supply within the market stayed in balance, with minimal notable transportation issues reported. Inventory levels were in good balance with demand at the time, and deals were predominantly under long-term contracts. Market participants were conservative, favoring balance overactive buying or selling.
Unlike the West markets, the Chinese Cyclohexanone market was weak. Slow Benzene prices reduced cost support, and off-take by Caprolactam manufacturers was weak. The supply situation was reasonably loose, and sellers were forced to reduce offers amid slow offtakes. Buyers negotiated hard, on-demand buying, thereby forming a dull market with very few transactions. The general sentiment in the trading was muted, and market confidence was weak due to concerns of oversupply and negative sentiment in the nylon value chain. Lacking any development in raw material prices and indications of the demand improving Cyclohexanone price pressure continued in the week.
The US and European Cyclohexanone markets will continue tight over the next few weeks if the levels of demand and supply remain unchanged. The situation in China is also guarded, with a possible prolongation of the weak trend of Cyclohexanone of the moment unless something radical happens in either feedstock prices or downstream demand.
