Detergent Alcohol Prices on a Bearish Note at the End of November 2022

According to ChemAnalyst, the prices of Detergent Alcohol have been dropping across the Asian and European markets. Deteriorating purchasing power and abundant stock in producing countries had triggered a decline in global feedstock palm oil prices and weakened the market fundamentals of Detergent Alcohol. On the other hand, global giant China has implemented a series of rigorous quarantine regulations, resulting in the suspension of trade activities. The convergence of these events has resulted in supply chain shortages, volatile pricing for major products and commodities, and growing inflation in many nations.

Earlier in the start of the second quarter of this year, the top producer, Indonesia, imposed a ban on palm oil exports. Although the prohibition was lifted a few weeks later, the domino effect of overflowing stockpiles was reflected in the price realizations of its downstream derivative products. The ChemAnalyst database has shown that Detergent Alcohol prices have been continuously dropping since the first week of November 2022 amid the surplus inventories. In Indonesia, the Detergent Alcohol prices were assessed at USD 2680 per tonne on November 30th, 2022, on a FOB basis.

Furthermore, the Detergent Alcohol market growth has also been on the lower end in European countries. The domestic demand has entered the slack season in Germany, limiting the momentum for sustained growth for Detergent Alcohol among the manufacturers. However, Malaysian officials anticipated that the disruptions from the tropical storms to crude palm oil supplies would persist through the first quarter of 2023, keeping prices buoyant in the short term for its derivative products.

As per ChemAnalyst, the end of the fourth quarter is likely to witness the plummeting price trend of Detergent Alcohol across the international market. The upcoming destocking season might prompt the manufacturers to provide the upstream raw material at reduced rates, weakening the market sentiments for Detergent Alcohol. However, the demand from the downstream surfactant sector will likely remain uncertain as the fears of a looming recession have been seeded in the international market.