DMAPA prices in India dipped in July 2025 due to consistent imports, cheaper freight rates, and low personal care demand. Rising feedstock costs pressured local producers, while robust international competition kept prices low into August.
Dimethylaminopropylamine (DMAPA) prices in India fell by 3.6% in July 2025, pressured downward by ample supply from overseas sources and slow downstream consumption. Regular imports of DMAPA from China, Japan, and Saudi Arabia kept supply levels high, and sellers were compelled to discount slightly in order to clear existing surplus stocks. Despite rising production costs caused by picking up Dimethylamine prices, Indian producers had to absorb the price pressure to remain competitive compared to lower-priced imports.
An important element in the price softening was the sharp drop-in container freight rates on all Intra-Asia trade routes. According to Drewry’s Intra-Asia Container Index, rates fell by 13% in the first half of July and by an additional 8% in the latter half, significantly reducing landed costs for imported DMAPA. This logistical advantage further tilted market conditions in favor of overseas suppliers, intensifying pricing pressure on domestic producers.
It has been a rough month for local DMAPA manufacturers as margins were tight. The cost of Dimethylamine, a key feedstock, saw a major increase, but producers could not replicate this move with buyers, as competition from imports was so aggressive. Shipments of DMAPA from China, Japan, and Saudi Arabia have had no stoppage and only added to the elevated levels of inventory in the Indian market. Sellers created small price cuts to sell off their stock, but this only fed the bearish sentiment.
The combination of high feedstock costs, oversupply, combined with declining freight rates created a highly contested competitive environment where domestic suppliers struggled to retain market share.
On the demand side, sales from Cocamidopropyl Betaine makers were normal. This surfactant intermediate is a common ingredient in foaming agents used in personal care items such as shampoos, hand washes, face washes, and shower gels. The shorter summer season in India and the unseasonal rainfall affected seasonal product demand for DMAPA.
Sources from the industry indicate growth in the FMCG sector to be slower, while personal care products had slower sales, partly owing to changing consumer behavior and logistical issues in distribution. Slower sales at the end user eventually transferred down to the DMAPA market and contributed to reduced buying volumes and lower demand with weakening price momentum.
As per ChemAnalyst, DMAPA prices in India are expected to remain under pressure in the near term unless there is a meaningful rebound in downstream consumption or a tightening of import volumes. With freight rates still low and overseas suppliers maintaining strong delivery schedules, competitive pricing dynamics are likely to persist into August for DMAPA.
