The North American benzene market inclined by x.xx in mid-May. The uptrend comes even as week-over-week prices remain firm, signalling caution among producers in a situation of balanced supply and weak demand.
The benzene prices ranged between USD xxx–xxx/MT FOB Louisiana. Trade activities for benzene remained volatile as the crude oil prices picked up the pace. However, the downstream derivative markets such as styrene monomer (SM) continue to signal weakness, which triggers a wait-and-watch stance along the value chain.
A series of regional and global trends is shaping the outlook for benzene. Notably, the US and China agreed on a sizeable trade truce on May xx, xxxx, with the imposition of bilateral tariffs suspended for xx days. The move, aimed at defusing trade tensions, is most likely to spur cross-border trade volumes, which will, in turn,...
