Polyetheramine prices rose across the USA, China, and India in March 2026, driven by the ongoing Middle East war's severe disruption to ethylene oxide and propylene oxide feedstock supply chains, Strait of Hormuz logistics constraints, and emergency freight surcharges. CFR Houston gained 3.62%, FOB Shanghai rose 3.31%, and India recorded a 1.8% increase. Strong automotive sector demand across all three markets provided key demand support, while construction activity and year-end inventory management tempered sharper price gains.
Polyetheramine prices recorded significant gains across the United States, China, and India during March 2026, as the ongoing Middle East war devastated global petrochemical feedstock supply chains and logistics infrastructure, driving extraordinary cost-push inflation across the ethanolamine and amine chemical segments.
In the United States, polyetheramine prices at CFR Houston rose 3.62% month-on-month, driven by a sharp escalation in ethylene oxide and propylene oxide feedstock costs — up 31.4% and 12.4% respectively — even as ammonia prices declined modestly by 1.6%. Sadara Chemical Company's integrated Jubail facility producing propylene oxide and ethylene oxide faced severe disruption, with Sabic declaring force majeure on ethanolamines supply in late March and Dow Chemicals declaring force majeure on March 10 due to logistics disruptions stemming from the war, severely curtailing the global ethylene oxide supply upon which polyetheramine production critically depends. The near-inactivation of the Strait of Hormuz constrained shipping flows, resulting in higher freight charges due to emergency surcharges, bunker costs, and fuel adjustments. On the demand side of polyetheramine, the automotive industry recorded strong momentum with vehicle sales reaching 1,405,817 units — up 17.2% month-on-month — boosting consumption of performance chemicals. The construction sector remained cautious, with the Housing Market Index rising marginally to 38, reflecting improved sentiment but still contractionary conditions, while 37% of builders offered price cuts to attract buyers.
In China, polyetheramine FOB Shanghai prices rose 3.31% as feedstock costs surged sharply — ammonia up 10.5%, ethylene oxide jumping 32.9%, and propylene oxide increasing 16.3% — largely driven by the intensifying West Asia conflict disrupting petrochemical supply chains. Refiners in Asia were already cutting output by 10–15% as the war dried up the long supply chain, with feedstock costs surging across the region, sustaining extraordinary production cost inflation at Chinese polyetheramine facilities. Demand conditions showed mixed signals — new home sales in 100 cities surged 128% month-on-month following post-holiday recovery, while passenger NEV sales reached 784,000 units rising 69% sequentially. Additional export demand from South Korean and Turkish buyers resuming purchases further strengthened market sentiment, though persistent structural weakness in China's property sector limited the overall pace of price increase for polyetheramine despite strong cost pressures.
In India, polyetheramine prices increased 1.8%, with feedstock inflation particularly severe — ammonia rising 26.9%, ethylene oxide increasing 21.7%, and propylene oxide by 13.4%. India's chemical prices surged significantly since the crisis began, with the government waiving customs duties on 40 petrochemical products as an emergency measure to contain cost-push inflation. Strong automotive sales — achieving India's highest-ever March retail figure at a 25.28% year-on-year increase — and resilient premium housing construction sustained downstream polyetheramine demand. However, with the financial year-end approaching, many downstream industries relied on existing inventories rather than fresh procurement, moderating buying momentum and limiting the extent of the price increase for polyetheramine despite strong underlying cost-side pressures throughout the month.
