Benzoic acid in the United States eased through February as softer downstream buying outweighed higher feedstock costs. Inventories carried over from winter holidays; upticks in toluene and Trans-Pacific freight tightened landed-costs, while supply remained comfortable as European oxidation units held steady and Chinese suppliers resumed loadings after Lunar Year. Net effect was softer spot demand, with a month-end assessment describing a step-down from the February start and reflecting buyer caution amid ample import arrivals. Demand was broadly soft across end markets, reinforcing the downturn in spot prices. Food and beverage users slowed replenishment of food-grade preservatives and preservative formulations for packaged foods, while beverage formulators, especially carbonated soft-drink producers with output contracting, drew less from spot pools, according to ChemAnalyst data. Personal-care blenders and alkyd paint producers reduced immediate spot buying, and distributors maintained comfortable inventories, limiting new cargo appetite. The outlook indicates downward pressure into March and April before a gradual recovery into summer, contingent on feedstock and freight dynamics geopolitical risks.
