Benzoic acid CFR New York remained firm through January, supported by buying and spot availability. Early arrivals from the Netherlands and China and ocean freight helped ease logistics, but sellers pressed higher offers mid-month as exporters curtailed cargo allocations amid upstream maintenance. By late January most cargoes were pre-sold and terminal inventories looked lean, prompting distributors and converters to build safety stocks ahead of spring runs. Demand was led by food and beverage preservative sector and coatings/resins, underpinning the firm tone and elevated prompt-offtake. ChemAnalyst notes January activity was higher than December, signaling steady appetite among formulators and downstream processors, while alkyd resin makers reported steady orders and phthalate-free plasticizers maintained solid offtake for vinyl flooring and packaging. Logistics eased as toluene drifted lower and freight softened, yet maintenance at oxidation units and capped exports kept high-purity supply constrained in New York Harbor. The near-term outlook signals a modest dip followed by spring support and recovery as restocking resumes.
