For the Quarter Ending September 2025
North America
• In United States, the Soaping Agent Price Index rose quarter-over-quarter in Q3 2025, driven by increased input costs and strong consumer spending.
• Soaping Agent production costs rose due to a 2.6% increase in the Producer Price Index in August 2025, reflecting higher input expenses.
• Demand for Soaping Agent was supported by a 5.42% year-over-year rise in retail sales in September 2025.
• Natural gas prices spiked in Q3 2025, increasing energy costs for Soaping Agent manufacturers.
• Chemical industry inventories shrank in Q3 2025, reflecting accelerating destocking and tighter supply.
• A 4.3% unemployment rate in September 2025 bolstered consumer purchasing power for Soaping Agent end-products.
• Inflationary pressures, with CPI up 3.0% in September 2025, impacted raw material and logistics costs.
• Modest industrial production growth of 0.1% in September 2025 indicated stable industrial Soaping Agent demand.
Why did the price of Soaping Agent change in September 2025 in North America?
• Increased input and raw material costs for chemical manufacturers in Q3 2025 elevated Soaping Agent production expenses.
• Robust consumer spending, with retail sales up 5.42% in September 2025, significantly supported Soaping Agent demand.
• Shrinking chemical industry inventories in Q3 2025 indicated accelerating destocking, influencing Soaping Agent supply dynamics.
APAC
• In China, the Soaping Agent Price Index fell quarter-over-quarter, influenced by deflationary pressures in September 2025.
• Soaping Agent production costs faced upward pressure from increased key raw material prices in August 2025.
• Demand for Soaping Agent softened due to slowing household consumption and moderated economic growth in Q3 2025.
• The Manufacturing Index contracted in September 2025, indicating a slowdown in overall industrial activity.
• Industrial production grew 6.5% in September 2025, offering some demand support despite overall contraction.
• Consumer confidence remained pessimistic at 89.6 in September 2025, dampening discretionary spending.
• Retail sales grew 3.0% in September 2025, but the 5.2% unemployment rate suggested constrained purchasing power.
• Global overcapacity in chemicals persisted in Q3 2025, impacting market balance, while natural gas prices stabilized.
Why did the price of Soaping Agent change in September 2025 in APAC?
• Deflationary pressures (CPI -0.3%, PPI -2.3% in September 2025) reduced pricing power.
• Contracting Manufacturing Index in September 2025 and softened domestic demand weighed on consumption.
• Increased key raw material prices in August 2025 exerted upward pressure on Soaping Agent production costs.
Europe
• In Germany, the Soaping Agent Price Index fell quarter-over-quarter in Q3 2025, influenced by weak industrial demand and declining producer prices.
• Soaping Agent production costs were challenged by persistently elevated European natural gas prices throughout Q3 2025.
• Producer prices of industrial products declined by 1.7% year-over-year in September 2025, mainly due to lower energy costs.
• Germany's Manufacturing Index showed a contracting trend, and industrial production decreased by 1.0% in September 2025, dampening demand.
• Consumer demand faced headwinds from a 2.4% CPI increase in September 2025, eroding purchasing power for Soaping Agent applications.
• Retail sales modestly rose by 0.2% year-over-year in September 2025, offering cautious support for consumer-facing applications.
• German chemical imports surged in September 2025, while exports were constrained by US tariffs in the first nine months of 2025.
• Overall German chemical production declined in Q3 2025, with low capacity utilization in energy-intensive sectors.
Why did the price of Soaping Agent change in September 2025 in Europe?
• Lower producer prices, down 1.7% in September 2025, reduced Soaping Agent manufacturing costs.
• Contracting Manufacturing Index in Q3 2025 significantly weakened industrial demand for Soaping Agent.
• Elevated consumer price inflation, up 2.4% in September 2025, constrained household purchasing power.