Amino acids (lysine, methionine): Trading
Reading the Chinese lysine and methionine price quotes
What this tab covers How it is bought and sold: buyers and sellers, price benchmarks and who publishes them, exchanges, contract types, traders, how Indian buyers price it, recent price points, and good sources to follow.Who buys, and where
- China (Meihua, Fufeng, Yipin, Eppen)
- Indonesia and Brazil (CJ)
- Evonik, Adisseo, Novus for methionine
Who sells, and from where
- Compound feed mills
- Poultry and pig integrators
- Premixers
- Aquafeed makers
Price benchmarks
| Benchmark | Publisher | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| China lysine 98% and 70%, DL-methionine ex-works | Chinese trade press; Expana (ex-Urner Barry/Mintec) (paid) | daily or weekly |
Exchanges
| Venue | Contract | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| none | not exchange-traded | Dalian maize and soymeal futures are used as proxies |
Contract types
- Quarterly or monthly contracts with integrators
- Spot through distributors
- Value-in-use pricing against soymeal
Traders and distributors
- Chinese exporters and feed additive distributors (indicative)
How Indian buyers price it
- Import parity from China and Southeast Asia
- Feed mills compare against soymeal prices in least-cost formulation
Recent price points
| Date | Price | Basis | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Q4 2024 | RMB 7,300-8,000/t (about $1,000-1,100/t) | lysine 98%, China | Faxian Gongchang 2026; RMB 7.2 per $ (indicative) |
| Q4 2025 | RMB 9,500-10,500/t (about $1,300-1,450/t) | lysine 98%, China | Faxian Gongchang 2026; RMB 7.2 per $ (indicative) |
| 2024 | RMB 20,000-25,000/t (about $2,800-3,500/t) | regular feed methionine, China | Faxian Gongchang 2026; RMB 7.2 per $ (indicative) |
| Jan-Nov 2024 | $1,265/t average export unit value (derived: $1.276 billion / 1.0085 Mt) | China lysine HCl and esters exports | Faxian Gongchang 2026; derived |
Good sources to follow
Faxian Gongchang China Amino Acids 2026free research site · Faxian GongchangChinese amino acid capacity, prices and trade cases
Expana insights (feed additives)freemium research site · ExpanaFeed additive prices and market reporting
Feed Navigatorfree newsletter · William ReedFeed additive industry news
All About Feed / Food Agribusiness Worldfree newsletter · MissetFeed additive markets and vitamins