# Amino acids (lysine, methionine): Trading

Reading the Chinese lysine and methionine price quotes

Source page: https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/amino_acids/trading/

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 2026](https://faxiangongchang.com/en/reports/china-amino-acids-2026)free research site · Faxian Gongchang

Chinese amino acid capacity, prices and trade cases
[Expana insights (feed additives)](https://www.expanamarkets.com/insights/article/afe-feed-additives-markets-face-oversupply-risks-trade-shifts-and-concentration-pressures/)freemium research site · Expana

Feed additive prices and market reporting
[Feed Navigator](https://www.feednavigator.com)free newsletter · William Reed

Feed additive industry news
[All About Feed / Food Agribusiness World](https://www.foodagribusiness.world/feed/)free newsletter · Misset

Feed additive markets and vitamins

## Other sections

- [Summary](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/amino_acids/index.md)
- [Overview](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/amino_acids/overview/index.md)
- [Correlation](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/amino_acids/correlation/index.md)
- [Production route](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/amino_acids/routes/index.md)
- [Production](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/amino_acids/production/index.md)
- [Feedstocks](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/amino_acids/feedstocks/index.md)
- [Cycles](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/amino_acids/cycles/index.md)
- [Movement](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/amino_acids/movement/index.md)
- [Regulation](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/amino_acids/regulation/index.md)
- [Characteristics](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/amino_acids/characteristics/index.md)
- [Emissions](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/amino_acids/emissions/index.md)
- [Relationships](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/amino_acids/links/index.md)