Fatty alcohols: Trading
Where the benchmark C12-C14 price gets set
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
- Netherlands and Europe
- US
- India
Who sells, and from where
- Indonesia
- Malaysia
- Netherlands and Germany
- US (synthetic)
Price benchmarks
| Benchmark | Publisher | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| C12-C14 fatty alcohol FOB South-East Asia and CFR China | ICIS / Argus (indicative) | weekly |
| Palm kernel oil | MPOB / Bursa Malaysia | daily |
Exchanges
| Venue | Contract | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Bursa Malaysia | crude palm oil futures | proxy hedge only; no fatty alcohol futures |
Contract types
- Quarterly or monthly contracts with formulas linked to palm kernel oil
- Annual supply agreements with consumer goods majors
Traders and distributors
- Producers sell direct; distributors Brenntag, IMCD (indicative)
How Indian buyers price it
- Import parity from Indonesia and Malaysia plus duty; surfactant makers pass costs through quarterly (surfactants tile)
Recent price points
| Date | Price | Basis | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | about $2,500-3,000/t | fatty alcohol, as cited by Galaxy Surfactants | Galaxy Q3 FY26 call via surfactants tile |
| 2024 | about $1,780/t | world average export unit value, HS 382370 ($3.90 billion / 2.19 Mt) | UN Comtrade 2024 (derived) |
| 2024 | about $1,710/t | India's average import unit value ($202 million / 118 kt) | UN Comtrade 2024 (derived) |
Good sources to follow
Fedepalma International Conference papersfree research site · Fedepalmaoleochemical capacity and palm market outlooks
Galaxy Surfactants earnings callsfree research site · NSE filingsfatty alcohol prices and surfactant demand in India
MPOB Palm Newsfree newsletter · Malaysian Palm Oil Boardpalm and oleochemical news