# Fatty alcohols: Trading

Where the benchmark C12-C14 price gets set

Source page: https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/fatty_alcohols/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
- 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 papers](https://fedepalma.org/conferenciainternacional/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/M4_1_6-FNL-PPT-CONFERENCIA-INTERNACIONAL-2025_GlobalData_compressed.pdf)free research site · Fedepalma

oleochemical capacity and palm market outlooks
[Galaxy Surfactants earnings calls](https://nsearchives.nseindia.com/corporate/GALAXYSURF_23022026161107_transcriptq326ds.pdf)free research site · NSE filings

fatty alcohol prices and surfactant demand in India
[MPOB Palm News](https://prestasisawit.mpob.gov.my/en/palmnews/news/9399)free newsletter · Malaysian Palm Oil Board

palm and oleochemical news

## Other sections

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