# Formaldehyde: Trading

No futures, no benchmark: priced off methanol by road tanker

Source page: https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/formaldehyde/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

- Resin makers inside or next to panel mills
- POM and MDI producers (captive)
- Indian plywood and laminate clusters buying formalin by road tanker

#### Who sells, and from where

- Local formalin producers within a few hundred km
- Paraformaldehyde exporters in China and Europe for long distances

#### Price benchmarks

| Benchmark | Publisher | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| **Formaldehyde 37% regional prices** | ChemAnalyst, Procurement Resource | monthly, FOB/CIF by country |

#### Exchanges

| Venue | Contract | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| **None** | no futures contract | priced as methanol plus conversion |

#### Contract types

- Monthly formula contracts indexed to methanol
- Spot road-tanker sales

#### Traders and distributors

- Not a traded commodity; resin makers buy direct

#### How Indian buyers price it

- Producers quote ex-works in Rs/kg, reset with methanol: about Rs 25.90/kg (Jan 2026) and Rs 26.15/kg (Mar 2026) (Procurement Resource)
- Methanol import parity plus 7.5% duty sets the cost floor

#### Recent price points

| Date | Price | Basis | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 2026 | **$187.43/t** | FOB China | Procurement Resource (2026) |
| Jul 2026 | **$294.43/t** | FOB India | Procurement Resource (2026) |
| Jul 2026 | **$374.92/t** | CIF USA | Procurement Resource (2026) |
| Jan 2026 | **about Rs 25.90/kg** | India | Procurement Resource (2026) |

#### Good sources to follow
[Procurement Resource price trends](https://www.procurementresource.com/es/resource-center/formaldehyde-price-trends)freemium research site · Procurement Resource

monthly formaldehyde prices by country
[ChemAnalyst news and prices](https://www.chemanalyst.com/)freemium research site · ChemAnalyst

methanol and derivative price commentary
[Methanol Institute](https://methanol.org/methanol-price-supply-demand/)free research site · industry association

methanol supply, demand and prices that drive formaldehyde
[Crisil Intelligence](https://intelligence.crisil.com/)freemium research site · Crisil

India methanol and formaldehyde demand

## Other sections

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