# Lubricant additives: Trading

How oil majors buy certified packages on long contracts

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

- Oil majors and independent blenders buy packages on multi-year contracts
- Indian blenders (IOCL, HPCL, BPCL, Castrol India, Gulf Oil Lubricants) buy from big-four affiliates

#### Who sells, and from where

- Big four from plants in the US, Europe, Singapore, China and India

#### Price benchmarks

| Benchmark | Publisher | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| **None public** |  | contract prices |

#### Exchanges

| Venue | Contract | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| **None** | not exchange-traded |  |

#### Contract types

- Multi-year package supply tied to certified formulations
- Price increase notices passed through with a lag

#### Traders and distributors

- Not applicable; direct sales

#### How Indian buyers price it

- Package prices set by global suppliers in dollars, landed with duty and GST; local blending of some packages

#### Recent price points

| Date | Price | Basis | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | **about $4-4.6/kg average (indicative)** | market value over volume | Lubes'n'Greases Factbook; Kline |

#### Good sources to follow
[Lube Report](https://www.lubesngreases.com/lubereport-americas/6_16/kline-lube-additive-demand-still-rebounding/)free newsletter · Lubes'n'Greases

weekly lubricant and additive industry news
[Lubes'n'Greases Factbook](https://www.lubesngreases.com/factbook/fb-article/global-lubricant-additives-market)free research site · Lubes'n'Greases

additive market sizes and players
[NewMarket investor news](https://www.newmarket.com/news/2026/02/newmarket-corporation-reports-fourth-quarter-and-full-year-2025-results//)free research site · NewMarket Corporation

Afton results, shipments and margins

## Other sections

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