Methanol: Trading
Posted prices, Zhengzhou futures and how Kandla traders quote
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
- Chinese MTO plants and coastal traders in Jiangsu and Zhejiang (CFR China)
- Indian formaldehyde, pharma and MTBE users via Kandla and Hazira (CFR India)
- European acetic acid, formaldehyde and MMA makers (FOB Rotterdam)
- Shipping lines buying bunker methanol (Maersk, Hapag-Lloyd)
Who sells, and from where
- Oman, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bahrain and Iran
- US Gulf producers (Methanex, Koch, Natgasoline)
- Trinidad and Tobago (Methanex, Proman)
- Malaysia, Russia, Venezuela
Price benchmarks
| Benchmark | Publisher | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Methanol CFR China | Argus, ICIS, S&P Global Platts | spot, daily/weekly |
| Methanol CFR India | Argus, S&P Global Platts | spot, weekly |
| Methanex posted contract price | Methanex | monthly, regional |
| Methanol FOB Rotterdam T2 | Argus, ICIS | spot and quarterly contract |
Exchanges
| Venue | Contract | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Zhengzhou Commodity Exchange | Methanol futures (MA), 10 t lots | most liquid methanol contract in the world (indicative) |
Contract types
- Term contracts priced off Methanex posted prices or index formulas
- Spot cargoes CFR China and CFR India
- Long-term offtake for low-carbon methanol (Maersk, Hapag-Lloyd 1 Mt a year from 2030, Argus)
Traders and distributors
- Methanex (direct)
- Proman
- Mitsubishi Gas Chemical and Japanese trading houses
- Chinese coastal traders
How Indian buyers price it
- Import parity: CFR India plus basic customs duty (7.5% restored on 15 July 2026 after a temporary waiver from April 2026) plus port and freight
- Domestic traders quote ex-tank Kandla in Rs/kg; Rs 73,950/t in May 2026 (Crisil)
- No Indian producer list price sets the market because 98% is imported
Recent price points
| Date | Price | Basis | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 2025 | $309/t | CFR India, monthly average | S&P Global (Feb 2026) |
| Dec 2025 | $246.5/t | CFR China, monthly average | S&P Global (Feb 2026) |
| 23 Feb 2026 | $292.5/t | CFR India | S&P Global (Feb 2026) |
| Apr-Jun 2026 | $569/t | CFR India, quarterly average | Crisil Intelligence (Jul 2026) |
| May 2026 | Rs 73,950/t | India domestic | Crisil Intelligence (Jul 2026) |
| FY2027 outlook | $380-420/t | CFR India average | Crisil Intelligence (Jul 2026) |
Good sources to follow
Methanol Institute: methanol price, supply and demandfree research site · industry association, with Argus data and GENA project trackerprices, demand charts, renewable methanol project tracker
Energy Aspects methanol insightsfreemium research site · Energy Aspectsquarterly methanol supply-demand outlook
Nitrogen+Syngas (CRU BCInsight)paid research site · CRU Groupmethanol and syngas plants, low-carbon projects
Argus methanolfreemium research site · Argus Mediaprice assessments, outlook webinars
Crisil Intelligencefreemium research site · CrisilIndia chemical import dependence and prices