# Methanol: Trading

Posted prices, Zhengzhou futures and how Kandla traders quote

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

- 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 demand](https://methanol.org/methanol-price-supply-demand/)free research site · industry association, with Argus data and GENA project tracker

prices, demand charts, renewable methanol project tracker
[Energy Aspects methanol insights](https://www.energyaspects.com/resources/insights/methanol-derivatives-long-term-supply-demand-q3-26)freemium research site · Energy Aspects

quarterly methanol supply-demand outlook
[Nitrogen+Syngas (CRU BCInsight)](https://www.bcinsight.crugroup.com/)paid research site · CRU Group

methanol and syngas plants, low-carbon projects
[Argus methanol](https://view.argusmedia.com/methanol-global-market-outlook-2025)freemium research site · Argus Media

price assessments, outlook webinars
[Crisil Intelligence](https://intelligence.crisil.com/)freemium research site · Crisil

India chemical import dependence and prices

## Other sections

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