# MTBE: Trading

Spot cargoes priced against petrol benchmarks

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

- Mexico's Pemex and petrol importers
- Singapore blending hub
- European refiners and blenders (ARA)
- Latin American and African petrol importers

#### Who sells, and from where

- US Gulf Coast exporters
- Saudi Arabia and other Gulf producers
- Chinese exporters
- Malaysia and Singapore producers (indicative)

#### Price benchmarks

| Benchmark | Publisher | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| **MTBE FOB China** | S&P Global Platts | spot |
| **MTBE FOB Singapore** | Platts, Argus | spot, daily |
| **MTBE FOB Rotterdam barges** | Platts, Argus | spot, priced as a factor to Eurobob |
| **MTBE US Gulf Coast** | Platts, Argus, OPIS | spot, cents per gallon |

#### Exchanges

| Venue | Contract | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| **None liquid** | OTC swaps against Platts assessments (indicative) | most trade is physical |

#### Contract types

- Spot cargoes priced as a factor or premium to petrol benchmarks
- Term supply to refiners and blenders

#### Traders and distributors

- Oil majors' trading arms and independent oil traders (indicative)

#### How Indian buyers price it

- Indian refiners produce and blend MTBE internally; transfer pricing is at petrol-linked import parity (indicative)
- Methanol for MTBE is bought at CFR India import parity

#### Recent price points

| Date | Price | Basis | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sep-Nov 2025 | **$620-640/t** | FOB China | S&P Global Platts (via H1 2026 trends) |
| Sep-Nov 2024 | **$665-725/t** | FOB China | S&P Global Platts (via H1 2026 trends) |

#### Good sources to follow
[Energy Aspects MTBE insight](https://www.energyaspects.com/resources/insights/methyl-tert-butyl-ether-mtbe)freemium research site · Energy Aspects

MTBE supply-demand and trade
[S&P Global Commodity Insights chemical trends](https://www.spglobal.com/energy/en/news-research/special-reports/chemicals/chemical-trends-h1-2026/trade-flow/mtbe-toluene-mx)freemium research site · S&P Global

half-yearly MTBE and aromatics trade outlook
[Methanol Institute](https://methanol.org/methanol-price-supply-demand/)free research site · industry association

methanol prices and demand, incl. MTBE share

## Other sections

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