Propylene oxide: Trading
No futures: why polyol plants sit next door
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
- China (Shandong, East China)
- Korea
- Saudi Arabia (as polyols)
Who sells, and from where
- Polyol makers in Asia
- India (polyols and PG imports)
Price benchmarks
| Benchmark | Publisher | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| PO ex-works Shandong / East China | OilChem, Mysteel, SunSirs | domestic spot, CNY/t |
| PO CFR China / Asia | ICIS / Platts | spot, weekly |
| Europe PO contract | ICIS | quarterly contract |
Exchanges
| Venue | Contract | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| none | no PO futures | styrene futures on Dalian are the nearest liquid proxy |
Contract types
- Term contracts to captive or nearby polyol plants
- Spot ISO tank and small parcel trade in Asia
Traders and distributors
- Sinochem
- Mitsui
- Mitsubishi Corporation
- Itochu
How Indian buyers price it
- Indian buyers mostly import polyols and propylene glycol on CFR India terms linked to China prices (indicative).
- No current DGTR duty on PO confirmed in sources reviewed.
Recent price points
| Date | Price | Basis | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 2025 | $1.005/kg ($1,005/t) | Asia/China | Alchempro, Nov 2025 |
| early Oct 2025 | about $1.13/kg ($1,130/t) | Asia/China | Alchempro, Nov 2025 |
Good sources to follow
Mysteel Globalfreemium research site · MysteelChinese PO capacity and price news
SunSirsfreemium research site · SunSirs China Commodity Data GroupDaily Chinese chemical prices including PO
Alchempro industry articlesfree research site · AlchemproChemical price trends