# Surfactants: Trading

How Indian makers price against LAB and fatty alcohol imports

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

- LAB from the Gulf and South-East Asia; fatty alcohols from Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines; ethoxylates from producers near EO plants

#### Who sells, and from where

- Detergent and personal-care makers (HUL, P&G, Unilever, L'Oreal, Colgate), I&I cleaners, agrochemical formulators, textile mills

#### Price benchmarks

| Benchmark | Publisher | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| **Fatty alcohol C12-14, LAB and SLES assessments** | ICIS; Argus | weekly spot and monthly contract |

#### Exchanges

| Venue | Contract | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| **Bursa Malaysia Derivatives** | crude palm oil futures (FCPO), 25 t | used as a proxy hedge for oleo feed; no surfactant futures |

#### Contract types

- Quarterly or monthly cost-plus formulas linked to fatty alcohol or LAB
- Annual supply agreements with brand owners
- Spot sales to smaller formulators

#### Traders and distributors

- Oleochemical groups (Wilmar, KLK, Musim Mas) and chemical distributors (Brenntag, IMCD) (indicative)

#### How Indian buyers price it

- Domestic LAS and SLES priced off LAB and fatty alcohol import parity
- Anti-dumping duty on LAB from Iran and Qatar (2025-2030) and the LAB QCO raise LAS costs (lab tile)
- Galaxy's contract customers reprice quarterly; tier 2 and 3 customers monthly to six-monthly

#### Recent price points

| Date | Price | Basis | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-early 2026 | **about $2,500-3,000/t** | fatty alcohol (C12-14), as cited by management | Galaxy Surfactants Q3 FY26 transcript (Feb 2026) |
| Aug 2026 | **$1,704/t** | LAB India | lab tile (Procurement Resource) |
| Q4 FY2026 | **Rs 20,113 per t** | Galaxy EBITDA per tonne | Construction World, 18 May 2026 |

#### Good sources to follow
[Ceresana surfactants market report](https://ceresana.com/en/produkt/surfactants-market-report-world)paid research site · Ceresana

global surfactant demand by type and region
[Journal of Surfactants and Detergents](https://link.springer.com/10.1007/s11743-016-1867-y)freemium research site · Springer / AOCS

peer-reviewed surfactant science and LCAs
[Galaxy Surfactants earnings calls](https://nsearchives.nseindia.com/corporate/GALAXYSURF_23022026161107_transcriptq326ds.pdf)free research site · NSE filings

quarterly commentary on surfactant volumes, fatty alcohol prices and margins
[Chemical Week](https://chemweek.mydigitalpublication.com/articles/india-driving-lab-demand-growth)paid newsletter · S&P Global

LAB and surfactant market analysis

## Other sections

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