# Toluene: Trading

The 2026 Hormuz spike in Asian toluene

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

- China
- India
- Southeast Asia
- United States (for blending in high-octane periods)

#### Who sells, and from where

- South Korea
- Japan
- Taiwan
- Singapore
- United States (when octane is cheap)

#### Price benchmarks

| Benchmark | Publisher | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| **Platts toluene FOB Korea** | S&P Global Platts | spot, daily |
| **OPIS/ICIS toluene Asia** | OPIS, ICIS | spot, weekly and daily |
| **US Gulf Coast toluene** | Platts, OPIS | cents per gallon |

#### Exchanges

| Venue | Contract | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| **none** | no listed toluene futures found | Hedging uses related contracts such as ZCE paraxylene futures (5 t, launched September 2023, S&P Global) or naphtha swaps. |

#### Contract types

- Spot cargoes (2,000-5,000 t in Asia)
- Term contracts on monthly averages of Platts or ICIS assessments
- Domestic distributor sales in drums and tankers for solvent users

#### Traders and distributors

- Glencore
- Vitol
- Mitsui
- Sumitomo
- Producer trading arms

#### How Indian buyers price it

- Solvent buyers price imports on CFR India against Asian markers; domestic refiners sell at import parity (indicative).
- Distributors in Gujarat and Maharashtra supply pharma and agrochemical makers in drums at a premium to tanker prices (indicative).

#### Recent price points

| Date | Price | Basis | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 Mar 2026 | **$781/t** | FOB Korea | S&P Global Platts |

#### Good sources to follow
[S&P Global Commodity Insights chemicals news](https://www.spglobal.com/energy/en/news-research/latest-news/chemicals)freemium research site · S&P Global

Platts aromatics prices
[OPIS Energy Market News](https://www.opis.com/resources/energy-market-news-from-opis/)freemium research site · OPIS

Asian aromatics and naphtha
[Argus market opinion and analysis blog](https://www.argusmedia.com/en/news-and-insights/market-opinion-and-analysis-blog)free blog · Argus Media

Aromatics and paraxylene analysis

## Other sections

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