Butene Price Trend and Forecast

Butene Regional Price Overview

Get the latest insights on price movement and trend analysis of Butene in different regions across the world (Asia, Europe, North America, Latin America, and the Middle East & Africa).

Butene Price Trend for the Year of 2024

Asia

The Asian butene market navigated through a challenging 2024, characterized by persistent downward pressure. Chinese demand remained subdued as downstream industries operated at reduced rates.
 

Butene Price Chart

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Production rates stayed high throughout most of the year, leading to inventory build-up. While there were occasional spikes during maintenance periods, the overall trend remained bearish due to lacklustre derivative demand and ample availability.

Europe

European butene markets weathered significant volatility in 2024. Early in the year, supply constraints and strong derivative demand supported prices. However, the market softened considerably by mid-year as downstream polymer producers reduced operating rates amid economic uncertainties. Technical issues at several crackers and logistics disruptions temporarily tightened supply, but these effects were short-lived against the backdrop of weak demand.

North America

North American butene followed a unique trajectory in 2024. The market began strong, supported by healthy derivative demand and planned maintenance at key production facilities. However, improved cracker operations and new capacity additions in the latter half led to increased availability. Export opportunities helped balance the market somewhat, though prices remained under pressure as domestic supply consistently exceeded demand.

Analyst Insight

According to Procurement Resource, the global Butene market appears poised for continued softness as additional capacity comes online, particularly in Asia. However, potential production disruptions and evolving trade patterns could introduce periods of volatility.
 

Butene Price Trend for the Second Half of 2023

Asia

Butene is a class of petrochemicals that is capaciously used in the polymer, rubber, and plastics industries. So, the demands and consuming behavior from these industries play a pivotal role in the butene’s market trends. Along with this, the fluctuations in feedstock ethylene market trends also influence the butene market trend immensely. During the second half of the year 2023, the butene market behavior varied throughout the period. After a sullen performance of the previous quarters, the third quarter began firmly for butene as the prices started on a rising trajectory in July’23.

The major boost in the butene market came from the rise in production costs, which was elevated by the surge in crude oil rates during this time. However, as the fourth quarter arrived, the market started to balance itself. Crude oil prices got normalized, which took away the upstream cost support, and the demands too humbled down. So, a reverse market momentum was observed in both the third and fourth quarters. Prices in the Chinese market fared higher than the Indian market.

Europe

In the early months of the third quarter, the European butene market continued its disappointing run of the previous quarters. The price graph started in a sluggish way as the downstream demands were still not very supportive of the market trends. However, as OPEC+ decided to slash down the export volumes, it directly reflected on the butene prices. Since the production costs surged the price graph too started rising; however, this growth was very temporary. As the fourth quarter began, the excess inventory stocks started dominating the price trend again. This pushed the butene price trend down again in the fourth quarter. Overall, mixed market sentiments were witnessed.

North America

The North American butene market almost mimicked the market behavior of its European counterpart. The prices were observed to be oscillating here as well. The third quarter was more positively inclined than the fourth quarter. The American economy had just begun to come out of the recession, so the manufacturers were still very cautious with the procurements; this was well reflected in the order volumes. Overall, varying market behavior was witnessed.

Analyst Insight

According to Procurement Resource, the Butene price trends are expected to continue fluctuating in the coming months as well. Market demand will continue to primarily drive the trade sentiments.
 

Butene Price Trend for the First Half of 2023

Asia

Butene prices in China showed some positive inclinations in the quarter of 2023. The feedstock ethylene supported the upstream costs, and downstream demands from the plastic and polymer industries also showed some positive upturns. Overall, market trend sailed with a positive start in quarter one and remained afloat even in the second quarter, with some occasional fluctuations as per downstream demands and upstream costs.

Europe

European Butene market, too, exhibited similar oscillating price trend as the Asian domestic market. Queries from the downstream consumer sector saw a rise, and feedstock prices, too, started inclining. Eased shipments helped reduce production costs, but feedstock prices influenced the price hikes more. trend continued to fluctuate till the end of the said period, as market demands, and upstream costs continued to drive the market sentiments.

North America

The North American Butene market had a similar positive start as the other global markets, as the prices rose at the beginning of Q1 2023. Rise in demands and feedstock costs supported the upward trend, but as the inventory levels rose and were able to support the dipping downstream demands, prices started falling by the end of quarter one. Downstream demands continued to drive the price trend in the region in the second quarter as well. Overall mixed price sentiments were observed throughout the said period.

Analyst Insight

According to the Procurement Resource, the Butene prices are expected to remain driven by market demands from the downstream industries as eased supply chains, and shipments will likely ease the upstream cost pressure.
 

Butene Price Trend for the Second Half of 2022

Asia

The butene market fluctuated throughout the third and fourth quarters of 2022. The region saw a rise in inventories as the demand from the end-user industries remained low. The adoption of the zero covid policy by China was also a major contributor to this sea-saw price trend of butene. Not only the domestic market, but the international market also showcased a slump in demand and thus, butene prices declined in the domestic region.

Europe

The price trend for butene showed a fluctuating pattern during the said period. The European region witnessed an increased production cost as the operation and energy production costs increased. The demand from the end-user industries was also weak along with the decline in imports from the downstream industries. The disruption in supply due to port congestion and vessel bunching also severely affected the prices of butene. The fourth quarter saw a stable demand from the polyisobutylene sector which somehow stabilized the butene market. The later months of the fourth quarter were in favour of the butene prices.

North America

During the initial months of Q3, the prices of feedstock declined, and inflation rose. In the North American region, the price of butene also declined due to the rise in inventories and weak demand from the end-user industries. In the fourth quarter, the sea-saw price trend for butene continued. The manufacturing purchasing index declined, and cheap Asian products further declined the prices of butene.

Analyst Insight

According to Procurement Resource, the price trend for Butene are likely to incline in the coming months considering the rise in production costs and improving demand from the end-user polyisobutylene market.
 

Butene Price Trend For the First Half of 2022

Asia

The economic catastrophe unleashed in the last week of February owing to the Russian invasion of Ukraine had disastrous effects on the world economy. The surging crude oil prices, supply-side constraints, and trade bottlenecks caused the prices of feedstock petrochemicals such as ethylene to rise, thereby causing the prices of Butene to inflate.

With the heightened upstream costs and solid demand from the polymers and tire companies, the price trend for Butene tipped towards the higher end of the scale. The prices of Butene averaged 1155 USD/MT Ex-Mumbai during the first quarter.

During the second quarter, with the government's decision to impose covid restrictions, the industrial production rates suffered. The production rates did not reach their optimum levels even after the upliftment of restrictions due to the surging costs and demand destruction in downstream sectors. The price of feedstock ethylene declined, averaging 1166-1176 USD/MT CFR Northeast Asia and 1216-1226 USD/MT CFR Southeast Asia. However, despite the stagnant demand and relaxed feedstock prices, the prices of Butene remained afloat due to the abnormal inflation levels.

Europe

The European economy suffered the worst consequences of the Russian conquest of Ukraine. The acute energy crisis due to the soaring crude oil and gas prices, along with trade bottlenecks, triggered runaway inflation in the European domestic market.

The robust demand amid the high power and transportation costs caused the price trend of Butene to strengthen. However, during the second quarter, the butene prices stabilized slightly owing to the lowered feedstock ethylene prices averaging 1759-1768 USD/MT FD Northwest Europe.

North America

The price trend for Butene remained strong throughout the first half of the said year. Supply-side constraints, high freight charges, surging production costs, and labour shortages amid the robust downstream demand caused the prices of Butene to remain on the upwards trajectory.

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