- Ethylene glycol prices declined globally in Q2’26 as persistent oversupply, weak downstream recovery and shifting trade flows kept regional markets under pressure.
- Ethylene availability and cracker operating rates remained key feedstock factors, while weaker export economics and production adjustments increased pressure on producers and redirected material toward alternative markets.
- Polyester, PET and industrial demand remained the main downstream drivers, but subdued utilization and limited derivative demand improvement prevented excess supply from clearing quickly.
Asia
In China, ethylene glycol prices declined from ~USD 755.88/MT to ~USD 677.00/MT in Q2’26, showing a ~10.4% decrease. Persistent supply pressure and subdued polyester demand weighed on prices, while production economics remained constrained by feedstock costs and environmental restrictions. China remained the key demand center, but weak plant utilization and cautious downstream procurement limited market recovery. Rising import availability also reduced the impact of domestic production constraints, while changing global trade routes increased competition among suppliers. Polyester and PET production remained the principal downstream outlets, but limited utilization prevented stronger demand from absorbing available material.
Europe
In Germany, ethylene glycol prices fell from ~USD 882.16/MT in April to ~USD 798.50/MT in June, showing a ~9.5% decrease. Weak industrial demand and continued import availability pressured regional prices, while older petrochemical assets and lower production competitiveness limited the market’s ability to absorb excess supply. Ethylene availability remained a key production factor as weak cracker operating conditions and persistent structural oversupply affected upstream economics. Limited improvement in derivative demand, particularly from polyester-related applications, kept procurement subdued. Import competition further restricted producer pricing power as European buyers had access to competitively priced external material.
North America
In the United States, ethylene glycol prices edged down from ~USD 842.88/MT to ~USD 832.00/MT, showing a ~1.3% decrease. The relatively modest decline reflected continued oversupply alongside stronger structural competitiveness from ethylene feedstock availability and natural-gas-based production economics. However, weaker access to Chinese demand disrupted traditional export flows, forcing producers to redirect material toward alternative destinations. Reduced production rates at some facilities reflected weaker export economics, while polyester, PET and industrial demand remained insufficient to rapidly absorb excess availability. Trade-flow rebalancing therefore remained a key factor limiting price recovery.
Analyst Insight
According to Procurement Resource, ethylene glycol prices are likely to remain under pressure as oversupply and weak polyester demand persist, while regional production adjustments and changing trade routes may gradually rebalance availability.