MCA (Monochloroacetic Acid) Price Trend and Forecast

Regional Price Overview

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

For the Second Quarter of 2022

Asia

The rate of monochloroacetic acid has been declining since the second quarter of 2022. China's market for monochloroacetic acid saw a decline as a result of a plenty of supplies and weak demand. Monochloroacetic Acid prices continued to decline due to low feedstock acetic acid prices. The decline has been linked to a rise in domestic market inventories, which have been supported by higher production and decreased offtakes, followed by a decline in demand from the downstream dyes and agrochemical industries.

But as export demand declined and manufacturers battled supply shortages, growth in China's manufacturing activity slowed in June. The output of monochloroacetic acid and new export orders both decreased, which brought down the price of the substance. Monochloracetic acid prices were approximately USD 955/MT.

North America

Monochloroacetic Acid prices in North America showed favourable market trends in this quarter. The price of the feedstock acetic acid and acetic anhydride were affected by a sharp increase in upstream crude value, which further contributed to the increasing trend in monochloroacetic acid costs. Moreover, from the price charts it is evident that rising demand from the downstream Sodium Mono Chloroacetate and Ethyl Acetate markets drove up regional market prices even higher. In addition, a tight supply, soaring demand, and worries about sky-high inflation drove MCA prices to all-time highs in the USA market.

Accordingly, monochloroacetic acid prices in June were approximately USD 1990/MT. Overall, the factors contributing to the high price of MCA across the region, particularly the demand from the agrochemical industry for insecticides and herbicides, have remained stable.

Europe

A shortage of one of the most important raw materials, acetic acid, was noted in the second quarter of 2022, which was reflected in an increase in monochloroacetic acid prices in Europe. Additionally, as spot prices for MCA rose, regional market trading activities went up. Monochloroacetic Acid prices were around USD 2020/MT during June.

For the Fourth Quarter of 2021

Asia

Due to decreasing raw material costs, MCA in the APAC region fell in this quarter. For a variety of factors, upstream acetic acid was found to be growing in October, placing pressure on downstream products to display buoyancy. However, during the quarter, the price of acetic acid plummeted by more than 10%, creating a major reduction in the price of different downstream derivatives in November.

In December, MCA prices were around 95,000 INR/MT ex-depot Mumbai. Due to increased demand for the usage of MCA for celluloses, agrochemicals, high-foaming surfactants, and personal care items, Asia Pacific is predicted to rise at a much faster rate than the rest of the world by 2022. Furthermore, the region's market has grown significantly due to rapid expansion in the chemical and materials sectors, as well as increased demand for choloracetic acid from other industries.

Increasing advancements and improvements in the textile sector in Asia Pacific countries such as Indonesia, India, and China, among others, are likely to raise demand for MCA and drive revenue growth in the area.

Methanol, acetic acid, and heavy feed inventories for petroleum refinery would see tariff reductions in India starting in February 2022. Companies that use chemicals as raw resources are positioned to gain from the duty reduction, while chemical producers are likely to suffer. This decrease in feedstock acetic acid can cause a downward trend in the price of MCA.

Europe

In the fourth quarter of 2021, there was a scarcity of crucial raw materials across Europe, leading to higher MCA prices on the local market. As resources became increasingly scarce, manufacturers sought things from a multitude of different sources.  The availability of MCA on the market increased as the quarter progressed. The pharma and adhesives sector's offtakes stayed high in Q4 in terms of demand. In October, FOB Hamburg MCA prices were1785 USD/MT, but by December, they had dropped to 1630 USD/MT.

North America

North America is expected to account for a disproportionately large share of revenue during the forecast period, owing to growing demand for monochloroacetic acid from a variety of end-use industries, including agriculture, medical and pharmaceuticals, and chemical, for the manufacture of agrochemicals, ibuprofen, and vitamins. Additionally, the presence of major manufacturers in the region is a significant factor driving the market's revenue growth.

For First, Second and Third Quarters of 2021

Asia

Nouryon (Amsterdam, Netherlands) and Atul successfully began manufacturing at Anaven in April 2021. Anaven is India's largest MCA production complex, with a current capacity of 32,000 MTPA and the potential to expand to 60,000 MTPA quickly. In December 2021, the plant was significantly extended.

MCA supply in China remained constrained in the first quarter of 2021 due to plant turnarounds over the Chinese Lunar New Year holidays in February. The downstream manufacturing plants' margins were lowered due to a lack of supply of the feedstock acetic acid and liquid chlorine.

Demand from the downstream segment increased as offtakes from the personal care, food, and pharma sectors remained stable. Increased pricing of essential feedstocks produced a multifold increase in MCA prices, which settled at 1250 USD/MT FOB Shanghai in March.

As a result of the abrupt reversal of several large upstream production facilities in the second quarter of 2021, the MCA market experienced a demand-supply imbalance. In China, however, a sharp increase in the price of the raw ingredient acetic acid aided the pricing trend in the local market. As commercial and industrial operations improved in the Northeast Asian region, demand from downstream industries remained strong.

In India, however, due to the impact of the second COVID wave, raw material prices fell due to less industrial activity and lower demand from the downstream market. As a result, producers reduced their offerings by specific margins, with Ex-Works Mumbai MCA prices estimated at 1073 USD/MT in Q2 2021.

During Q3, the general market prognosis for MCA in the Asia Pacific region showed an upward tendency. Back-to-back positive revisions in upstream acetic acid prices in India contributed to a new rising trend in MCA pricing in the domestic market. Following the upward trend, Ex-Works MCA prices in western India increased from 1106 USD/MT to 1201 USD/MT in the third quarter.

Because the product is primarily imported from China, a slew of problems loomed over the supply chain this quarter, causing Chinese origin cargo deliveries to be delayed. Anaven, which has a stranglehold on the MCA market in India, was heard positively modifying its rates to protect its margins from the steady rise in acetic acid prices.

Europe

Due to low stockpiles and continuous offtakes from the downstream market, European MCA supply remained limited during the first quarter of 2021. Due to a shortage of raw materials and a transportation lag from the western region due to serious freeze weather, the Northwest regional facilities functioned at a slow pace. As the downstream food and pharma markets improved, demand skyrocketed.

As different US plants resumed production following the winter storm, access to feedstock chemical increased slightly, resulting in a reduction in MCA supply limitations in the second quarter of 2021.

A shortage of critical raw materials was noted across the European region in the third quarter of 2021, resulting in higher MCA costs on the local market. Manufacturers sought items from a variety of sources as materials grew increasingly difficult to come by. As the quarter came to a close, the provision of MCA on the market improved. In terms of demand, the construction sector's offtakes remained high in Q3.

North America

During the first quarter of 2021, regional MCA supplies were limited due to limited availability of acetic acid due to disruptions in production at numerous regional plants. The stoppage of Formosa Plastics' 910,000 MT per year feedstock chlorine factory in the first half of Q1 added to the crisis. Due to lower pricing than the domestic market, spot buyers in the region grew more inclined to the Asian market. Despite a regional shortage that prompted a multifold increase in MCA prices in the timeframe, demand remained buoyant due to improved intake from the downstream pharmaceutical and food sectors.

After seeing a substantial increase in pricing throughout the second quarter, market sentiment for MCA in the North American region stabilised in the second quarter. Supplies improved in the United States when production in the Gulf region revived, owing to higher upstream acetic acid output. With the resumption of industrial activities, demand from the downstream surfactant, textile, and coating sectors grew.

Spot MCA prices  in the North American region rose throughout the most of the third quarter, owing to high demand from the agrochemical, pharma, and surfactant industries. The spike in pricing was fueled in part by rising acetic acid costs from mid-July to the last week of September.

During the hurricane season, numerous chlor-alkali production operations on the US Gulf coast shut down, causing supply disruptions throughout the region. However, production slowed at the end of Q3, and MCA prices fell in early Q4 as the feedstock's rising trend slowed.

For the Year 2020

Asia

The chloroacetic acid market in China climbed and then declined in July, with the overall climate becoming more sluggish. The downstream demand improved since the beginning of the month, raw material costs continued to rise, the expense of chloroacetic acid support rose and manufacturers offered lower MCA prices. Even though the price of liquid chlorine remained high since the middle of the month, the acetic acid market had been loose, causing the price of chloroacetic acid to fall.

Due to lower demand for downstream pesticides, pharmaceutical intermediates, and other industries in the second half of the month, China's demand for chloroacetic acid declined, and prices continued to fall. In August, China's investor sentiment remained negative, with a general lack of transaction activity. Chloroacetic acid producers had a high operating load, with low downstream demand, resulting in a growth in inventory, shipping pressure, and a limited range of lower prices.

Due to restrictions on international shipments across multiple trade channels along Southeast Asia, India's monochloroacetic acid (MCA) supply remained limited, despite worries of a new coronavirus outbreak in Europe. Consistently growing acetic acid feedstock prices also played a significant effect in constraining supplies.

Rising agrochemical demand in APAC as a result of agricultural expansion prompted the Indian government to implement programmes such as the PLI plan to boost local pesticide manufacturing. This was expected to relieve supply pressure in India, resulting in future price stability for MCA, which is used in a variety of herbicides.

Europe

Domestic demand slowed as a result of the pandemic, causing trade networks to the APAC area to become congested. With the installation of new plants from PCC in Poland and Neuryon in the Netherlands, monochloroacetic acid availability in the region improved significantly. This intended to improve domestic supply, allowing for long-term price stabilisation. Due to increased demand for agrochemicals in North America and the Asia-Pacific region, exports increased towards the end of the year.

North America

High agricultural investment in the United States, Canada, and Mexico shaped the local market demand that rebounded after the COVID impact. Due to the coronavirus epidemic, which delayed market activity in the western hemisphere in Q4, access of feedstock acetic acid in the US remained constrained. As a result, its price increased, resulting in higher production costs for the derivative monochloroacetic acid.

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