Low operating rates and steady demand: Amid a tug-of-war between supply and demand, active‑ingredient prices remain at elevated levels.

　　Market Overview
　　 Pesticide The market as a whole remains at elevated levels, with severe shortages of certain individual products driving prices higher. At present, many traders, distributors, and API‑manufacturing facilities have suspended operations; in particular, the domestic seasonal demand has largely subsided, while overseas markets are still focused on fulfilling prior orders. With most product prices remaining at high levels and risks mounting, participants are adopting a cautious, wait-and-see stance.
　　Based on current domestic vehicle‑ownership rates and downstream demand, the market is generally subdued, with steady demand and prices trading in a high‑range consolidation. For the time being, conditions are relatively stable, with little room for significant volatility.
　　Herbicide
　　Last week, herbicides remained at elevated levels, delivering strong overall performance with relatively stable prices.
　　The glyphosate price has been reduced to RMB 27,000 per ton (the same applies hereinafter), a decrease of RMB 500. The primary reason is that downstream demand is currently in the off-season, export demand remains weak, and the market remains relatively stable.
　　Glyphosate ammonium prices remain around RMB 170,000 per ton, with subdued market demand and limited downstream restocking intentions, while supply remains relatively stable.
　　Prices for triazine‑based raw materials—specifically isopropylamine and the intermediate cyanuric chloride—remain at elevated levels, while downstream product prices are also holding firm with little volatility: atrazine is quoted at RMB 23,500 per ton, with relatively stable supply; simazine (97% purity) is priced at RMB 30,000 per ton, amid tight supply; and ametryn is quoted at RMB 40,000 per ton, with steady availability.
　　Sulfonylurea herbicide prices remain relatively stable, with nicosulfuron holding at RMB 270,000 per ton amid tight supply; quizalofop‑p‑ethyl is quoted around RMB 210,000 per ton, with low operating rates; as the active‑ingredient application season has passed and the market enters its off‑peak period, prices are broadly steady. For bensulfuron‑methyl, manufacturers report low capacity utilization and firm pricing, with channel quotes staying above RMB 290,000 per ton, while producers are currently unable to accept new orders.
　　Trifluralin prices remain above RMB 35,000 per ton, with supply remaining tight. For mesotrione, low operating rates at the key intermediate—triketone—have led to severe market shortages, keeping prices steady at RMB 170,000 per ton (based on 100% active ingredient), with supply still constrained. Diquat prices are holding at elevated levels, primarily due to a shortage of the intermediate 3-chloro-2-methylaniline, resulting in very low plant utilization and near‑out‑of‑stock conditions; products with ≥85% active ingredient are priced above RMB 150,000 per ton, while those with ≥95% active ingredient exceed RMB 200,000 per ton, with supply tight. Mesosulfuron‑methyl prices stay above RMB 230,000 per ton, largely driven by low operating rates for its key intermediate, 2‑nitro‑4‑methylsulfonylbenzoic acid, leaving manufacturers’ inventories extremely limited. Clopyralid prices remain above RMB 190,000 per ton, with supply highly constrained, owing to low production rates at the intermediate stage.
　　The quoted price for oxyfluorfen remains at RMB 175,000, with a stable supply. Fluazifop‑p‑butyl producers are concentrated, and their prices stay above RMB 135,000, while supply continues to be tight. The market price for chlorimuron‑ethyl holds above RMB 260,000, with low operating rates and severe shortages.
　　The market price for cyhalofop‑butyl is above RMB 245,000 per ton, supported by high plant operating rates and firm pricing. For clodinafop‑propargyl, supply shortages are severe, with prices remaining robust: the quoted price for the 96% active‑ingredient grade stays above RMB 255,000 per ton, while the 97% grade is held at over RMB 260,000 per ton; channel prices have already climbed to more than RMB 270,000 per ton.
　　Due to the lack of resumption of production at the northern Jiangsu industrial park, the price of 2,4‑D technical grade has been raised to RMB 23,000 per ton, an increase of RMB 500, with severe supply shortages. The quoted price for pretilachlor technical grade remains at RMB 40,000 per ton, reflecting relative market stability. The price of haloxyfop‑P‑methyl stays above RMB 245,000 per ton, with a steady supply in the market.
　　Pesticide
　　Last week, insecticide prices remained at elevated levels, with some products continuing to rise, though market demand remained subdued.
　　Pyrethroid products are experiencing severe shortages due to disruptions in production at the northern Jiangsu industrial park, with manufacturers operating at low capacity and prices remaining elevated. The market quote for cypermethrin has held above RMB 330,000 per ton, up by RMB 10,000; manufacturers have stopped accepting new orders, and the market is critically short of supply. Meanwhile, bifenthrin is seeing low operating rates and persistent tightness; manufacturers have ceased quoting, with market prices staying above RMB 430,000 per ton.
　　Nicotinic insecticides—imidacloprid, acetamiprid, and thiamethoxam—exhibit low production utilization rates, while distributors have already built up inventories in advance, keeping prices firm: the mainstream price of imidacloprid remains around RMB 185,000 per ton; acetamiprid is quoted at approximately RMB 185,000 per ton; and thiamethoxam’s prevailing market price hovers around RMB 125,000 per ton, with supply remaining tight. Acetamiprid‑n‑propyl is priced at RMB 285,000 per ton, with constrained availability. Pyriproxyfen is quoted at RMB 170,000 per ton (based on 100% active ingredient), also facing tight supply.
　　In the organophosphate series, due to tight supply of the intermediate ethyl chloride and firm pricing, some technical-grade products remain in short supply: chlorpyrifos technical grade is holding above RMB 48,000 per ton, with low operating rates and constrained availability. Phoxim is quoted at RMB 43,000 per ton (100% active ingredient), with little change and very tight supply; for profenofos, the market price for 90% active‑ingredient product stands at RMB 63,000 per ton, while grades above 94% have been raised to RMB 65,000 per ton, as manufacturers have shut down production and shortages are severe; malathion technical grade also sees low operating rates and firm prices, with 90% active‑ingredient product at RMB 26,500 per ton and 95% at RMB 27,500 per ton, amid tight market availability.
　　Thiazolidinone manufacturers are maintaining low operating rates, with prices remaining firm above RMB 68,000 per ton. For monocrotophos and dimethoate, production capacities are also constrained, and both producers have ceased accepting new orders. Monocrotophos is quoted at around RMB 70,000 per ton, while dimethoate is priced at RMB 27,000 per ton for the 95% active‑ingredient grade and RMB 26,000 per ton for the 90% grade, amid tight market supply.
　　Fipronil prices remain steady at RMB 680,000 per ton, with manufacturers operating at low capacity and severe supply shortages. For chlorfenapyr technical grade, manufacturers have stopped quoting; channel prices are holding above RMB 420,000 per ton, while intermediate supplies are critically tight.
　　The quoted price for Avi fine powder remains at RMB 740,000, with supply extremely tight. Due to a production shutdown at the Hebei manufacturer, the market quote for chlorantraniliprole stays around RMB 1.3 million, with severe shortages. Meanwhile, the intermediate for etoxazole is out of stock, and its price holds steady at approximately RMB 415,000.
　　Fungicide
　　Last week, the overall operating rate of fungicides remained low, with most products maintaining relatively strong and stable prices.
　　Due to production halts at the northern Jiangsu industrial park, triazole‑based products are holding firm: difenoconazole remains quoted around RMB 250,000 per ton, reflecting tight supply; propiconazole is stable at approximately RMB 135,000 per ton; cyproconazole is quoted at RMB 365,000 per ton, with normal availability; triadimefon, amid tight intermediate supplies and plant shutdowns, commands a market reference price above RMB 90,000 per ton for grades exceeding 95% purity, with severe shortages; tricyclazole stays above RMB 85,000 per ton, also in critically short supply; hexaconazole is quoted around RMB 165,000 per ton, with constrained availability. Tebuconazole technical grade remains at RMB 135,000 per ton, with tight supply largely driven by ongoing constraints in copper naphthenate deliveries. Paclobutrazol is experiencing severe shortages, with mainstream market prices for 95% purity above RMB 135,000 per ton and for 90% purity above RMB 130,000 per ton (expressed as 100% active ingredient). Flusilazole is currently not being quoted by manufacturers, with extremely limited market availability; however, channel‑level quotes exceed RMB 670,000 per ton. Fluazinam has seen its price raised to over RMB 330,000 per ton, an increase of RMB 20,000, while channel distributors quote around RMB 350,000 per ton, amid acute scarcity.
　　The quoted price for iprodione remains steady at RMB 165,000. As for procymidone, due to tight raw-material supplies, its price has stayed above RMB 160,000, with a relatively constrained supply.
　　Methyl thiophanate manufacturers are experiencing operational disruptions, keeping prices firm; products with a purity of 97% or higher are no longer quoted, while channel prices have risen above RMB 140,000, amid severe supply shortages. As for metalaxyl, due to irregular production at the manufacturer, the raw material price remains around RMB 125,000, with relatively tight supply.
　　The quoted price for pyraclostrobin has been raised to above RMB 230,000, an increase of RMB 10,000, as manufacturers work through existing inventories and operating rates remain low, leading to a slight pullback in prices. The price for azoxystrobin at 98% purity is holding steady around RMB 350,000, with supply extremely tight. Ester‑based strobilurin prices are staying at RMB 320,000, amid continued supply constraints.
　　Fomesafen remains quoted at RMB 16,500, with supply tight. Metalaxyl‑m is holding steady at RMB 130,000, also facing constrained availability. The price of fludioxonil has been reduced to approximately RMB 980,000, a cut of RMB 20,000, with stable supply.
　　The production capacity utilization rate at propoxur manufacturers is extremely low, with prices holding above RMB 230,000 per ton, and the market is experiencing severe supply shortages. The price of pyraclostrobin remains around RMB 520,000 per ton, with stable supply.
　　The quoted price for boscalid remains around RMB 420,000, with stable supply. As for pyraclostrobin, prices are currently relatively steady, with manufacturers quoting approximately RMB 490,000; supply is ample and little change has been observed.
　　Intermediate
　　Last week, the intermediate segment remained at elevated levels, with prices holding firm and exhibiting limited volatility.
　　Kungfu Acid manufacturers are operating at an irregular pace, with market quotations holding steady at RMB 270,000; ether‑aldehyde prices remain at RMB 80,000, and the market is experiencing severe shortages. Cyanuric chloride producers are maintaining export quotes at RMB 14,500, with relatively stable supply.
　　Spermidine manufacturers are facing high wastewater volumes and low operating rates, with prices holding steady at RMB 26,000 per ton amid tight market conditions. Ethyl chloride quotes remain at RMB 27,000 per ton, reflecting relatively tight supply. Imidazolidine prices are stable around RMB 49,000 per ton, with supply remaining constrained.
　　2-Chloro-5-chloromethylthiazole and 2,4-diazine are seeing relatively stable prices due to low downstream operating rates: thiazole remains above RMB 58,000 per ton, with tight supply; 2,4-diazine is holding around RMB 50,000 per ton, also under tight supply as operating rates remain low.
　　The quoted price for cyanoethyl ester remains around RMB 53,000. The CCMP quote is holding steady at approximately RMB 145,000, with low operating rates and tight supply. The amine ether price is staying at RMB 40,000, amid constrained availability.
　　Downstream triazole products are currently seeing stabilizing prices, with low transaction volumes. Products with a purity of 99% or higher are holding around RMB 42,000 per ton, while those at 95% purity are quoted at approximately RMB 40,000 per ton, with steady supply. The price of PMIDA remains stable at about RMB 15,500 per ton, though supply is tight.
　　The basic raw material dimethyl sulfoxide has seen its price rise by RMB 200 this week, driven by the increase in methanol prices, with the current quoted price at RMB 11,300 per ton. Solvent oil prices remain relatively stable, currently quoted at RMB 7,000 per ton, and supply is normal.
　　Post-event prediction
　　Last week, the Lianyungang Municipal Safety Supervision Bureau issued a notice clarifying the standards for resuming production and ensuring workplace safety during the concentrated rectification of chemical (hazardous chemical) enterprises. Based on these requirements, it is evident that most enterprises within the industrial parks have yet to meet the prescribed criteria in certain areas. Consequently, for these park-based companies to resume normal operations, they must implement corrective action plans. Taking into account both their financial capacity and the time needed to complete such plans, even under favorable circumstances, full compliance is unlikely before September—at the earliest—meaning that restarting production across the board would likely not occur until around October. This, in turn, suggests that domestically… Pesticide In the short term, with no changes to product offerings, the market remains in its current state: product prices continue to stay at elevated levels.

　Source: Agricultural Inputs Herald – Pesticides