The combined impact of multiple factors has created a degree of tension in the market for certain pesticide products.
Release Date:
2018-05-25
Affected by a confluence of factors—including production halts at industrial parks in northern Jiangsu, environmental‑compliance crackdowns along the Yangtze River, and the Qingdao SCO Summit—the industry’s capacity utilization has hit a new low, with some products experiencing noticeable supply tightness. Such conditions emerging in the latter stages of the peak agricultural season are unprecedented in recent years. Herbicide Market: This week, glyphosate technical grade prices remained elevated at RMB 28,000 per ton, driven by a combination of upstream glycine costs, overseas order placements, and manufacturers’ environmental inspections. Ammonium glufosinate technical grade stayed relatively stable, with current offers hovering around RMB 180,000 per ton. Meanwhile, the diquat salt market continues to face substantial inventory levels, while the formulation segment is seeing lower pricing, prompting upstream suppliers to adjust their quotes downward to RMB 48,000 per ton.
Affected by the combined impact of production shutdowns at industrial parks in northern Jiangsu, environmental remediation along the Yangtze River, and the Qingdao SCO Summit, industry-wide capacity utilization has hit a new low, with some products experiencing noticeable supply tightness. Such a situation emerging in the latter stages of the peak agricultural season is unprecedented in recent years.
Herbicide market
This week, glyphosate technical grade has remained at a high level of RMB 28,000 per ton, driven by the combined impact of upstream glycine prices, foreign‑order demand, and manufacturers’ environmental inspections. Ammonium glufosinate technical grade has stayed relatively stable, with current offers at RMB 180,000 per ton. Paraquat technical grade is facing substantial inventory pressure, while the formulation market is seeing lower‑priced offerings, prompting upstream quotes to ease to RMB 48,000 per ton. The amide herbicide market is nearing its end, with inventory digestion taking center stage. Bentazone technical grade remains in short supply due to constrained upstream availability, trading above RMB 230,000 per ton. For chlorimuron‑ethyl technical grade, limited upstream supply has kept it out of stock, with market prices above RMB 230,000 per ton. As for cyhalofop‑butyl technical grade, production capacity in Lianyungang is confirmed not to come online in the near term, resulting in tight supply and a quoted price of RMB 200,000 per ton. Pendimethalin technical grade producers maintain reasonable inventories, but face significant environmental compliance pressures, keeping prices steady at RMB 51,000 per ton. Meanwhile, fluazifop‑p‑butyl technical grade continues to see a demand gap in the export market, while domestic application season is winding down, with prices remaining elevated at RMB 135,000 per ton.
Export orders for mesotrione technical are increasing, and manufacturers’ inventories remain low, with the market price currently stable at RMB 150,000 per ton. Supply of isoproturon technical remains tight; however, as the domestic application season nears its end, the market price for lower‑concentration domestic‑use grades hovers around RMB 82,000 per ton. Meanwhile, demand for higher‑concentration grades destined for export remains robust, pushing prices above RMB 120,000 per ton. As for atrazine technical, despite elevated upstream cyanuric chloride prices, with the application season drawing to a close, manufacturers are holding steady at RMB 24,000 per ton.
Pesticide
The abamectin technical‑grade product line and the emamectin benzoate technical (hereinafter referred to as “emamectin”) have remained relatively stable, with prices slightly easing from earlier levels; however, supply remains tight. Abamectin technical powder is quoted at RMB 680,000 per ton, while emamectin technical is priced at RMB 1.02 million per ton. Nicotinic‑based products have halted their downward trend; upstream raw materials such as CCMP, imidazolidine, and cyanoethyl ester continue to trade at elevated levels, and low‑priced supplies are dwindling. The imidacloprid technical holds steady at RMB 170,000 per ton, and the acetamiprid technical remains at RMB 175,000 per ton. Meanwhile, the nitenpyram technical continues to decline, now quoted at RMB 260,000 per ton. For thiamethoxam and clothianidin technicals, cost support persists, with CCMT and methyl nitroguanidine prices remaining high; yet overall downstream demand remains weak, resulting in sluggish export sales and prompting a substantial price cut to RMB 108,000 per ton and RMB 150,000 per ton, respectively.
With upstream methyl benzoate and ether aldehyde prices remaining at elevated levels, and the operating rate of cyfluthrin production insufficient, cost support for pyrethroid products has been exceptionally strong. This week, pyrethroid product quotations have held firm: the price of lambda‑cyhalothrin technical grade stands at RMB 250,000 per ton, while bifenthrin technical grade remains at a high of RMB 380,000 per ton; cypermethrin technical grade has been adjusted downward to RMB 115,000 per ton, though lower‑priced supplies are gradually being absorbed. Bifenthrin technical grade is seeing robust export orders and low market inventories, maintaining a high of RMB 415,000 per ton this week.
Fungicide
The suspension of production at the Lianyungang plant has tightened the supply of chlorophenol, driving prices sharply higher. Influenced by market inventory levels, price movements across different products have been mixed: the technical grade of difenoconazole has halted its decline and rebounded to RMB 225,000 per ton, with supply remaining tight; the technical grade of propiconazole, weighed down by ample market inventories, has stayed at a low level, quoted at RMB 135,000 per ton. The technical grade of hexaconazole has held steady at RMB 165,000 per ton, as the market focuses primarily on clearing existing stock. The technical grade of tebuconazole has remained broadly stable, trading at RMB 125,000 per ton. With few manufacturers operating, and production restrictions in Lianyungang further limiting supply, the market price for tricyclazole has adjusted to RMB 78,000 per ton. For fluoxastrobin, domestic producers are running at low capacity, prioritizing export orders, while available spot supplies have risen above RMB 650,000 per ton. Meanwhile, the technical grade of pyraclostrobin faces intense competition, with high inventory levels; most producers have opted to shut down for maintenance, leaving the market to work through existing stock, and keeping prices anchored at a subdued RMB 230,000 per ton.
With intensified environmental protection efforts and the combined impact of multiple factors, the supply outlook remains challenging. Following the clearance of inventories for certain products, prices have rebounded sharply. Looking ahead, ex‑factory prices in the active‑ingredient and intermediate markets are expected to stay elevated as the market works through earlier low‑price stockpiles. Market dynamics will continue to be driven by inventory levels, underscoring the need for all upstream and downstream players to maintain adequate safety stocks.
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