Benzaldehyde market in India moved decisively lower through January 2026 as softer import offers from China and a year-end lull in domestic buying created a buyers’ market. Early January saw Chinese offers and rising freight costs, while cargo availability met weakened demand. Late January port arrivals outpaced lifting, building inventories that reinforced downward pressure on spot activity. Seasonal patterns, with flavours and fragrances winding down after the Q4 confectionery push and agro-formulators holding pre-kharif stocks, dampened enquiries and left sellers trimming offers into month-end. Downstream demand was muted across end-use sectors, with the flavors-to-fragrances chain slowed, and pharmaceuticals reporting soft call-offs for benzyl alcohol intermediates as API units ran routine maintenance. Agro-chemical formulators remained cautious ahead of pre-kharif activity, and downstream polymer consumption softened. Coatings, dyes and preservatives showed moderate demand weakness. The near-term outlook is mixed: modest softness in February and March with a potential rebound later, while downside risk persists if demand remains tepid and inventories stay elevated.
Selenis has effectively manufactured recycled PET chips using terephthalic acid sourced from Circ®, a textile-to-textile recycler based in Virginia. The chip production took place through a series of batches at Selenis' pilot plant in San-Giorgio, Italy. By utilizing inputs recovered from polycotton textile waste, Selenis has created high-quality PET chip, which has been further processed into DTY yarn. This yarn will play a crucial role in product development as Circ prepares for additional capsule launches. Selenis is leveraging the success of this initial collaboration phase and is committed to advancing towards an offtake partnership to support Circ's inaugural industrial facility.
Eduardo Santos, Head of Corporate Strategy at Selenis, remarked that the monomer synthesis showed a performance comparable to virgin terephthalic acid. He expressed optimism about the consistent quality of Circ's monomer output and anticipated future commercial success. Santos pointed out that the Circ partnership complements Selenis's existing mission and goals for a more sustainable textile industry. He further stated their anticipation of expanding upon this collaboration and providing support for Circ's forthcoming commercial production trials.
