Throughout the first half of March 2025, the prices of Acetic Anhydride in Belgium have remained stable. This development was due to no significant change in the prices of feedstock acetic acid. Moreover, the stocks in the market remained adequate to meet the demand from the downstream industry.

With the demand from the Acetic Anhydride key downstream sector like Cellulose acetate, the pharmaceutical and agriculture sector has shown no signs of recovery, creating a pessimistic market view. Thus, the demand from the downstream market remains subdued leading to lower product inquiries.  Another Acetic Anhydride downstream agrochemical sector saw stable demand from the herbicide and pesticide sector. Freight rates from North America to Europe continued to decline due to weak post-Lunar New Year demand with improving geopolitics conditions as the Middle East gets stabilized. Prices of Imported material from the Chinese market kept falling due to a surplus of stocks along with falling freight rates have overall created a pessimism in acetic anhydride market, as China is one of the key Acetic Anhydride suppliers. Furthermore, the uncertainty in trade dynamics due to the announcement of the tariffs by the U.S. and then counter-tariff with the E.U has further complicated the market outlook for Acetic Anhydride.

The Belgium FMCG sector which is a major consumer of Acetic Anhydride has shown a rise in demand. Although, with a slowdown in energy price growth, retail market prices have declined. The Consumer prices index has climbed year on year in February, slower than the previous rise in January. Consumer confidence has elevated from before. This was widely due to the sharp drop in concern over worsening unemployment and less pessimistic expectations for economic uncertainty in Belgium.

As per the ChemAnalyst Database, the price of Acetic Anhydride is expected to remain rangebound in the upcoming weeks. This is likely due to lower cost support from Feedstock Acetic Acid and lower energy costs (Natural Gas prices). Furthermore, as the situation stabilizes globally with declining freight rates and lower import prices, the acetic anhydride market in Belgium is likely to remain subdued. On the demand front, the demand from the downstream sector like the Pharma sector, and agrochemicals is likely to pick up, but this downstream demand spike is not likely to reflect in the market due to adequate stock which is likely to meet the rise in the downstream demand. However, as the tariffs are likely to come into effect, import prices are likely to rise, and domestic Acetic Anhydride manufacturing and demand are likely to rise.