Methanol prices surged across India, China, and Germany during the week of July 17, 2026, driven by three distinct but converging shocks. In India, the expiry of the customs duty exemption on 40 critical petrochemicals as of July 15 reinstated a 7.5% import duty, sharply elevating landed costs. In China, the July 9 re-escalation of US-Iran tensions caused Strait of Hormuz shipping volumes to plummet, reigniting Iranian supply disruption fears and driving a futures-led price surge despite weak downstream demand. In Germany, BASF's Force Majeure declaration at Ludwigshafen and a sharp 13.13% weekly spike in natural gas costs simultaneously tightened regional supply and elevated steam-reforming production expenses, pushing Hamburg FD prices firmly higher.
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.
