US Ethoxylated Tridecyl Alcohol Market Takes Pressure from Average Terminal Demand

Texas, USA: In the US market, the prices of Ethoxylated Tridecyl Alcohol have demonstrated a decline of USD 20 per ton in May 2024, compared to the prices observed at the start of the second quarter of 2024. The number of inquiries from the downstream Personal Care industries has remained moderate, reinforcing the market fundamentals of Ethoxylated Tridecyl Alcohol among the manufacturers. As per the market sources, the Ethoxylated Tridecyl Alcohol manufacturing firms have also not been operating at their full capacities to avoid stockpiling the product.

The ChemAnalyst Database has shown that the prices of Ethoxylated Tridecyl Alcohol were settled at USD 2520 per ton in May. The Federal Reserve's decision to keep interest rates high to manage elevated inflation has significantly slowed spending on manufactured goods and capital projects. This environment of reduced expenditure impacts the demand for Ethoxylated Tridecyl Alcohol, as manufacturers and businesses face higher borrowing costs, leading to cutbacks in production and investment. The increased cost of financing makes it more expensive for companies to expand operations or invest in new projects, resulting in decreased overall demand for raw materials and intermediates like Ethoxylated Tridecyl Alcohol, which are essential in various industrial processes and products.

On the Other hand, the prices of upstream Palm Oil have been easing amid the improvement in seasonal production activities brought in the key manufacturing nations, Indonesia and Malaysia. Thus, the market players have been witnessing sufficient levels of upstream raw materials to cater to the requirements of the downstream derivatives, including Ethoxylated tridecyl Alcohol. Furthermore, Federal Reserve officials, scheduled to meet next on June 11-12, have emphasized their primary goal of reducing inflation to their 2% target after price pressures rose in the first quarter. This focus affects the market for Ethoxylated Tridecyl Alcohol, as efforts to curb inflation can lead to higher interest rates and reduced spending. However, as freight costs climb with the onset of the peak shipping season, the likelihood of higher production costs being transferred to consumer prices increases. This development could hinder the Federal Reserve's efforts to bring inflation back to 2% and potentially postpone the first rate cut.

According to the pricing intelligence of ChemAnalyst, the prices of Ethoxylated Tridecyl Alcohol might progress in the northwards direction amid a further rise in the new sales volumes from the downstream Personal Care industries. Although the high interest rates are likely to exert pressure on the market fundamentals of Ethoxylated Tridecyl Alcohol, the low production rates coupled with an improvement in terminal demand are likely to dominate the Ethoxylated Tridecyl Alcohol market sentiments in the forthcoming weeks.