For the Quarter Ending June 2022
North America
During this quarter, the US market's construction sector remained dull, primarily influenced by slowed economic activities amidst the rising threat of stagflation. As per the ChemAnalyst data, Methylcellulose prices declined during the second half of the quarter post witnessing consistent hikes for several months.
In addition, the US market witnessed a sudden price hike in natural gas, which eventually affected the input cost of several commodities, including Methylcellulose. Consequently, the country's central bank had to take harsh decisions to curb huge inflationary pressure on consumers, which impacted the demand for the product from the domestic construction sector.
Asia
Asian market showcased mixed market sentiments during Q2 2022, where a major Asian economy China felt seesaw momentum due to pandemic-related uncertainties. Despite the fact that China showcased a significant recovery from the pandemic, economic activities were dragging, and thus the demand from the domestic constriction sector remained dull during the second half of the quarter. On the other side, India remained free of all the pandemic-related uncertainties, and no such interference was observed in India in supply chain dynamics. Furthermore, demand dynamics for the product also maintained overall stability, while prices rose marginally during the first half of the quarter and fell again lately.
Europe
Europe remained concerned with high input cost, as it has been hampering the production in the regional market while making it hard for them to maintain profitability. Furthermore, demand fundamentals for Methylcellulose remained stagnated during H1 of Q2 2022 and declined lately during H2. Despite low offtakes from the downstream buyers, the price remained high throughout the quarter and eventually started showing a fall during the second half of June 2022. However, high input cost remained a concerning factor among regional players, as Russia announced to further cut natural gas supplies through the Nord Stream 1 pipeline, a major source of Natural gas for Germany.
For the Quarter Ending March 2022
North America
The price trend of Methylcellulose in the American market during the first quarter of 2022 was rising owing to various disruption in upstream caustic soda, namely shutdown of a facility in Texas with 3 million MTPA capacity. The price rise is also abetted by government infrastructure development proposed during the fourth quarter of 2021 which elevated the demand of construction products like Methylcellulose in the Q1 of 2022. Despite the uncertainties brought by the sanctions on Russian oil and gas the downstream textile industry continued to soar due to high demand by the end-user contributing to hike in price of Methylcellulose. Methyl cellulose price was assessed around USD 5210/MT HPMC during March 2022.
Asia Pacific
In the Asian market the price of Methylcellulose increased on the back of rising upstream values owing to the high rise in demand from the importing US pharma industry. The high demand in the downstream construction sector during the first quarter of 2022 in the Indian market abetted the increasing price trend of Methylcellulose. In the Chinese market, during the first quarter the downstream construction sector was dull due to the Winter Olympics which contributed to the decreasing price trend of Methylcellulose in the Chinese market. The upstream raw material caustic soda price was also declining due to weak market sentiments leading in decrease in Methylcellulose price. Methylcellulose price hovered around USD 4540/MT HPMC in India during March 2022.
Europe
The price of Methylcellulose was rising throughout the first quarter of 2022 in the European market due to blooming home improvement sector in Europe leading to high prices of downstream construction products. The upstream caustic soda price trend in the European market during Q1 of 2022 was a rising trend due to high demand from the Asian market owing to production halts in China on the account of Winter Olympics. Due to Covid 19 cases resurgence in Europe during Q1 of 2022 the demand for the downstream Pharma industry led to increase in the price of methylcellulose in the European market. Conclusively, Methylcellulose was assessed around USD 5370/MT HPMC during March 2022 in Germany.
For the Quarter Ending December 2021
North America
High production cost kept on compelling domestic industries to raise their offers in USA during this quarter. Rising raw material cost remained a major concern for several manufacturers and traders, as their margins were getting narrowed week over week in the country. Cellulose derivative chemicals heard getting expensive dur to high production cost and supply chain disturbance in global market. Rayonier Advanced Materials announced 15-20% price increment on their cellulose derivative chemicals during October, as pressure to raise their offers were coming from global market. Meanwhile US construction market-maintained firmness throughout this timeframe while pharma showcased no such change than usual. Thus, consistent and marginal increments were observed for Methyl cellulose across US market during this Q4 2021, which hovered around USD 4900/MT for Hydroxy methyl propyl cellulose (HMPC) in USA.
Asia
Monsoon season in Asia temporarily restricted the construction sector to remain firm, which later improved effectively in the regional market. In India, seasonal slowdown in construction sector came during November, which showcased a comeback by the end of December. in the meantime, personal care and pharma bolstered the overall demand foe the product in the domestic market, while rising raw material cost remail a matter of consideration. On the other hand, in China, monsoon season induced shortage of coal and later exacerbated into dual energy policy related restrictions in the country. However, construction sector also remained dull for about two months and eventually uplifted on the back of ease in energy related issues in the country. Conclusively, prices for HPMC assessed at access of around USD 4300/MT during December in India.
Europe
European market remained buoyant throughout the quarter on the back of firm offtakes from the domestic market. Since past several months, Europe were facing problems related to pandemic related restrictions in the country, which started getting ease during this quarter. however, this bounce back in production and consumption, led into shortage of natural gas in the regional market especially hit UK in the meantime. Thus, most of the commodities were getting expensive on the back of high input cost, while Methylcellulose followed the same trend and eventually end up at considerably high value i.e., above USD 5100/MT.
