This week, the overall market for acrylic acid and its esters in East China showed a weak consolidation trend, with prices of various products generally slightly declining, reflecting the current situation of weak demand and insufficient trading activity in the market. As of August 11th, the benchmark price of acrylic acid in Shengyi Society was 6200.00 yuan/ton, a decrease of 6.77% compared to the beginning of this month (6650.00 yuan/ton). This was mainly due to the low purchasing willingness of downstream terminals and the light trading atmosphere in the market. In order to promote transactions, holders had to lower their offer focus.

Demand side:
From the perspective of segmented products, the ester market has weakened across the board: methyl acrylate (6900 yuan/ton), ethyl ester (9400 yuan/ton), and butyl ester (7000 yuan/ton) have all experienced a decline of about 50 yuan/ton, with isooctyl ester experiencing a more significant decline (8150 yuan/ton, a decrease of 100 yuan/ton), indicating limited acceptance of high priced raw materials by the terminal industry, especially in the butyl ester market, which is showing a bearish trend. Downstream only maintains essential procurement, and the strong market wait-and-see sentiment has led to a continuous shift in the focus of negotiations.
It is worth noting that the market performance of methyl acrylic acid is relatively strong, with prices stable at 10550 yuan/ton, and high-end quotations even slightly rising to 10600 yuan/ton. However, actual transaction follow-up is limited, and terminal factory procurement is still mainly based on demand, reflecting that the supply and demand structure of this variety has not yet clearly deteriorated. The market of pure acrylic lotion also remained stable at 6200 yuan/ton, which may be related to the phased stability of demand in downstream coating and other industries.
The main pressure facing the current acrylic acid industry chain comes from the demand side: on the one hand, the traditional off-season combined with insufficient operating rates in some end industries makes it difficult to release actual transaction volume; On the other hand, the fluctuation of raw material propylene prices and the uncertainty of the crude oil market further exacerbate the market’s wait-and-see mentality. In the short term, it is expected that the market will continue to maintain a narrow range of fluctuations. If there is no significant increase in demand or cost support in the future, prices may continue to operate weakly.
Supply side:
As of August 11th, the benchmark price of propylene in Shengyi Society was 6453.25 yuan/ton, an increase of 0.31% compared to the beginning of this month (6433.25 yuan/ton). Although the price slightly increased this week, the market trading atmosphere was weak. Downstream factories have limited acceptance of high priced raw materials and a slower procurement pace, which has put pressure on production companies to ship. Some manufacturers have made small concessions to promote transactions. At present, the market supply and demand pattern is slightly loose, coupled with the weakening of some downstream derivatives (such as PP, PO, etc.), further suppressing the release of propylene demand.
The current acrylic acid market maintains a weak pattern, with a light trading atmosphere and actual transaction prices moving towards the low-end range. Downstream users have insufficient purchasing enthusiasm and tend to adopt a wait-and-see attitude. The market lacks strong support and may continue to be weak in the short term.
The butyl acrylate market is also under pressure, with mediocre performance on the demand side, downstream enterprises only maintaining essential replenishment, cautious inquiries when entering the market, and a bearish market mentality. Although traders intend to maintain stable quotes, there are still signs of loosening in the focus of negotiations due to weak transactions.

Overall, it is expected that the acrylic acid market in East China will continue to consolidate weakly next week, with limited room for price fluctuations; The butyl acrylate market may maintain a volatile trend, and there is a possibility of local downturns under the supply-demand game. It is recommended to closely monitor the changes in raw material propylene prices and the recovery of downstream demand to determine the next direction of the market.