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Home Commodities Chemicals Butanediol Butanediol prices, markets & analysis

Butanediol prices, markets & analysis

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ICIS publishes a Butanediol report for Asia, Europe and the US, though the Europe and US reports are combined as a global report.

Contract and spot price assessments are made by our locally based reporters, and market news and analysis, such as production, upstream/downstream activity and graphs, are all included when relevant. Our independent reports are an essential tool to help you make important commercial decisions.

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Market Overview

Updated to Q4 2020

Asia

Supply in the region declined with plants in Europe and the US declaring force majeure, resulting in fewer parcels flowing east. Two plants in Asia announced permanent shutdowns, one by the end of 2020 and the other by the end of March 2021, further fuelling the perception of tight availability. Other plants in the region did not operate fully as feedstock costs have risen, squeezing margins.

Buying momentum improved in Q4 as downstream sectors continued to recover. Higher manufacturing output for textiles, automotives and finished products lifted consumption of downstream chemicals, which in turn boosted demand for BDO. The positive market momentum carried into the year end, with suppliers anticipating further pick up in 2021.

Europe

The supply of BDO tightened in Q4 due to a combination of domestic supply disruptions and limited imports. BASF experienced a force majeure which lasted from mid-October to late November following a technical incident ahead of planned maintenance at its facility. Rising prices in Asia greatly reduced the availability and competitiveness of imports.

Demand for BDO rose sharply in Q4 compared with the weak consumption seen for much of Q2 and Q3, due to the impact of the pandemic on the key automotive industry. Demand in October and November was healthy and sources described December demand as unseasonably strong, and at least 20% higher than for the same month in 2019.

US

Supply constraints helped support prices, with Q4 contracts assessed higher for the first time in two years. The H2 closure of Lycra’s Texas plant represented a 28% decrease in US BDO capacity, according to the ICIS Supply and Demand Database. In October, LyondellBasell declared force majeure on its BDO and derivatives as a result of a feedstock issue.

Demand continued to rebound in Q4. Durable goods in particular saw a strong improvement in the US, as consumers shifted spending away from travel and entertainment amid persistent pandemic-related lockdowns. The downstream automotive sector continued to improve, though construction maintained its position at the forefront of the economic recovery.

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How we can help

Butanediol news and market information products from ICIS

We offer the following regional Butanediol analysis and news coverage to keep you informed of factors and developments affecting prices in the Butanediol marketplace.

Price reporting

  • More information about the price reports we publish on Butanediol
    Independent price assessments and market coverage by region

    • Asia
    • Europe

Price history

  • More information about the historical price data we publish on Butanediol
    Track historical price data

    • Asia
    • Europe

News & analysis

  • News & market analysis specifically relating to Butanediol
    Breaking news of latest developments affecting the markets.Insight and analysis of factors driving prices.
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Services

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Pricing Intelligence

Pricing information

Regional price assessments, published daily or weekly, enabling you to keep track of trading prices, understand price drivers/fluctuations and set a benchmark for contract price settl ements. ICIS offers reports on over 180 commodities across the global petrochemical, energy and fertilizer markets. Information covered in our price reports includes:

  • Spot and contract price assessments
  • Market commentary on trends and developments
  • Transactions reported and confirmed
  • Plant and production news

Information is accessed online, via the ICIS dashboard service and is configurable to suit your preferences.

  • Find out more about ICIS pricing reports

Price forecast services

Produced by the ICIS Consulting team, these reports give a robust rolling 12-month price forecast, trade balances and in-depth analysis into where markets are heading – providing a valuable tool to support your short- to medium-term plans.

  • Find out more about ICIS chemicals forecast reports

  • Find out more about ICIS fertilizers forecast reports

Dashboard – Easy access to ICIS pricing data

ICIS pricing intelligence is delivered to you online via the ICIS dashboard. Here you can view your reports and also access other useful services including related news, analysis, historical data and market alerts.

ICIS dashboard also makes it easy for you to create pricing charts, download price history and export data to create tailored analytical models.

  • Find more about ICIS dashboard >>
  • Find out more about new ICIS data delivery options: Excel Plug-In & API

Margin reports

ICIS weekly margin reports deliver the detail you need to understand how production costs and prices are affecting margins, enabling you to judge the likely impact on your business and optimise your upstream and downstream business decisions.

Find out more about ICIS margin reports

Supply and Demand Window on ICIS Dashboard

The Supply and Demand Window on the ICIS Dashboard provides a snapshot view of historical and forecast information for supply and demand, production capacity and trade flows – a key tool to help safeguard future investments within the chemicals market.

Find out more about the ICIS Supply and Demand Window

Industry News

News service

24-hour global coverage of breaking news in the petrochemical industry, including updates on production, shutdowns and key transacted deals, keeping you informed of market developments as they happen. The ICIS news service allows you to customise the market alerts delivered to your email inbox, providing the business-critical information you need straightaway.

  • Find out more about ICIS news service

ICIS Chemical Business magazine

If you want to keep updated on the factors driving price movements in the global chemical markets, ICIS Chemical Business provides a summary of the information you need to support your business decisions. Every week, our global team of experts digests and summarises the key issues and their potential impact on the market – all in one magazine.

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Analytics

Supply & Demand Data

An expert view of supply and demand comprising four fully-reconciled databases, giving you access to extensive data for more than 100 markets. Information is included on global and regional trade flows, production, capacity and sources of demand in the short-, medium- and long-term. Data can be downloaded, customised and queried to support your planning requirements and your strategic decisions.

  • Find out more about the ICIS supply and demand database >>

Training and Conferences

Training courses

ICIS provides specialist training courses across the global petrochemicals, base oils and fertilizers industries. Our training team of industry experts can help you increase your knowledge of the industry and gain the insight and know-how needed to operate and trade effectively.

Conferences

ICIS produces a series of highly informative and timely conferences. Extensive research is carried out to ensure that each programme delivers the information you need and addresses current industry issues. We source speakers who have the appropriate expertise and experience to deliver excellent quality papers.

Consulting

Global markets

Working closely with you to understand your strategies, challenges and ambitions, the ICIS consulting team deliver tailored advice and solutions to suit your unique requirements. With many years’ experience of guiding business leadership teams, we show you how market conditions can make a positive or negative impact on your long-term plans.

  • Find out more about ICIS consulting services >>

China markets

ICIS expert consultants can provide your organisation with the insight, intelligence and data needed to build and grow your business in China. We can help you to gain a clear view on the short and long-term supply and demand picture in the chemicals, energy, iron and steel, non-ferrous metals and paper and pulp markets in China.

  • Find out more about ICIS consulting expertise in China >>

Methodology

ICIS price assessments are based on information gathered from a wide cross-section of the market, comprising consumers, producers, traders and distributors from more than 250 reporters world-wide. Confirmed deals, verified by both buyer and seller, provide the foundation of our price assessments.

Our in-depth market knowledge drives our specialist focus, as we recognise the importance of individual market dynamics and not a one-size-fits-all approach.

Over 25 years of reporting on key chemicals markets, including Butanediol, has brought global recognition of our methodology as being unbiased, authoritative and rigorous in preserving our editorial integrity. Our global network of reporters in Houston, London, Singapore, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Mumbai, Perth and Moscow ensures unrivalled coverage of established and emerging markets.

Butanediol Methodology

1,4-Butanediol (BDO) is an intermediate product; a colourless and almost odourless viscous liquid.

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About Butanediol

Butanediol (BDO) is a colourless and almost odourless viscous liquid. This hygroscopic diol is soluble in water, alcohols, esters, ketones, glycol ethers and glycol ether acetates; immiscible in aliphatic and aromatic hydrocarbons and diethylether.

BDO is a chemical intermediate used in the production of polymers, solvents and fine chemicals.

The largest consumer is tetrahydrofuran (THF), used to make polytetramethylene ether glycol (PTMEG) which goes into spandex fibres, urethane elastomers and copolyester ethers. The next largest outlet is polybutylene terephthalate (PBT).

Sizeable quantities of BDO go into the manufacture of gamma-butyrolactone (GBL), which has outlets in electronics and high-performance polymers.

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News

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Shortage of BDO amid strong demand leaves US players with tough choices
Wed, 07 Apr 2021 15:12

HOUSTON (ICIS)--After US Q2 butanediol (BDO) contracts settled at a record-high increase, buyers are left speculating on when critically tight supply will ease. After months of insufficient supply,...

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PODCAST: European BDO and PBT affected by tight conditions
Thu, 18 Mar 2021 15:37

LONDON (ICIS)--Nick Cleeve, editor of the butanediol (BDO) report, discusses the tight market situation in Europe with Zubair Adam, editor of the engineering plastics report which includes downstream...

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US BDO 'on brink of being completely out of control', contributing to auto supply ch
Wed, 10 Mar 2021 23:34

HOUSTON (ICIS)--Supply of US butanediol (BDO) and derivatives is severely short, and among other issues is contributing to production constraints in the key automotive sector. In particular, US...

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