Acetic Acid Price Trend and Forecast: Top 10 Leading Trading Countries and Regions - Latest Edition [2026]

The Expert Market Research pricing report on Acetic acid provides insights into the top 10 leading trading countries and regions.

In 2024 acetic acid price trends diverged significantly from the top 10 producing and consuming countries, driven primarily by regional demand, availability of supply, and feedstock price shifts. In China, the world's largest acetic acid producer, prices throughout the year remained low due to oversupply amid weak demand from the construction and real estate industries. The oversupply conditions led to greater exports which pushed prices down throughout Asia. In India and Southeast Asia, prices followed a similar soft trend because of lower-priced imports from China and weaker downstream demand. In the U.S., prices were stable throughout the year, with relatively stable demand from the VAM and PTA industries but with slight softening towards the end of the year due to inventory buildup. Prices in Europe, particularly Germany and Belgium, were marginally down amid weak industrial activity and cautious sentiment.

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In South Korea and Japan, pricing fluctuated due to local demand and the dependence on imported feedstocks from China, whereas prices in Taiwan remained stable and reflective of regional demand. Pricing in Brazil and Mexico was an amalgam of local demand and import dependence, sometimes limited by freight delays resulting in high demand for the exported volume. Broader macroeconomic factors affecting acetic acid price forecast suggests that price differences in addition to the price behavior occurring in these important regions were influenced by a variety of feedstock (partially impacts-run-away) costs, sourcing settings, and the recovery of downstream segments; and the price behaviors in China continued to determine the global price structure.

Acetic Acid Price Forecast

The global acetic acid market outlook experienced price volatility in 2024 as a result of feedstock costs, supply-demand shifts, and downstream production/sale activity. Prices increased in the first quarter of 2024, partly due to increased methanol costs and ongoing demand from the vinyl acetate monomer and purified terephthalic acid sectors (PTA) in parts of the U.S. and Europe. Subsequently, the Chinese market remained weak into the second half from a continuing supply glut exacerbated by sluggish construction and real estate activity. At the end of 2024, global acetic acid market stabilized, but Germany was still experiencing downward pressure from high inventories and lackluster industrial activity. Thus, considering these factors, it is expected for acetic acid prices to stabilize in the near term, and be more dependent on global feedstock costs and a potential recovery in demand from downstream industries, with regional variations.

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Global Trade and Supply Chain Implications

The global trade and supply conditions for acetic acid in 2024 were complicated by regional production profiles, inventories, and downstream demand in related manufacturing sectors. China is the world's leading producer and exporter of acetic acid and during the past year had to contend with excess supply and weak domestic demand leading to a record volume of exports primarily for the purpose of bringing down inventories but creating downward pressure on global pricing for acetic acid in the process particularly in Southeast Asia.

North American markets remained comparatively balanced as production remained steady and the reliance on imports was moderate which provided for some stability for supply. Europe saw sporadic tightness due to supply chain scenarios and was particularly reliant on these scenarios materializing in terms of purchases which were cautious in nature particularly in the construction and coatings markets. The continued impacts of supply chain constraints affecting logistics and shipping routes and geostrategic supply chain issues continued to shape trade flows encouraging supply chain maximization to re-engage regional supply chains when they could. Ultimately, regional imbalances resulting from local market conditions impacted trade flows and global supply conditions further revealing the fragile nature of acetic acid trade to changes in regional supplies and international and economic concerns.

Feedstock Analysis

The pricing analysis of acetic acid is greatly dependent on the cost and availability of its primary feedstocks, methanol and carbon monoxide. In 2024, price volatility in methanol was a key driver of acetic acid market dynamics in different regions. Methanol is the largest feedstock in the production of acetic acid via carbonylation and after a price increase earlier in 2024 primarily attributable to higher natural gas prices and tighter global markets, methanol prices weakened mid-year as supply and energy cost conditions improved – thus impacting acetic acid production costs in regions where acetic acid demand was already declining (China and parts of Europe). Furthermore, variability in acetic acid producer costs could also occur with any disruption in methanol production (turnarounds or logistical limitations) to changes in methanol supply chain. The acetic acid market was influenced by the continued variability in methanol price in 2024, and it highlights the importance of feedstock trends in estimating pricing trends of acetic acid.

Demand and supply Outlook for Acetic Acid

The outlook for North America and the benchmark global price for acetic acid remains cautiously stable in the near term based on a variety of supply versus demand and feedstock cost dynamics. The supply has improved in the global methanol market, which is the raw material for acetic acid, and methanol prices are expected to remain moderate. New orders and demand should also begin to recover in international and domestic end-use applications of acetic acid, particularly with regard to vinyl acetate monomer (VAM), purified terephthalic acid (PTA) and adhesives. In China, overcapacity and weak activity in new construction projects is likely to keep prices under pressure, while prices in the U.S. and Europe were more balanced with relatively stable demand and inventories. By contrast, demand in the U.S. and Europe may create opportunities to move prices higher if there is a supply shock or disruption, or other sources of input cost pressure in the energy markets, or by potential disruptions to global trade.

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