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Germany is the dearest market for acrylate esters, and in 2025 it went its own way. German prices firmed from USD 1.42/KG in Q1 to USD 1.502/KG by Q4, up 5.8%, as import barriers and high freight kept European material tight. The rest of the world went the other direction: the global average eased from USD 1.39/KG to USD 1.35/KG, a 2.9% decline, with Chinese overcapacity leaning on the market. Things turned modestly higher at the start of 2026. Feedstock support and coatings restocking took the global average to about USD 1.38/KG in Q1 and USD 1.39/KG in Q2. We expect a global band of USD 1.34 to 1.46/KG through H2 2026.
Acrylate esters aren't one molecule but a family, the esters of acrylic acid. The commercial workhorses are methyl acrylate, ethyl acrylate, n-butyl acrylate, and 2-ethylhexyl acrylate, and n-butyl acrylate is the volume benchmark that anchors regional pricing. Each one is made by esterifying acrylic acid with the matching alcohol, usually methanol, ethanol, n-butanol, or 2-ethylhexanol, over an acid catalyst. Acrylic acid comes from the two-step catalytic oxidation of propylene, so the cost chain runs crude and propylene to acrylic acid to the ester. These esters polymerise easily, which is why they're the backbone of water-based coatings and emulsions, pressure-sensitive adhesives, sealants, textile and paper finishes, and superabsorbent polymers. Coatings and adhesives take the largest share. Acrylic acid and alcohol costs, coatings and adhesives demand, and the balance between Chinese oversupply and firmer Western markets set the price. Grade splits matter to price: n-butyl acrylate and 2-ethylhexyl acrylate track their alcohols, so butanol and 2-ethylhexanol swings show up quickly in the ester. Capacity leans heavily toward China, and its export parity effectively caps how high Asian-linked markets can run.
The balance sits close to neutral into H2 2026. Coatings and adhesives restocking held demand up, and firmer acrylic acid gave the floor some support. There's a large and growing Chinese capacity base keeping the global market well supplied, which should cap the upside.
Demand runs on architectural and industrial coatings and on pressure-sensitive adhesives, both tied to construction and packaging activity that only recovered slowly in 2025. Superabsorbent polymer and textile use add a steady baseload. Supply is all about China, where big capacity additions outran demand and turned the country into a steady net exporter. That export pressure is the single biggest force on the global average, and it's why Asian and Western prices pulled apart in 2025. Construction and packaging are the demand bellwethers here, so a housing or consumer-goods slowdown feeds through to esters within a quarter or two.
There's a real fork here. On one side, a propylene or acrylic acid spike, or firmer European energy, lifts the market past the top of the band. On the other, another wave of cheap Chinese exports drags the global average back toward the floor and widens the gap between Asia and the West.
| Region | 2026 Price Range (USD/KG) | Outlook |
| Global Average | 1.34 - 1.46 | Feedstock support and coatings restocking |
| United States | 1.40 - 1.52 | Tight domestic supply firms buying |
| China | 1.24 - 1.36 | Overcapacity keeps China cheapest |
| Germany | 1.48 - 1.60 | Import barriers and freight hold the premium |
| India | 1.38 - 1.50 | Import parity keeps India in the firm middle |
Tight domestic supply and steady coatings and adhesives demand held the US at USD 1.45/KG, up about 0.7%. Architectural-coatings and pressure-sensitive-adhesive buyers kept orders flowing, and limited prompt availability gave producers room to hold firm.
Why did the price of Acrylate Ester change in Q2 2026 in the United States?
Supply stayed tight and coatings and adhesives demand held, so the US firmed to USD 1.45/KG.
China went the other way, easing about 0.8% to USD 1.29/KG. A softer acrylic acid feedstock and stubborn overcapacity pulled offers down, and it stayed the cheapest by a clear margin as producers competed for export orders against a well-supplied domestic market.
Why did the price of Acrylate Ester change in Q2 2026 in China?
Cheaper acrylic acid and too much capacity pulled Chinese offers down to USD 1.29/KG, still the lowest source by a distance.
Germany, dearest of the four, held its premium at USD 1.53/KG after a 0.7% rise. Import barriers, high freight, and firm energy costs kept European material tight, and formulators paid up for locally reliable supply more than wait on delayed Asian cargoes.
Why did the price of Acrylate Ester change in Q2 2026 in Germany?
Barriers and freight kept supply tight and energy costs propped up the floor. That premium held Germany at USD 1.53/KG.
Firm middle of the pack. India at USD 1.44/KG, up roughly 0.7%, on firmer import parity and steady paint and adhesives demand. Delivered costs from both Asian and Middle Eastern suppliers edged up, and domestic coatings activity held through the quarter.
Why did the price of Acrylate Ester change in Q2 2026 in India?
Firmer import parity met steady paint and adhesives demand, and India settled at USD 1.44/KG.
Up to start the year: the US averaged USD 1.44/KG, about 1.8% above USD 1.414/KG. Tight domestic supply and firmer acrylic acid drove the rise, and coatings buyers restocking ahead of the spring season added to the pull.
Why did the price of Acrylate Ester change in Q1 2026 in the United States?
Tight supply and dearer acrylic acid took the US to USD 1.44/KG.
China, edging from USD 1.281/KG to USD 1.30/KG on a brief 1.5% feedstock-led lift, gave the gain back in Q2 as overcapacity reasserted itself. The early-year firming reflected a short-lived acrylic acid uptick more than any real tightening of the ester market.
Why did the price of Acrylate Ester change in Q1 2026 in China?
Firmer feedstock lifted offers for a quarter, but overcapacity capped it at USD 1.30/KG before Q2 gave it back.
Holding the premium. Germany averaged USD 1.52/KG, up about 1.2% from USD 1.502/KG, on firm energy and freight. Import barriers continued to shield the market, and steady coatings and adhesives demand kept European material well bid.
Why did the price of Acrylate Ester change in Q1 2026 in Germany?
Firm energy and freight kept supply tight and coatings demand held, so Germany stayed up at USD 1.52/KG.
Costlier imported feedstock and a coatings recovery moved India up about 2.1% to USD 1.43/KG from USD 1.40/KG. Buyers drawing on imported esters felt firmer landed costs, and paint demand improved as the construction season approached.
Why did the price of Acrylate Ester change in Q1 2026 in India?
Dearer imported feedstock and a coatings pickup moved India to USD 1.43/KG.
Acrylate esters dipped in the middle of 2025 under Chinese oversupply, then recovered modestly from late 2025 into 2026 on firmer feedstock and restocking. The average eased from USD 1.36/KG in Q2 2025 to USD 1.33/KG in Q3, then worked up through USD 1.35/KG, USD 1.38/KG, and USD 1.39/KG. That's a net 2.2% gain across the window. Acrylic acid costs and the tug-of-war between Chinese supply and Western demand shaped the whole path.
| Quarter | Price (USD/KG) | QoQ Change | Direction |
| Q2 2026 | 1.39 | +0.7% | ↑ Rising |
| Q1 2026 | 1.38 | +2.2% | ↑ Rising |
| Q4 2025 | 1.35 | +1.5% | ↑ Rising |
| Q3 2025 | 1.33 | -2.2% | ↓ Falling |
| Q2 2025 | 1.36 | - | - Stable |
| Q3 2026 | In Progress | - | - In Progress |
The market split into two tiers in 2025 and stayed there into 2026. In Q2 2026 Germany at USD 1.53/KG and the US at USD 1.45/KG made up the high tier on tight supply and trade barriers, while China at USD 1.29/KG sat well below on overcapacity. The Germany-to-China gap near USD 0.24/KG maps the divide between protected Western markets and export-heavy Asian supply. India at USD 1.44/KG bridged the two on import parity. The two-tier split is the story of the year: protected Western markets on one side, export-heavy Asian supply on the other, with India floating in between on import parity.
2025 split by region. The global average eased from USD 1.39/KG in Q1 to USD 1.35/KG by Q4, a 2.9% decline, as Chinese overcapacity leaned on the wider market while European prices firmed on import barriers and freight. Feedstock swings and the widening gap between Asian and Western supply defined the year.
The US, opening near USD 1.45/KG, eased to USD 1.414/KG by Q4, a 2.5% fall. Ample global supply and moderate coatings demand kept pressure on the market, with cheap Asian cargoes setting a soft ceiling on domestic offers for much of the year.
The sharpest drop of the four. China fell from about USD 1.35/KG to USD 1.281/KG, down 5.1%, under heavy capacity additions and soft export demand. New plants outran downstream growth and turned the country into a persistent, price-setting net exporter.
Import barriers, high freight, and firm energy costs firmed Germany from about USD 1.42/KG to USD 1.502/KG, up 5.8%. The protected European market climbed even as Asian prices slid on oversupply, widening the transatlantic gap through the year.
Lower and mid-pack: India slipped from roughly USD 1.42/KG to USD 1.40/KG, off 1.4%. Ample import availability and moderate coatings demand softened the market, with delivered Asian offers anchoring domestic pricing through the year.
Expert Market Research: Your Source for Real-Time Acrylate Ester Price Intelligence
We track acrylate ester prices continuously across every major producing and consuming region. Our analysts follow the chain from propylene and acrylic acid through coatings, adhesives, and superabsorbent demand to Chinese supply and Western import parity, so you can read the split between Asian and Western markets in real time. Contact Expert Market Research today for acrylate ester pricing data, tailored analysis, and procurement advisory built around your sourcing footprint.
*While we strive to always give you current and accurate information, the numbers depicted on the website are indicative and may differ from the actual numbers in the main report. At Expert Market Research, we aim to bring you the latest insights and trends in the market. Using our analyses and forecasts, stakeholders can understand the market dynamics, navigate challenges, and capitalize on opportunities to make data-driven strategic decisions.*
They're the building blocks of water-based coatings and emulsions, pressure-sensitive adhesives, sealants, textile and paper finishes, and superabsorbent polymers. Coatings and adhesives take the biggest share, with n-butyl acrylate the main volume grade. The choice between methyl, ethyl, butyl, and 2-ethylhexyl grades comes down to the glass-transition and tack the formulator needs.
In Q2 2026 it averaged USD 1.45/KG in the US, USD 1.29/KG in China, USD 1.53/KG in Germany, and USD 1.44/KG in India. Germany's dearest on import barriers and freight, China cheapest on heavy capacity.
It split by region. The global average eased from USD 1.39/KG in Q1 2025 to USD 1.35/KG by Q4, a 2.9% decline, even as European prices firmed.
Chinese overcapacity and soft export demand pressed the global average down, while high freight and energy held European material firm. That pulled the Asian and Western prices apart.
We expect a global average of USD 1.34 to 1.46/KG through H2 2026, helped by firmer acrylic acid and coatings restocking, with Chinese supply capping the top. Fresh Chinese export pressure would drag the global average toward the lower bound.
Germany runs dearest on import barriers and freight, the US firm on tight domestic supply, India in the firm middle on import parity, and China cheapest on heavy capacity.
We update this report monthly. For real-time pricing, reach the Expert Market Research team directly.
Acrylic acid and alcohol costs are the main levers, with propylene and crude behind them. Coatings and adhesives demand set the pull, and Chinese export flows drive the sharper regional moves. The China-to-West arbitrage is the swing factor: when Asian cargoes land cheap, they reset Western spot quickly.
China holds the most capacity by a wide margin, then North American and European producers. Shift acrylic acid costs or Chinese supply and it ripples through every market. China's net-export position means its operating rates matter more to the global price than any single Western plant.
The quarterly trend and forward band help you time contracts and set cover. Watch acrylic acid as the lead feedstock signal, and keep an eye on the China-to-West spread for a flag that Asian cargoes are about to reset regional prices. Watching the butanol and 2-ethylhexanol markets alongside acrylic acid gives an earlier read than tracking the ester alone.
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