Maleic Acid Price Trend and Forecast 2026-2027

Germany paid the most for maleic acid in Q2 2026: USD 1,903/MT, up 1.8% from USD 1,869 in Q1. The steady food and pharmaceutical demand kept things firm there. Worldwide, the average moved up 1.8%, to USD 1,687/MT from USD 1,657, largely because the maleic anhydride feedstock costs kept climbing across every region we track. What about H2 2026? We'd expect a global average somewhere in the USD 1,670-1,810/MT range, with the steady food-technical and specialty demand doing most of the work.

Maleic acid is made by hydrolyzing maleic anhydride, converting the anhydride form into its dicarboxylic acid counterpart for applications where the anhydride's high reactivity with moisture isn't wanted. It feeds food and technical-grade applications, including some acidulant and preservative uses, alongside pharmaceutical and specialty-chemical intermediate roles. Three things move the price more than anything else: the maleic anhydride feedstock costs, the food-technical and specialty-chemical demand, and how much hydrolysis and purification capacity the producers are running.

The relationship to maleic anhydride deserves some explanation, since it means maleic acid's economics are almost entirely downstream of that larger, more widely traded intermediate. Maleic anhydride itself is a major petrochemical building block used across resin and coating manufacturing at far greater volume than maleic acid, which means the acid form's feedstock costs track the broader maleic anhydride market closely, including the n-butane and benzene feedstock dynamics that shape anhydride production in the first place. Buyers new to this market sometimes underestimate how much that structural detail matters until they see it play out in the pricing data over a full cycle.

The food and technical-grade distinction deserves a mention too, since it shapes how this smaller acid-form market actually operates. Food-grade material requires tighter purity and impurity controls than the technical grades that feed industrial and specialty-chemical applications, which means producers serving the food segment specifically need additional purification steps beyond the basic hydrolysis conversion, adding real cost on top of the underlying maleic anhydride feedstock.

Maleic Acid Price Forecast for 2026

Supply and demand should stay moderately tight through H2 2026, with the maleic anhydride feedstock costs doing most of the work on pricing. Germany and the US both kept the food-technical demand steady through H1, and that's likely to continue. Japan's specialty-chemical sector kept the demand building, while China's large production base kept it the most affordable of the four. None of the four markets we track is showing signs of genuine disruption heading into the back half of the year. None of the four markets we track is showing signs of genuine disruption heading into the back half of the year.

Buyers should keep an eye on the broader maleic anhydride market specifically, since that's the dominant feedstock cost driver here, and shifts in the n-butane and benzene markets that shape anhydride production tend to flow through to maleic acid pricing. That's worth building into any longer-range planning rather than assuming current conditions will simply persist unchanged.

The food-grade purity requirements bear watching too, since additional purification steps needed for that segment can create bottlenecks independently of how the broader maleic anhydride market performs.

What could push prices higher? A maleic anhydride feedstock spike, or a stronger-than-expected food-technical demand surge. What could pull them lower? A slowdown in specialty-chemical manufacturing activity.

For the Quarter Ending June 2026

Maleic Acid Prices Q2 2026:

• China: USD 1,443/MT
• United States: USD 1,794/MT
• Germany: USD 1,903/MT
• Japan: USD 1,687/MT

Maleic Acid Prices in China

China's maleic acid producers passed through the firmer feedstock costs this quarter, and the domestic technical demand held steady. The gain came to 1.7%, USD 1,419/MT to USD 1,443. That kept China comfortably the most affordable of the four markets.

Why did the price of Maleic Acid change in Q2 2026 in China?

The maleic anhydride feedstock costs firmed through the quarter, and the domestic technical demand held its ground right alongside that.

Maleic Acid Prices in United States

USD 1,794/MT. That's where the US landed in Q2, up 1.7% from USD 1,764 in Q1. The food-technical demand stayed steady, and the feedstock costs climbed just enough to push things higher.

Why did the price of Maleic Acid change in Q2 2026 in United States?

The food-technical demand didn't move much, honestly. It was the maleic anhydride feedstock costs doing most of the work this quarter.

Maleic Acid Prices in Germany

Germany gained 1.8% to USD 1,903/MT, the established food and pharmaceutical demand staying firm through the period.

Why did the price of Maleic Acid change in Q2 2026 in Germany?

Germany's premium held for the usual reason: steady food and pharmaceutical demand backed by firming feedstock costs.

Maleic Acid Prices in Japan

Japan climbed 1.8% to USD 1,687/MT, the specialty-chemical demand continuing to build through the period.

Why did the price of Maleic Acid change in Q2 2026 in Japan?

The specialty-chemical demand kept building, and that alone explains most of the move here.

For the Quarter Ending March 2026

Maleic Acid Prices Q1 2026:

• China: USD 1,419/MT
• United States: USD 1,764/MT
• Germany: USD 1,869/MT
• Japan: USD 1,657/MT

Maleic Acid Prices in China

China gained 1.8% to USD 1,419/MT, the demand firming as the year opened.

Why did the price of Maleic Acid change in Q1 2026 in China?

The domestic technical demand firmed as the year opened, and the maleic anhydride feedstock costs edged higher right alongside it.

Maleic Acid Prices in United States

US maleic acid rose 1.7% to USD 1,764/MT, the food-technical demand firming with the new year.

Why did the price of Maleic Acid change in Q1 2026 in United States?

The food-technical demand firmed with the new year, and the feedstock costs kept climbing steadily too.

Maleic Acid Prices in Germany

Germany gained 1.8% to USD 1,869/MT, the food and pharmaceutical demand staying firm through the quarter.

Why did the price of Maleic Acid change in Q1 2026 in Germany?

The food and pharmaceutical demand stayed firm, and the feedstock costs firmed alongside it.

Maleic Acid Prices in Japan

Japan climbed 1.8% to USD 1,657/MT, the specialty-chemical demand building through the quarter.

Why did the price of Maleic Acid change in Q1 2026 in Japan?

The specialty-chemical demand built through the quarter, tracking the manufacturing activity closely.

Quarterly Maleic Acid Price Trends

The global average climbed steadily across the window, from USD 1,580/MT in Q1 2025 to USD 1,687 by Q2 2026, a net gain of about 6.8%. Every quarter posted a gain here, reflecting the firming maleic anhydride feedstock costs and the steady food-technical demand across every market we track, with the pace of the gains picking up somewhat in the most recent two quarters. That kind of steady, uninterrupted climb is worth noting, since it stands in contrast to how choppy some other commodities in this space have looked over the same period.

What was Maleic Acid Price in 2025?

2025 was a steady year for maleic acid. Starting near USD 1,580/MT in Q1, the global average finished 2025 at USD 1,628, a gain of about 3.0%. The food-technical demand held consistent all year across every market we track, before the pace of gains picked up further once 2026 got underway. The consistency of that pattern across all four regions makes this one of the more predictable specialty-chemical markets we track. Buyers who track this market closely tend to view that steady annual pattern as the baseline against which any future quarter's move should be judged.

Maleic Acid Prices in China in 2025

Chinese prices moved from about USD 1,350/MT in Q1 2025 to USD 1,396 by Q4, up roughly 3.4%. The domestic demand held steady all year, and China stayed the most affordable of the four markets throughout.

Maleic Acid Prices in United States in 2025

US prices climbed from USD 1,680/MT in Q1 to USD 1,735 by Q4, a 3.3% gain, tracking the steady food-technical demand.

Maleic Acid Prices in Germany in 2025

German prices rose from USD 1,780/MT in Q1 to USD 1,836 by Q4, up 3.1%, the highest absolute price throughout the four markets on the established food and pharmaceutical demand.

Maleic Acid Prices in Japan in 2025

Japanese prices moved from USD 1,580/MT in Q1 to USD 1,628 by Q4, a 3.0% gain, as the specialty-chemical demand kept building through the year.

How We Can Help

Expert Market Research: Your Source for Real-Time Maleic Acid Price Intelligence

We keep a continuous eye on the maleic acid prices wherever it's produced or consumed at scale, tracing causation through the maleic anhydride feedstock economics, the food-technical and specialty-chemical demand, and the hydrolysis and purification capacity utilization. Our analysts track the broader maleic anhydride market closely, given how directly it drives this smaller acid-form market's feedstock costs. We also flag any material shift in the underlying feedstock or trade-logistics conditions as soon as it becomes apparent. Need pricing data, bespoke market analysis, or procurement advisory? Reach out to our team.