Maleic Anhydride Price Trend and Forecast 2026-2027

Germany paid the most for maleic anhydride in Q2 2026: USD 1,657/MT, up 1.7% from USD 1,629 in Q1. The steady unsaturated-polyester-resin demand kept things firm there. Worldwide, the average moved up 1.7%, to USD 1,443/MT from USD 1,419, largely because the n-butane feedstock costs kept climbing across every region we track. What about H2 2026? We'd expect a global average somewhere in the USD 1,425-1,545/MT range, with the steady resin and coating-additive demand doing most of the work.

Maleic anhydride is made by partially oxidizing n-butane, or in some regions benzene, over a vanadium-based catalyst, producing a widely used petrochemical building block sold molten in bulk or solidified into briquettes and flakes for smaller-volume buyers. Its largest use by a wide margin is unsaturated polyester resin production, feeding fiberglass-reinforced products from boat hulls to construction panels, alongside a range of other applications including lubricant additives, paper sizing agents, and various specialty-chemical intermediates. Three things move the price more than anything else: the n-butane feedstock costs, the unsaturated-polyester-resin demand tied to construction and marine manufacturing, and how much oxidation capacity the producers are running.

The n-butane feedstock route deserves some explanation, since it's become the dominant production pathway worldwide, having largely displaced the older benzene-based process. n-Butane, a natural gas liquid recovered from natural gas processing and refinery streams, offers a more cost-effective and, in many jurisdictions, more environmentally favorable route to maleic anhydride than benzene oxidation. That feedstock shift has tied maleic anhydride's economics more closely to natural gas liquids markets than to the aromatic petrochemical complex that shapes benzene-derived chemicals. 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, which is exactly why we've made a point of covering it here in detail.

The unsaturated-polyester-resin application deserves particular attention too, since it's genuinely the dominant demand driver for this chemical. Fiberglass-reinforced polyester products, used across marine, construction, and various industrial applications, depend on unsaturated polyester resin as their core matrix material, and maleic anhydride is the essential building block for that resin chemistry, which ties a substantial share of overall maleic anhydride demand to the broader construction and marine-manufacturing cycles.

Maleic Anhydride Price Forecast for 2026

Supply and demand should stay moderately tight through H2 2026, with the n-butane feedstock costs doing most of the work on pricing. Germany and the US both kept the resin demand steady through H1, and that's likely to continue. India's construction 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 natural gas liquids market specifically, since n-butane feedstock costs can move for reasons tied to natural gas processing economics that have little to do with maleic anhydride demand directly. That's worth building into any longer-range planning rather than assuming current conditions will simply persist unchanged.

The construction and marine-manufacturing demand cycle bears watching too, since unsaturated-polyester-resin consumption tracks those broader industrial activity trends fairly closely across every region we track.

What could push prices higher? An n-butane feedstock spike, or a stronger-than-expected construction or marine-manufacturing demand surge. What could pull them lower? A slowdown in fiberglass-reinforced product manufacturing activity.

For the Quarter Ending June 2026

Maleic Anhydride Prices Q2 2026:

• China: USD 1,229/MT
• United States: USD 1,552/MT
• Germany: USD 1,657/MT
• India: USD 1,375/MT

Maleic Anhydride Prices in China

China's maleic anhydride producers passed through the firmer feedstock costs this quarter, and the domestic resin demand held steady. The gain came to 1.8%, USD 1,207/MT to USD 1,229. That kept China comfortably the most affordable of the four markets.

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

The n-butane feedstock costs firmed through the quarter, and the domestic resin demand held its ground right alongside that.

Maleic Anhydride Prices in United States

USD 1,552/MT. That's where the US landed in Q2, up 1.8% from USD 1,524 in Q1. The resin demand stayed steady, and the feedstock costs climbed just enough to push things higher.

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

The resin demand didn't move much, honestly. It was the n-butane feedstock costs doing most of the work this quarter.

Maleic Anhydride Prices in Germany

Germany gained 1.7% to USD 1,657/MT, the established unsaturated-resin demand staying firm through the period.

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

Germany's premium held for the usual reason: steady unsaturated-resin demand backed by firming feedstock costs.

Maleic Anhydride Prices in India

India climbed 1.9% to USD 1,375/MT, the construction-sector demand continuing to build through the period.

Why did the price of Maleic Anhydride change in Q2 2026 in India?

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

For the Quarter Ending March 2026

Maleic Anhydride Prices Q1 2026:

• China: USD 1,207/MT
• United States: USD 1,524/MT
• Germany: USD 1,629/MT
• India: USD 1,350/MT

Maleic Anhydride Prices in China

China gained 1.8% to USD 1,207/MT, the demand firming as the year opened.

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

The domestic resin demand firmed as the year opened, and the n-butane feedstock costs edged higher right alongside it.

Maleic Anhydride Prices in United States

US maleic anhydride rose 1.8% to USD 1,524/MT, the resin demand firming with the new year.

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

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

Maleic Anhydride Prices in Germany

Germany gained 1.8% to USD 1,629/MT, the unsaturated-resin demand staying firm through the quarter.

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

The unsaturated-resin demand stayed firm, and the feedstock costs firmed alongside it.

Maleic Anhydride Prices in India

India climbed 1.9% to USD 1,350/MT, the construction-sector demand building through the quarter.

Why did the price of Maleic Anhydride change in Q1 2026 in India?

The construction-sector demand built through the quarter, tracking the fiberglass-manufacturing activity closely.

Quarterly Maleic Anhydride Price Trends

The global average climbed steadily across the window, from USD 1,350/MT in Q1 2025 to USD 1,443 by Q2 2026, a net gain of about 6.9%. Every quarter posted a gain here, reflecting the firming n-butane feedstock costs and the steady unsaturated-resin 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 Anhydride Price in 2025?

2025 was a steady year for maleic anhydride. Starting near USD 1,350/MT in Q1, the global average finished 2025 at USD 1,396, a gain of about 3.4%. The unsaturated-resin 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 petrochemical 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 Anhydride Prices in China in 2025

Chinese prices moved from about USD 1,150/MT in Q1 2025 to USD 1,186 by Q4, up roughly 3.1%. The domestic demand held steady all year, and China stayed the most affordable of the four markets throughout.

Maleic Anhydride Prices in United States in 2025

US prices climbed from USD 1,450/MT in Q1 to USD 1,497 by Q4, a 3.2% gain, tracking the steady resin demand.

Maleic Anhydride Prices in Germany in 2025

German prices rose from USD 1,550/MT in Q1 to USD 1,601 by Q4, up 3.3%, the highest absolute price throughout the four markets on the established unsaturated-resin demand.

Maleic Anhydride Prices in India in 2025

Indian prices moved from USD 1,280/MT in Q1 to USD 1,326 by Q4, a 3.6% gain, as the construction-sector demand kept building through the year.

How We Can Help

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

We keep a continuous eye on the maleic anhydride prices wherever it's produced or consumed at scale, tracing causation through the n-butane feedstock economics, the unsaturated-polyester-resin demand, and the oxidation capacity utilization. Our analysts track the broader natural gas liquids market closely, given how directly n-butane feedstock costs feed through to this chemical's overall economics. 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.