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Phenolic Resin prices in China, which posted an extraordinary 40 percent quarterly surge in Q1 2026 alone, rose a further 4.6% in Q2 to USD 2,050.00/MT from USD 1,960.00/MT in Q1, the highest of any region tracked in this report. Indian prices, which had also jumped sharply in Q1 on the same phenol feedstock cost spike, rose 4.0% in Q2 to USD 1,650.00/MT. German prices, by contrast, fell 1.8% to USD 1,700.00/MT, extending a modest correction from softer European phenol demand. Globally, the average rose from USD 1,759.28/MT in Q1 to USD 1,799.00/MT in Q2, a 2.3% gain, following an extraordinary 13.1% surge in Q1. For H2 2026, a global average of USD 1,500.00-2,150.00/MT is expected, with continued firm demand from bisphenol A, caprolactam, adhesives, and engineering plastics sectors likely to keep this market elevated.
Phenolic Resin, also known as phenol-formaldehyde resin, is a thermosetting polymer produced through the condensation reaction of phenol with formaldehyde, serving as one of the oldest and most versatile synthetic resins in industrial use. It provides critical thermal stability, chemical resistance, and structural strength in molded plastic components, laminates, adhesives, insulation materials, and friction products including brake pads and clutch facings. Because phenol is its primary feedstock, this market's cost structure tracks the broader phenol value chain closely, which in turn depends on benzene and propylene costs through the cumene production process. Phenol feedstock costs, adhesives and molded plastics demand, and regional supply and logistics disruptions are what drive prices in this market.
The outlook for Phenolic Resin through H2 2026 remains mixed, tracking the same dynamics affecting its phenol feedstock market. Prices may remain supported by demand from adhesives, engineering plastics, and friction product manufacturers, alongside fluctuations in benzene and propylene costs, though significant new phenol capacity additions in China and ongoing oversupply concerns could limit sustained price increases despite periodic supply disruptions and feedstock volatility.
The main upside risk is a further tightening of phenol feedstock availability from logistics disruptions or reduced import availability, which could extend the sharp Chinese and Indian gains further. The main downside risk is a resumption of longer-term phenol oversupply concerns, particularly from new Chinese capacity additions, which could limit further price increases despite near-term feedstock volatility.
| Region | 2026 Price Range (USD/MT) | Outlook |
| Global Average | 1,500.00 - 2,150.00 | Firm downstream demand keeps this market elevated despite oversupply concerns |
| China | 1,750.00 - 2,200.00 | Sharp phenol feedstock cost spike sustains the highest cost |
| United States | 1,650.00 - 1,950.00 | Steady adhesives and molded plastics demand supports continued firmness |
| Germany | 1,550.00 - 1,850.00 | Softer European demand keeps this market under modest pressure |
| India | 1,450.00 - 1,750.00 | Growing engineering plastics demand drives continued gains |
Chinese Phenolic Resin prices averaged USD 2,050.00/MT in Q2 2026, the highest of any region tracked here, up 4.6% from USD 1,960.00/MT in Q1, extending the extraordinary gains recorded following a sharp phenol feedstock cost spike.
Why did the price of Phenolic Resin change in Q2 2026 in China?
Firm demand from the bisphenol A, phenolic resin, and caprolactam manufacturing sectors continued driving active phenol procurement, with the sharp feedstock cost spike from earlier in the year continuing to work through the broader resin market.
US prices averaged USD 1,800.00/MT in Q2 2026, up 2.9% from USD 1,750.00/MT in Q1, as steady adhesives and molded plastics demand continued driving gains.
Why did the price of Phenolic Resin change in Q2 2026 in the United States?
Steady demand from adhesives, friction products, and molded plastics manufacturers kept US buyers active even as phenol feedstock costs moved modestly higher through the quarter.
German prices averaged USD 1,700.00/MT in Q2 2026, down 1.8% from USD 1,732.00/MT in Q1, as softer European phenol demand continued weighing on this market.
Why did the price of Phenolic Resin change in Q2 2026 in Germany?
The continuous availability of competitively priced import shipments from Asia and the Middle East continued putting downward pressure on European phenolic resin pricing, making it difficult for regional manufacturers to sustain current price levels.
Indian prices averaged USD 1,650.00/MT in Q2 2026, up 4.0% from USD 1,586.00/MT in Q1, as growing engineering plastics demand continued driving gains following the sharp Q1 phenol cost spike.
Why did the price of Phenolic Resin change in Q2 2026 in India?
Firm demand from bisphenol A, adhesives, and caprolactam producers, tied to India's expanding engineering plastics sector, continued supporting price gains even as concerns about longer-term oversupply limited stronger speculative buying.
Chinese prices surged 40.0% in Q1 2026 to USD 1,960.00/MT from USD 1,400.00/MT in Q4 2025, driven by higher benzene and propylene costs, logistics disruptions, and firm downstream demand.
Why did the price of Phenolic Resin change in Q1 2026 in China?
Phenol prices increased strongly in China, recording a sharper increase of around 40 percent, driven by higher benzene and propylene costs, logistics disruptions affecting petrochemical supply chains, reduced import availability, and firm demand from bisphenol A, phenolic resins, and caprolactam producers, with that dramatic feedstock spike flowing directly through to finished phenolic resin pricing.
US prices rose 6.1% in Q1 2026 to USD 1,750.00/MT from USD 1,650.00/MT in Q4 2025, tracking the broader global phenol feedstock cost environment.
Why did the price of Phenolic Resin change in Q1 2026 in the United States?
Higher benzene and cumene prices increased production costs across the phenol value chain, while reduced spot availability supported stronger offers, with demand from bisphenol A, phenolic resins, adhesives, and caprolactam remaining firm through the quarter.
German prices fell 3.8% in Q1 2026 to USD 1,732.00/MT from USD 1,800.00/MT in Q4 2025, tracking softening phenol demand from the bisphenol A and specialty chemicals sectors.
Why did the price of Phenolic Resin change in Q1 2026 in Germany?
The softening demand for phenol from the bisphenol A, phenolic resin, and specialty chemicals manufacturing industries led to lower purchase volumes and unfavorable pricing trends, while the continuous availability of competitively priced import shipments from Asia and the Middle East put further downward pressure on European prices.
Indian prices surged 22.0% in Q1 2026 to USD 1,586.00/MT from USD 1,300.00/MT in Q4 2025, driven by higher benzene and propylene costs and firm downstream demand.
Why did the price of Phenolic Resin change in Q1 2026 in India?
Phenol prices rose by approximately 22 percent in India, driven by higher benzene and propylene costs, logistics disruptions affecting petrochemical supply chains, reduced import availability, and firm demand from bisphenol A, phenolic resins, and caprolactam producers, with that sharp feedstock spike flowing directly through to finished phenolic resin pricing.
Global Phenolic Resin prices held essentially flat through most of 2025, before an extraordinary reversal took hold in Q1 2026 as higher benzene and propylene costs, logistics disruptions affecting petrochemical supply chains, and reduced import availability pushed Chinese and Indian prices up 40 percent and 22 percent respectively in a single quarter, even as European pricing moved in the opposite direction on softer demand.
| Quarter | Price (USD/MT) | QoQ Change | Direction |
| Q2 2026 | 1,799.00 | +2.3% | ↑ Rising |
| Q1 2026 | 1,759.28 | +13.1% | ↑ Rising |
| Q4 2025 | 1,555.00 | -0.4% | ↓ Falling |
| Q3 2025 | 1,561.40 | -0.1% | ↓ Falling |
| Q2 2025 | 1,562.20 | - | — Stable |
| Q3 2026 | In Progress | - | — In Progress |
Phenolic Resin held broadly flat to modestly lower across most markets covered in this report through 2025, with China and India both posting annual declines tracking softer phenol demand, while Germany and the United States held comparatively steadier, before an extraordinary Chinese and Indian feedstock-driven surge upended the pattern entirely in early 2026.
Chinese prices declined from about USD 1,500.00/MT in Q1 2025 to USD 1,400.00/MT by Q4, down roughly 6.7%, the steepest annual decline of the four regions, before the extraordinary 40 percent single-quarter surge that followed in Q1 2026.
US prices firmed modestly from about USD 1,600.00/MT in Q1 2025 to USD 1,650.00/MT by Q4, up roughly 3.1%, the strongest annual increase of the four regions ahead of the sharper 2026 surge.
German prices firmed modestly from about USD 1,750.00/MT in Q1 2025 to USD 1,800.00/MT by Q4, up roughly 2.9%, before this market began correcting in early 2026.
Indian prices declined from about USD 1,350.00/MT in Q1 2025 to USD 1,300.00/MT by Q4, down roughly 3.7%, before the extraordinary 22 percent single-quarter surge that followed in Q1 2026.
Expert Market Research: Your Source for Real-Time Phenolic Resin Price Intelligence
Expert Market Research tracks Phenolic Resin prices continuously across every major producing and consuming region, combining phenol feedstock cost data, adhesives and molded plastics demand signals, and regional supply and logistics disruption trends into a single, regularly updated view of the market. Our team can help your procurement function benchmark current offers, plan purchases around the extraordinary trends covered in this report, and build a defensible view of where this essential thermosetting resin is headed next. Reach out to our team for a tailored briefing or a deeper look at any of the regional markets covered here.
*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.*
It provides critical thermal stability, chemical resistance, and structural strength in molded plastic components, laminates, adhesives, insulation materials, and friction products including brake pads and clutch facings.
The Q2 2026 global average was USD 1,799.00/MT, ranging from USD 1,650.00/MT in India to USD 2,050.00/MT in China.
The global average rose from USD 1,555.00/MT in Q4 2025 to USD 1,759.28/MT in Q1 2026, a 13.1% surge, and then to USD 1,799.00/MT in Q2, driven largely by an extraordinary Chinese and Indian phenol feedstock cost spike.
Higher benzene and propylene costs, logistics disruptions affecting petrochemical supply chains, reduced import availability, and firm demand from bisphenol A, phenolic resins, and caprolactam producers combined to drive an extraordinary phenol feedstock cost spike that flowed directly through to finished resin pricing.
The global average is expected in the USD 1,500.00-2,150.00/MT range, with firm downstream demand likely to keep this market elevated despite longer-term oversupply concerns.
India holds the lowest cost among the regions tracked here despite its own recent sharp gains, while China carries the highest cost following its extraordinary feedstock-driven surge.
This report is updated monthly. For real-time pricing intelligence, connect with the Expert Market Research team.
Phenol feedstock costs, adhesives and molded plastics demand, and regional supply and logistics disruptions.
China maintains substantial production capacity, with the United States, Germany, and India also significant producing and consuming markets tied to their domestic adhesives, plastics, and friction product industries.
Buyers can monitor phenol feedstock cost trends and regional logistics disruptions given their outsized influence on this market, time forward purchases around the quarterly breakdowns in this report, and benchmark supplier quotes against the tracked price ranges given the scale of recent volatility.
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