Polymethyl Methacrylate Price Trend and Forecast 2026-2027

Market Overview

Polymethyl Methacrylate fell harder than most engineering plastics in 2025. Germany stayed the dearest market in our coverage and dropped 7.9% anyway, from USD 3,800/MT at the start of the year to USD 3,500/MT at the close. Chinese monomer capacity is behind that. China now holds over 850,000 tonnes of PMMA capacity and turned net exporter of methyl methacrylate back in 2021, and utilisation across the chain has been running near 50 to 60%. The global average dropped from USD 2,850/MT to USD 2,620/MT, a loss near 8.1%. For the second half of 2026 we see the world mean at USD 2,850 to 3,000/MT, lifted by monomer rationalisation in Europe and Japan and by steadier optical and automotive demand.

PMMA is the acrylic sheet and moulding resin sold under names such as Plexiglas and Acrylite, made by polymerising methyl methacrylate. Roughly 60% of world MMA capacity still runs the acetone cyanohydrin route, though newer investment favours ethylene and isobutylene chemistries. Optical clarity above 92% light transmission, weathering resistance and surface hardness set the application list. Signage, lighting lenses, diffusers & light guides take a large share, followed by automotive lamp covers and trim, construction glazing, sanitary ware, medical devices and display panels. Röhm leads globally, with Trinseo, Mitsubishi Chemical, Sumitomo, LG Chem, Chi Mei and Lotte Chemical behind it.

Polymethyl Methacrylate Price Forecast for 2026

The second-half picture is firmer than 2025 delivered. Western rationalisation is doing the work, with Trinseo out of European MMA since late 2025, Asahi Kasei closing its Kawasaki line during 2026, and Mitsubishi Chemical restructuring its MMA and PMMA business in response to Chinese expansion. Röhm's ethylene-based Bay City plant in Texas replaced older acetone cyanohydrin capacity at Westwego. Chinese oversupply in commodity grades caps how far prices can run. Optical and display demand, including PMMA fibre for data-centre applications, is adding a genuinely new pull.

The upside case rests on monomer. Any further closure announcement in Europe or Japan would tighten merchant supply quickly, since European merchant MMA capacity already sits below 200,000 tonnes a year. Propylene and acetone costs feed straight into the cyanohydrin route and would push the range higher. The downside case runs through China, where high-end capacity is coming and would erode the specification premium that Western producers still hold.

For the Quarter Ending June 2026

Polymethyl Methacrylate Prices Q2 2026:

• China: USD 2,400/MT
• United States: USD 3,460/MT
• Germany: USD 3,800/MT
• South Korea: USD 2,520/MT

Polymethyl Methacrylate Prices in China

China led the second-quarter recovery, up 5.3% to USD 2,400/MT. Monomer costs firmed as domestic producers trimmed operating rates, and downstream signage, lighting and display converters restocked after a thin winter. Southeast Asian and European buyers covered forward too. The rally started from a low base though, with the commodity-grade surplus still sitting on the market.

Why did the price of Polymethyl Methacrylate change in Q2 2026 in China?

Firmer monomer costs, trimmed operating rates and restocking across signage, lighting and display took China to USD 2,400/MT.

Polymethyl Methacrylate Prices in United States

American prices added 3.9% to USD 3,460/MT. Röhm's Bay City ethylene-route plant gives the domestic market a modern cost base, and monomer availability tightened as older acetone cyanohydrin units left the system. Automotive lamp & trim demand improved, construction glazing orders held, medical and display enquiries grew, and buyers moved earlier than usual on firmer monomer signals.

Why did the price of Polymethyl Methacrylate change in Q2 2026 in United States?

Tighter monomer supply after older capacity closures met better automotive and glazing demand, lifting the market to USD 3,460/MT.

Polymethyl Methacrylate Prices in Germany

Germany gained 4.4% to USD 3,800/MT, top of the board. Röhm's Worms and Wesseling plants anchor European supply, and the exit of Trinseo's Rho unit left the region structurally shorter of merchant monomer. Energy costs remain high in the German base. Automotive and architectural glazing demand improved, and producers passed the monomer increase through with little resistance.

Why did the price of Polymethyl Methacrylate change in Q2 2026 in Germany?

Tighter European monomer after the Rho closure, high energy costs and better glazing demand carried Germany to USD 3,800/MT.

Polymethyl Methacrylate Prices in South Korea

South Korea rose 5.0% to USD 2,520/MT. LG Chem and Lotte Chemical both gained as regional monomer tightened and Japanese capacity came out of the market. Display panel and electronics demand improved and automotive component orders followed. Korean material prices against Chinese offers, which held the rise inside a narrow band.

Why did the price of Polymethyl Methacrylate change in Q2 2026 in South Korea?

Tighter regional monomer and improving display and automotive demand lifted South Korea to USD 2,520/MT.

For the Quarter Ending March 2026

Polymethyl Methacrylate Prices Q1 2026:

• China: USD 2,280/MT
• United States: USD 3,330/MT
• Germany: USD 3,640/MT
• South Korea: USD 2,400/MT

Polymethyl Methacrylate Prices in China

China hit the floor of the window in the first quarter, sliding 7.5% to USD 2,280/MT. Monomer costs collapsed as domestic capacity ran well ahead of demand and New Year shutdowns emptied the order book. Signage and lighting converters bought only what they had to. Producers discounted to move volume, and the market found its base before the spring restart.

Why did the price of Polymethyl Methacrylate change in Q1 2026 in China?

Collapsing monomer costs, New Year shutdowns and heavy domestic capacity dropped China to USD 2,280/MT.

Polymethyl Methacrylate Prices in United States

The United States eased 4.1% to USD 3,330/MT. Winter construction and automotive demand was seasonally light and cheap Asian monomer set an import-parity ceiling. Domestic producers held run rates and worked inventory down. The slide stopped late in the quarter as monomer rationalisation began to bite.

Why did the price of Polymethyl Methacrylate change in Q1 2026 in United States?

Soft winter demand and cheap Asian monomer pulled American prices to USD 3,330/MT before rationalisation steadied the market.

Polymethyl Methacrylate Prices in Germany

Germany fell 4.0% to USD 3,640/MT. European glazing and automotive demand was thin for the season and imported Asian sheet competed hard on price. High energy costs stopped German producers cutting further, and offers stabilised late as monomer supply tightened.

Why did the price of Polymethyl Methacrylate change in Q1 2026 in Germany?

Thin seasonal glazing and automotive demand plus cheap Asian imports eased Germany to USD 3,640/MT, with energy costs holding the floor.

Polymethyl Methacrylate Prices in South Korea

South Korea dropped 5.7% to USD 2,400/MT, the steepest first-quarter fall in our coverage. Display and electronics converters ran light through the winter and Chinese monomer offers undercut regional pricing. Korean producers followed the market down to hold export volume. Firmer monomer late in the quarter marked the turn.

Why did the price of Polymethyl Methacrylate change in Q1 2026 in South Korea?

Weak display and electronics demand and cheap Chinese monomer offers pushed South Korea to USD 2,400/MT.

Quarterly Polymethyl Methacrylate Price Trends

PMMA bottomed in the fourth quarter of 2025 and has climbed since. The global average moved from USD 2,760/MT in Q2 2025 down to USD 2,680/MT and then USD 2,620/MT, recovered to USD 2,760/MT in Q1 2026 and reached USD 2,890/MT in Q2. Chinese monomer oversupply drove the decline. Western and Japanese capacity closures drove the recovery, and the market ended the window about 4.7% higher than it began.

What was Polymethyl Methacrylate Price in 2025?

Monomer oversupply set the direction through 2025. The global average started near USD 2,850/MT and finished around USD 2,620/MT, a full-year loss of roughly 8.1%. Chinese MMA capacity passed 2.7 million tonnes and pushed utilisation across the industry down towards 50 to 60%, and commodity-grade PMMA felt that pressure first. Signage and construction demand grew slowly while automotive glazing held flat. Producers outside China responded by closing older acetone cyanohydrin units.

Polymethyl Methacrylate Prices in China in 2025

Chinese PMMA fell from about USD 2,350/MT to USD 2,120/MT across 2025, down roughly 9.8%, the steepest drop in our coverage. Domestic monomer and polymer capacity both expanded into a market that was already long. Producers competed hard on price in commodity grades while pushing into higher specifications. Signage, lighting and display demand grew, and it grew nowhere near fast enough to absorb the new volume.

Polymethyl Methacrylate Prices in United States in 2025

American PMMA eased from around USD 3,450/MT to USD 3,200/MT across 2025, off about 7.2%. Cheap Asian imports set the ceiling for most of the year. Röhm started its Bay City ethylene-route plant in March and retired acetone cyanohydrin capacity at Westwego, which reshaped the domestic cost base. Automotive and construction glazing demand held steady, and prices found a floor as the monomer changeover worked through.

Polymethyl Methacrylate Prices in Germany in 2025

Germany held the highest prices in our coverage and still fell from about USD 3,800/MT to USD 3,500/MT, a decline near 7.9%. Energy costs held the German cost base high while Asian imports pressed offers lower. Trinseo shut its Rho MMA unit and the associated acetone cyanohydrin plant at Porto Marghera late in the year, leaving Röhm as the clear regional supplier. European merchant monomer capacity dropped below 200,000 tonnes a year as a result.

Polymethyl Methacrylate Prices in South Korea in 2025

Korean PMMA fell from roughly USD 2,500/MT to USD 2,270/MT over 2025, down about 9.2%. Korean producers price against Chinese material, so cheaper Chinese monomer and polymer set the direction all year. Display and electronics demand grew modestly while automotive component orders stayed flat. South Korea overtook Japan as Asia's second-largest MMA producer as Japanese capacity came out of the system.

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Expert Market Research tracks Polymethyl Methacrylate prices across the markets that set the global direction, with the focus on the reason behind each move. Coverage runs through methyl methacrylate economics, acetone and propylene costs, the acetone cyanohydrin and ethylene route split, Chinese operating rates, and demand from signage, lighting, automotive glazing & display. Forecasts weigh monomer balances, closure announcements, trade flows and energy costs. Reach out to Expert Market Research for Polymethyl Methacrylate price series, custom analysis and procurement support.