Aromatics
Benzene prices on an FOB Korea basis and paraxylene (PX) prices on a CFR Northeast Asia basis were firm throughout the week in line with rising crude oil prices.

　
Olefins
Ethylene prices on a CFR Northeast Asia basis were at a standstill. Many market players were having discussions for long-term contracts for 2025 and spot talks were subdued. Although end-users did not have high inventories, no buyers were active in purchasing as profitability of ethylene derivatives was deteriorating.

　
The propylene market was soft.
In the CFR Northeast Asia market, while supply was ample, buying interest from end-users was scarce. As a result, market sentiment became bearish.
In the FOB Korea market, discussions were mainly held for long-term contracts for 2025 and spot talks were limited.
In Southeast Asia, spot availability was not observed.

　
The CFR Northeast Asia butadiene market softened early this week due to perceptions of surplus supply. Discussions for December cargoes were drawing to close. For January cargoes, production of butadiene was expected to decrease as turnaround for naphtha crackers were planned mainly in Korea. On the other hand, major synthetic rubber makers were forecast to resume production after they complete regular maintenance. Thus, market players expected buying interest for imported cargoes to emerge in Korea.