The styrene monomer (SM) market in China had been firm until September but turned into a downtrend in October. This was because prices for crude oil and main feedstock benzene dropped.

However, supply decreased after several SM facilities started turnaround in October. On the other hand, since several derivative facilities planned to start up or restart going forward, demand for SM is growing. As a result, the market might rise again in November onward. The schedule for turnaround for major SM facilities is as follows.

In the long run, the market might soften due to a restart of SM facilities and a decline in feedstock cost.