In the China methanol market, some makers are more aggressive in sales. Inventories at factories in the country are low, but since transportation is disrupted by the bad weather conditions in winter, makers are responding to this. As operation rates of downstream methanol-to-olefins (MTO) facilities are high, demand for methanol is firm.

However, in December onwards, several imported cargoes are expected to be delivered while a large MTO facility in East China is scheduled to enter maintenance. Therefore, supply/demand might slacken going forward.

It is the off-demand season for derivative propylene. Along with this, prices in Shandong area are bearish. But some players might move to buy to replenish inventories toward the end of the year. In the polypropylene market, the downstream industry is not raising inventories as it is before the low demand season.