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Acetic Acid Market Faces Supply Squeeze as Asia Maintenance and U.S. Outages Collide
LONDON – The global acetic acid market is navigating a volatile landscape in the second quarter of 2026, characterized by tightening supply in Asia, sharp price spikes in the United States, and a clear regional divergence in pricing strategies.
In Asia, supply conditions have tightened significantly due to planned maintenance. On May 7, a major Chinese producer initiated a 20-day shutdown of its 1-million-ton-per-year Jingzhou unit for annual repairs . This domestic output loss coincides with a strategic shift by Chinese producers to increase export volumes to India, aiming to fill the void left by reduced U.S. cargoes following hurricane-related outages, further squeezing local spot availability .
Market dynamics vary sharply by region. U.S. prices surged another 14.7% in early April, driven by Gulf Coast turnaround preparations and late-March production outages, creating a scramble for spot barrels . Conversely, European markets remain stable due to structural cost floors, with Q4 2025 prices holding at approximately 17.97 billion in 2026 to $22.73 billion by 2030, supported by increasing investments in bio-based production alternatives .
