Polyethylene Price in China Rises 21.7% to USD 1,223/tonne
Polyethylene in China closed at USD 1,223/tonne on 2026-09-30, up 6.4% over the month but 1.6% lower on the week.
Polyethylene in China was priced at USD 1,223/tonne as of 2026-09-30, down 1.6% from USD 1,242/tonne on 2026-09-18. The monthly change stands at +6.4% from USD 1,149/tonne on 2026-08-28, and the quarterly change at +22.1% from USD 1,001/tonne on 2026-07-02. Year on year, the price is up 21.7% from USD 1,005/tonne on 2025-09-30.
According to Claight market monitoring, geopolitical tensions in the Middle East, including Saudi pipeline disruptions and Houthi attacks, drove up crude oil and ethylene costs throughout September, feeding into Chinese polyethylene pricing.
Domestic supply events added to the tightening. Hydrocarbon Processing reported on 2026-09-18 that CNOOC and Shell Petrochemicals suspended production at its Huizhou PE complex, tightening spot supply in South China. ChemAnalyst reported that BASF declared force majeure at its Zhanjiang Verbund site from September 9 to 20 due to feedstock shortages, and that Zhenhai Refining and Chemical conducted maintenance on two units from September 15 to 22, affecting 21,111 tonnes of capacity.
The 52-week high stands at USD 1,282/tonne on 2026-09-11 and the 52-week low at USD 919.38/tonne on 2025-12-12.