Methanol Market: High China Inventory

Asian Methanol: Prices drop on bearish fundamentals / Coastal methanol inventory in China; tank space limited /Mixed near-term outlook in South Korea / Hong Kong pushes ahead with green bunkering, eyes first methanol operation

Jun 06, 2026

Asian methanol prices closed the week to Nov. 21 lower as ample supply, weaker olefins prices and slow downstream demand in China set the direction of the market. In China, prompt spot cargoes exchanged hands at Yuan 1,995- 2,000/metric ton, or around Yuan 30/mt ($4.22/mt) lower week over week. China’s coastal methanol was estimated at 1.48 million mt on Nov. 19, down from 1.54 million mt the previous week. However, China-based traders said the tank space in east and south China was limited due to the high inventory levels and there was pressure to clear stock. China’s coastal methanol inventory typically ranges from 900,000 mt to 1.1 million mt. In the week to Nov. 21, the dollar-denominated China methanol market saw a few fixed-price and formula bids and offers, with...

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