Last week, the EIA inventory data was bearish for the market, and the oil price first soared and then fell. In the first half of the week, driven by crude oil, the trading activity increased, and the oil price rose. In the second half of the week, although the oil price weakened, local refineries in Shandong Province continued to operate at reduced capacity. In addition, the Lihuayi pure benzene plant started to repair its facilities, and hydrogenated benzene producers, operating at a loss, continued to operate at a low loading level.
Moreover, the temperature last week was still low, and cross – regional transportation had not been fully restored to the pre – holiday level. Under the situation of supply shortage, considering that the inventory build – up at the main ports in East China was lower than expected, and major refineries raised their official prices, the market took on a lively trading atmosphere. The price of pure benzene deviated from the trend of crude oil and showed a successive increase in price during the week. This week, with the increasing pressure of losses on downstream enterprises, the interest in purchasing decreased. It is expected that the price of pure benzene in the domestic market will decline slightly. However, the exact trend will depend on the dynamics of crude oil prices.
