This week, the mixed xylene market saw a slight increase, with a benchmark price of 5884.33 yuan/ton on July 10, 2026, rising to 6266.67 yuan/ton on July 17, representing a 6.5% increase during the cycle.

This week, the domestic mixed xylene market has shown a steady and slight upward trend, with high-level fluctuations and consolidation. The overall bullish atmosphere is mild and positive. During the cycle, the market relied on the dual support of strong crude oil costs and low on-site inventory, and the price center continued to shift upwards, with a stable and upward trend in the market.
Cost aspect: Crude oil tends to fluctuate strongly, with the overall center of gravity shifting upwards
The international crude oil trend in this cycle is relatively strong and volatile, with the overall focus steadily shifting upwards, providing sustained cost support for the aromatic hydrocarbon industry chain. The upstream naphtha prices have strengthened synchronously with crude oil, which has raised the production and processing costs of mixed xylene. At the same time, the overall volatility of the domestic aromatic hydrocarbon market and night market is relatively strong. Although there is no extreme unilateral market trend, the overall atmosphere of the industry is positive, and the market sentiment of supporting prices is generally strong. The continuous positive release on the cost side is the core driving factor for the steady rise in the price of mixed xylene this week, effectively consolidating the bottom of the market price and supporting the sustained strong operation of the market. As of July 16th, the settlement price of the August contract for WTI crude oil futures in the United States was $78.28 per barrel. The settlement price of Brent crude oil futures for September contract is $84.23 per barrel.
Supply side:
This week, the overall supply of mixed xylene in the domestic market showed a pattern of limited plant operation, low inventory, and tight supply. The spot market provided sufficient support, providing core fundamental support for the steady rise of xylene prices this week. From a production perspective, many refineries in China have not yet fully resumed full load operation of their pre maintenance facilities, coupled with short-term load adjustments for some facilities. As a result, the overall operating rate of the industry remains low, and the increase in on-site supply is insufficient. There is a shortage of imported xylene resources at the port, and external supplementary sources are weak. Port inventories continue to deplete and remain low, and the overall effective circulation of goods in the market is tightening. At the same time, mainstream consumer and circulation regions such as Shandong and East China have scarce spot resources, and overall inventory pressure on traders is extremely low. Against the backdrop of overall tight supply, refineries and traders have a strong mentality of raising prices and being reluctant to sell, resulting in generally firm quotes.
Demand side:
The overall performance of the demand side is stable and cautious in chasing higher prices, which has failed to drive the market to continue to strengthen significantly. The mainstream downstream industries of mixed xylene, such as coatings, solvents, resins, etc., have stable procurement needs, which can maintain market transactions and support steady price increases. But as prices continue to rise this week, downstream companies’ raw material procurement costs have increased, and their willingness to stockpile and replenish goods at high levels has significantly cooled down. Most of them adhere to the operational concept of on-demand procurement and small order follow-up, and market buying sentiment tends to be conservative. In addition, marginal demand for oil blending, fine chemicals, and other industries has remained stable with no significant incremental benefits released. The overall market trading activity is average, which restricts the upward potential of mixed xylene.
Market forecast:

In the short term, the domestic mixed xylene market is likely to continue its high range oscillation, stable and moderate operation trend. On the positive side, the support of international crude oil costs has not yet subsided, and the fundamentals of low domestic xylene inventories and tight supply continue. The bottom support of market prices is stable, and the probability of a significant decline is low. On the negative side, after the cumulative increase in prices in this cycle, there is currently no substantial positive stimulus in the market. The problem of weak downstream pursuit of high prices and light trading has become prominent, and there is insufficient action in the market. Overall, it is difficult to continue the unilateral upward trend of mixed xylene in the future, and the overall trend is mainly high-level consolidation with limited price fluctuations. In the future, it is necessary to focus on tracking the international crude oil trend, refinery operation and inventory changes, and downstream terminal demand procurement rhythm.