The toluene market still lacks buying demand

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Market Analysis (March 2 – March 6) Over the past week, despite a strong rise in crude oil prices, the toluene market in East China has seen insufficient buying interest; demand has failed to increase and transactions have been weak. The positive and negative factors have balanced each other out, resulting in a stable market situation, with industry participants adopting a cautious approach. 　　The rise in international crude oil prices has driven up domestic market prices; however, due to numerous negative factors in the past, it has been difficult for traders to raise prices. At present, the main obstacle in the domestic market remains weak demand; it is difficult to move upward, and even more so to move downward – these two factors are in opposition to each other. Domestic toluene is expected to remain at its current level. 　　Crude oil prices continue to rise, driving up negotiations in the Asian market. But most people are not active, and discussions in the venue are relatively rare. Vendors discussed a price of $520–530 per ton for shipments in April (FOB main port in South Korea).