The market situation of trichloromethane in December fell first and then rose. According to the commodity market analysis system of Shengyishe, as of December 29th, the price of trichloromethane bulk water in Shandong Province was 2070 yuan/ton, an increase of 0.16% from 2066 yuan/ton at the beginning of the month, and the low point in the cycle was 2000 yuan/ton. The start of domestic methane chloride plants in December was affected by the shutdown of some enterprises, resulting in a decrease in the supply of trichloromethane; There is no significant positive support for downstream refrigerant demand, and refrigerant production is basically stable. In the second half of the month, some enterprises replenished their inventory, and the demand for trichloromethane was slightly supported, resulting in a slight rebound in prices.

The domestic methane chloride plant operation in December decreased compared to November.

In December, the price of raw material methanol fluctuated and decreased, while the price of liquid chlorine continued to decline. The cost support for trichloromethane weakened. According to the commodity market analysis system of Shengyishe, as of December 29th, the spot price of methanol was 2450 yuan/ton, a decrease of 2.20% from the beginning of the month’s 2505 yuan/ton, with a high point of 2505 yuan/ton and a low point of 2420 yuan/ton during the cycle; At the end of December, the price of liquid chlorine tank trucks in Shandong region dropped significantly at -100 yuan/ton.

Downstream refrigerant demand is weak, and production remains stable at a low level. In the second half of the month, some enterprises replenish their inventory in small quantities, which provides some support for trichloromethane. In 2023, the total production quota for R22 will be reduced by 19% to 181800 tons, and overall support for the demand for trichloromethane will weaken in the medium to long term. The quota for 2024 has not been released, but it has little impact on the production schedule of refrigerant manufacturers.

The methane chloride data analyst from Business Society believes that demand for trichloromethane is still weak in the face of support, coupled with lower raw material prices, and it is expected that the trichloromethane market will narrow in the short term. From a medium to long term perspective, under the condition of no strong cost support, the market for trichloromethane will basically show a trend of range fluctuation and consolidation due to demand constraints.