Driven by overseas epidemics and domestic resumption of work, domestic isopropanol prices are continuing to rise.
Compared to alcohol, isopropanol is a better-performing antiseptic.
The most commonly used alcohol disinfectants are ethanol and isopropanol, which can coagulate proteins, cause microbial death, and damage most lipophilic viruses. In the field of virus protection, the performance of isopropyl alcohol is more prominent than that of ethanol. The main reason is that isopropyl alcohol is equivalent to adding two sets of methyl groups on the basis of ethanol, which greatly enhances its lipophilicity. The increased permeability also makes it more aggressive against the protein shell of the virus.
The epidemic overseas is severe, and the supply of isopropanol is in short supply.
We log on to the overseas Amazon website and find that the current proportion of isopropyl alcohol disinfectants in alcohol disinfectants is significantly higher than domestic (more than 30%). Recently, as overseas epidemics have intensified, disinfectant products including isopropyl alcohol have also been sold out. According to information on the Amazon website, the major US states have been out of stock, and the European market is facing a similar situation. Beginning in 2017, China's isopropanol exports have been on the rise, and the proportion of domestic output in domestic exports has also increased from 12% in 2017 to 27% in 2018 and 43% in 2019. Therefore, we believe that at present overseas Demand factors will also have an impact on the domestic supply and demand balance.
Domestic and overseas prices increased in different degrees.
Due to the urgent demand for disinfectants caused by overseas epidemics, and the gradual resumption of domestic work to promote the operating rate of domestic installations, overseas / domestic isopropanol prices have risen to varying degrees. On March 17th, the single ton prices of isopropanol in FOB US Gulf, DER US, FD Northwest Europe and FOB Rotterdam reached US $ 920, US $ 980, US $ 3100, and Euro 3296, respectively, and rose by 12%, 11.36%, and 138 on the same day. % And 142%; while the domestic prices of isopropanol in East China and South China have reached 7700 yuan / ton and 7800 yuan / ton, which have risen by 16% and 12% compared with last month's levels. As the overseas epidemic is still in a rapid outbreak stage, we believe that this tight supply situation will continue, and the price of isopropanol is expected to continue to rise.