Asian Methanol: Taiwan prices rise $64/mt amid supply fears / Middle East tensions disrupt methanol flows / China inventories drop 6.43% week over week

Sep 05, 2026

Asian methanol prices closed the week $17-$64/mt higher on Sept. 4 as escalating hostilities in the Middle East stoked fears of a prolonged supply disruption. Observed traffic through the Strait of Hormuz fell to 11 ships on Sept. 2 from a revised 14 ships on Sept. 1, while traffic through the Bab al-Mandab Strait rebounded to 41 ships from 34 a day earlier, supported by an increase in tanker movements, according to a Sept Buying interest was particularly strong across Southeast Asia, China and Taiwan during the Market on Close assessment process. In Taiwan, a bid was initially placed at $510/mt CFR Taiwan for a cargo arriving Sept. 16-Oct. 5. Perceiving limited selling interest, the buyer subsequently raised the bid to $515/mt and then $520/mt CFR Taiwan, though no significant...

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