Chemical markets including hydrogen peroxide and related products faced mixed signals in August 2026, with volatile energy costs, concentrated maintenance turnarounds and uneven downstream demand creating divergent price trends across product chains. The week of August 17-23 saw 48 of 100 tracked chemical products in China rise in price, 21 decline and 31 remain stable.
Energy costs were elevated by crude oil price gains, with WTI up 5.66% and Brent up 6.63% week-on-week, while natural gas rose 1.47%. Maintenance turnarounds across BPA, phenol/acetone and refinery complexes tightened supply for some products. Downstream demand from construction, textiles and electronics remained uneven, limiting the pass-through of higher feedstock costs.
