In China, supply for styrene monomer (SM) was tight until August and the market was firm due to production cuts or shutdowns of several SM facilities. Operations rates for SM facilities in August were at about 72% on average, down 2.3 points from the same month a year earlier. Compared to July 2024, the operation rates increased by 1.4 points. Production volumes of SM in August were at about 1.33 mil mt.

From September onwards, production volumes of SM are expected to be lower than August or similar levels. Prices are also expected to track a firm tone. Huajin Petrochemical's facility is scheduled to restart in September. Tianjin Dagu's facility is also expected to return to normal operations in late September. On the other hand, Zhejiang Petrochemical's facility is scheduled to enter maintenance. Sinochem Hongrun's facility is also expected to be shut down.