Asian Paints raises prices by 12%; domestic cyclohexanone, methyl ethyl ketone, and ethylene glycol butyl ether continue to surge.

Recently, leading overseas coating companies have significantly raised product prices; the domestic chemical market has simultaneously welcomed a round of price hikes and quotation suspensions. Prices of mainstream coating solvents such as cyclohexanone, methyl ethyl ketone (MEK), and ethylene glycol butyl ether (EGBE) have risen consecutively. Over a hundred chemical enterprises have implemented operations including maintenance, market closure (ceasing quotations), and limited supply, with cost pressures appearing simultaneously across the upstream and downstream sectors.

News of a price hike by Indian leading coating company Asian Paints was disclosed by media such as Reuters on July 13. The company's chairman stated at the annual general meeting on July 9 that, driven by rising raw materials due to geopolitical conflicts in the Middle East, the company has implemented a product price adjustment of approximately 12%, to hedge against the pressure of rising costs for crude oil-based raw materials.

Asian Paints stated that uncertainty regarding the geopolitical situation in West Asia remains, and it will take a longer cycle for raw material costs to return to stability. Company Chairman R. Seshasayee mentioned in the annual report that the escalation of conflict in West Asia has brought significant raw material inflationary pressure, with the cost increase impact on crude oil-associated chemicals being the most prominent.

In addition to Asian Paints, multiple Indian coating companies implemented price adjustments successively within 2026: Berger Paints India increased by 1%-2%; Kansai Nerolac Paints raised prices by 2%-3%; JSW Dulux saw a price hike reaching 10%.

Looking at the domestic chemical market, this wave of and quotation suspension has covered over 80 chemical production enterprises and more than 40 chemical categories, spanning the entire industrial chain including basic chemical raw materials, fine chemicals, energy categories, inorganic chemicals, and new materials.

Since early July, prices of common coating solvents such as cyclohexanone, methyl ethyl ketone, and ethylene glycol butyl ether have continued to rise, and market trading has gradually warmed up. At the same time, a large number of domestic chemical enterprises have centrally implemented measures such as reducing unit loads, shutting down for maintenance, closing the market to quotations, and locking supply sources to prioritize core customers. Most products that have suspended public quotations only accept negotiations on a single-order basis. The market atmosphere is thick with , spot circulation sources continue to tighten, forming a unique market pattern of "rising raw material prices, controlled supply quantities, and closed market prices."

Regarding the solvent sector market trends, using the spot market quotations on July 13 as a benchmark, regional price differences and performance in gains and losses are differentiated:

The overall upward trend for cyclohexanone is established, with only quotations in some local regions remaining stable.

On July 13, the market quotation for cyclohexanone in the Shandong market was 8,100 yuan/ton, unchanged from July 12; the East China market price rose to 8,400-8,500 yuan/ton, a single-day increase of 50 yuan/ton; the South China Guangdong market led the nation in gains, with market quotations at 8,500-8,600 yuan/ton, an increase of 150 yuan/ton compared to the previous trading day, forming strong support from regional downstream demand.

Methyl ethyl ketone (MEK) spot prices strengthened simultaneously, with a steady price hike rhythm. As of the close on the afternoon of July 13, the weighted average transaction price for MEK in the Jiangsu market was 6,980 yuan/ton, an increase of 100 yuan/ton from July 12. Downstream factories concentrated on replenishing stocks, and market purchasing enthusiasm improved significantly.

Ether solvents presented a pattern of differentiated gains and losses and an overall strong bias.

On July 13, East China ethylene glycol butyl ether prices rose across the board, with low-price sources successively following the increase. Market actual transaction references were 8,500-8,600 yuan/ton, a single-day increase of 100 yuan/ton; the diethylene glycol butyl ether market maintained weak consolidation, with traders generally maintaining a wait-and-see attitude. Mainstream intended transaction prices remained at 10,100-10,400 yuan/ton, with no significant change in price on July 13.

Industry analysts pointed out that the coating, ink, and adhesive industries are highly dependent on ketone and ether solvents. With rising cost trends playing out simultaneously domestically and overseas, there is an expectation of cost transmission in subsequent coating terminal products.

Short-term market trends will continue to closely monitor the geopolitical situation in West Asia and international crude oil fluctuations on one hand; on the other hand, the maintenance cycles of domestic chemical enterprises, unit restart progress, and the operating rate of the downstream coating industry will jointly determine the sustainability of solvent price increases.