Lanxess announces global price increase for adipic acid by 150 euros per ton

German specialty chemicals company LANXESS officially announced, raising global prices for adipic acid products starting August 6, with an average increase of 150 euros/ton.

This price adjustment covers all LANXESS regional customers and is primarily driven by the significant rise in continuously accumulating raw material and energy costs.

In the announcement, LANXESS stated that the company has continuously taken various measures to reduce costs and strive to maintain price stability, but this price increase is necessary to ensure the long-term stable supply of adipic acid and the sustainable operation of the supply chain.

Adipic acid is a key intermediate for manufacturing nylon 66, polyurethanes, coatings, plasticizers, and thermoplastic elastomers, and is widely used in downstream sectors such as automotive, textiles, and engineering plastics.

LANXESS Adipic Acid Capacity and Market Reference After Price Adjustment

LANXESS's core adipic acid production base is located in Germany, with an existing annual capacity of 88,000 tons. It is an important adipic acid supplier in Europe, primarily supplying nylon and polyurethane chain customers in the European region.

Before the implementation of this price hike, the mainstream contract price for LANXESS adipic acid in the European market was approximately 1750–1850 euros/ton; after the increase of 150 euros/ton, the global execution price range for LANXESS adipic acid has risen to 1900–2000 euros/ton (prices vary based on region, order size, and product grade).

This marks LANXESS's second price increase for adipic acid in 2026; the company implemented a previous global price hike of 100 euros/ton in January of this year.

Major Domestic Adipic Acid Manufacturers, Capacity, and Current Market Conditions

China is the world's largest producer and consumer of adipic acid, with a total effective domestic capacity exceeding 4.4 million tons/year. The production scale is significantly higher than that of Europe, and the market competition is relatively full. Key enterprises include:

1. Huafeng Chemical: The domestic capacity leader, with a total adipic acid capacity of 1.355 million tons/year. It possesses two major production bases in Rui'an, Zhejiang, and Chongqing, highlighting its integrated industrial chain advantages, and serves as a domestic market price benchmark;

2. Shenma Shares (Pingmei Shenma): Capacity of 740,000 tons/year, supporting a self-owned nylon 66 industrial chain. Products are partially for self-use, with stable external sales volume;

3. Shandong Haili Chemical: Capacity of 700,000 tons/year, a mainstream supplier in the North with abundant spot circulation resources;

4. Liaoyang Petrochemical: Capacity of 320,000 tons/year, a core production enterprise in the Northeast region;

5. Hualu Hengsheng: Capacity of 300,000 tons/year, relying on coal chemical raw material advantages to continuously participate in domestic spot market circulation;

In addition, companies such as Risun Group and Tangshan Zhonghao also have supporting adipic acid production facilities.

In terms of price (market spot reference as of early August 2026): The mainstream cash transaction price including tax for domestic prime-grade adipic acid is 8300–8400 yuan/ton, with significant regional price differences: East China market 8350–8400 yuan/ton, North China market 8250–8350 yuan/ton.

The price gap between domestic and foreign markets is significant, mainly stemming from differences in energy costs, feedstock routes, logistics, and tariffs. Industry analysis points out that continuous price hikes by European manufacturers like LANXESS are expected to support the bottom of the overseas adipic acid market, indirectly benefiting domestic adipic acid export orders. However, the EU's anti-dumping policy on Chinese adipic acid persists, constraining the space for exports to Europe.

Market Brief Analysis

This price increase by LANXESS highlights the persistent pain points of energy and raw material costs facing the European chemical industry. Local adipic acid capacity in Europe is limited, and supply relies heavily on domestic factories and imports.

In contrast, domestic adipic acid supply is sufficient, and the industry as a whole is in a pattern of excess capacity. Prices are more influenced by fluctuations in raw materials such as pure benzene and nitric acid, combined with the recovery pace of downstream demand for nylon 66 and polyurethanes. There is a time lag in the linkage between domestic and foreign market prices. In the short term, overseas price hikes are unlikely to directly drive a significant rise in domestic prices, but they will improve the overseas pricing power of domestic export enterprises.