ICIS - chemical podcasts Episode 1494: Europe oxo-alcohols, derivatives seasonally subdued amid Rhine logistics constraints
Aug 26, 2026
Cameron Birch, ICIS’s glycol ethers markets editor, and Mathew Jolin-Beech, an acrylate markets specialist, examine Europe’s subdued oxo-alcohols and derivatives trade. They discuss falling Rhine water levels, disrupted barge logistics, rising feedstock costs, planned maintenance, tighter butyl acetate and acrylate imports, and weak glycol ethers activity. The focus then turns to September restocking and an uncertain autumn outlook.
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Rising Costs Failed To Lift August Spot Prices
- Higher propylene and natural-gas costs lifted production expenses without creating spot-price momentum.
- Buyers had covered near-term needs, while weak seasonal demand pushed only 2EH slightly lower late in August.
Low Rhine Water Disrupted German Logistics
- Exceptionally low Rhine levels disrupted barge traffic and limited German suppliers’ spot offers.
- Rainfall helped, but feedstock deliveries and operations remained exposed to logistics uncertainty.
Butyl Acetate Supply Tightened Before September
- Butyl acetate supply tightened as imports slowed and producers withdrew some spot volumes.
- Chinese shipments fell because higher Asian feedstock and logistics costs reduced Europe’s import appeal.