According to the Commodity Market Analysis System of Shengyi Society, the xylene market will first rise and then fall in December 2025, with an overall upward trend. From December 1st to 30th, the domestic xylene market price increased from 5470 yuan/ton to 5510 yuan/ton, with a cumulative price increase of 0.73% during the period.
In the first half of the year, the domestic mixed xylene market showed a moderate upward trend, and Shandong, as a core production area, had good refinery shipments, providing stable support for the regional market; The markets in East and South China have kept up with the rise, and the quotations of major refineries such as Sinopec have remained stable. The market negotiation atmosphere is still acceptable. The downstream oil and chemical industry continues to adopt the strategy of replenishing inventory according to demand, maintaining a neutral level of procurement enthusiasm, and there has been no large-scale hoarding or reduction of inventory, supporting a slight increase in prices.

In the latter half of the year, the domestic mixed xylene market showed a moderate upward trend, and Shandong, as a core production area, had good refinery shipments, providing stable support for the regional market; The markets in East and South China have kept up with the rise, and the quotations of major refineries such as Sinopec have remained stable. The market negotiation atmosphere is still acceptable. The downstream oil and chemical industry continues to adopt the strategy of replenishing inventory according to demand, maintaining a neutral level of procurement enthusiasm, and there has been no large-scale hoarding or reduction of inventory, supporting a slight increase in prices.
Cost wise: In December 2025, the domestic crude oil market showed a volatile downward trend, with narrow fluctuations in the first half of the year. The news of OPEC’s slight increase in production in December and the suspension of production in the first quarter of 2026 briefly boosted market sentiment, but failed to reverse the loose pattern. Domestic port commercial crude oil inventories increased by 1.67% month on month, and supply pressure began to emerge. After mid month, concerns about global crude oil oversupply intensified, with Brent crude falling below $60 per barrel, driving the domestic market to follow suit. Although geopolitical events such as the escalation of US sanctions on Venezuela triggered a short-term rebound during this period, it was difficult to change the trend. As the end of the year approaches in the latter half of the year, market trading activity has decreased under the pressure of capital recovery. The operating rate of domestic main refineries is sluggish, and the weak trend of terminal demand has not changed, further suppressing oil prices and presenting a fundamental driven downward trend throughout the process. As of the 26th, the settlement price of the February WTI crude oil futures contract in the United States was $56.74 per barrel, and the settlement price of the February Brent crude oil futures contract was $60.60 per barrel.
Supply side:
Sinopec’s xylene quotation summary shows that the company is currently operating normally, with stable production and sales. The company’s quotation remains unchanged from the previous day. As of December 30th, East China Company quoted 5500 yuan/ton, North China Company quoted 5200-5300 yuan/ton, South China Company quoted 5650-5700 yuan/ton, and Central China Company quoted 5250-5450 yuan/ton..
Demand side: Downstream on-demand procurement shows overall weakness
The domestic oil and chemical industry continues to adopt the strategy of replenishing inventory according to demand, with low purchasing enthusiasm and no centralized replenishment behavior, which has limited effect on driving prices. The PX market has become the main bearish factor, with significant fluctuations in the December contract price of PX on the Zhengzhou Commodity Exchange in the latter half of the month. The closing price on the 29th was 7208 yuan/ton, a significant drop from the mid month high, and the mixed xylene price was under pressure and weakened due to cost transmission.

According to the Commodity Market Analysis System of Shengyi Society, as of December 30th, Sinopec Sales Company has implemented a price of 7000 yuan/ton, and the four major regions of East China, North China, Central China, and South China have uniformly implemented this price; The main facilities of Yangzi Petrochemical and Zhenhai Petrochemical are operating stably, and the sales of products are normal. The current price has increased by 150 yuan/ton compared to November 28th.
In terms of international markets, as of December 29th, the closing prices of the xylene market in Asia were $867-869/ton FOB Korea and $892-894/ton CFR China, an increase of $66/ton from November 27th.
Market forecast: Currently, the domestic mixed xylene market is in a game of bullish and bearish factors: on the one hand, the supply side equipment is operating stably, the supply of goods is abundant, and the shipment situation of refineries in core production areas such as Shandong is good, providing basic support for the market; On the other hand, the lack of clear upward momentum in international crude oil and the unchanged pressure on the PX market, coupled with weak downstream demand, have suppressed prices. Overall, the mixed xylene market lacks a strong driving force for sustained upward or downward movement in the short term, and is expected to maintain a narrow range of fluctuations. It is necessary to focus on improving the demand side and the impact of PX market transmission.