Back in 2018, acrylic acid didn’t just move the needle for chemical traders and producers—it kept a whole chain of industries on edge. My early career in paints and coatings gave me a front-row seat. Every time the feedstock changed price, procurement meetings got tense fast. That year didn’t disappoint. Upstream, propylene—the raw material for acrylic acid—became harder to secure. On top of regular demand, unexpected plant shutdowns in Asia hit production. By spring, buyers in China, Europe, and the US felt the pinch. Prices started rising week after week.
Disruption didn’t stop there. Heavy rainfall in China caused stops and starts at chemical plants. Those events trickled down to buyers everywhere. Even small firms that bought acrylic acid-based dispersants faced higher costs. I remember clients calling, worried their annual contracts wouldn’t hold. Spot prices traded well above contract rates all through peak spring and summer.
Acrylic acid goes into things people don’t often see. Absorbent polymers for hygiene goods, paints, glues, and even water treatment plants all rely on it. Costs didn’t stay isolated in the chemical sector. Hygiene brands saw margins squeezed. With no choice, many passed costs on. Consumer products started showing modest but steady price increases. At the supermarket, diapers and feminine hygiene products ticked up. I watched smaller manufacturers try to trim packaging and push store brands to hold onto customers.
On the industrial side, some paint and adhesive companies opted for delayed launches. Others reformulated with alternative ingredients, eating up development budgets. The constant question: “How long can we absorb this before passing it downstream?”
Based on ICIS and market reports from that year, acrylic acid prices jumped more than 20% from January to August. The US saw contract prices climb to $1,600–$1,750 per ton by mid-year. China’s market felt even more turbulence, with spot prices peaking near $2,000 per ton at times. These numbers weren’t just line items on a spreadsheet. They directed hiring, product launches, and business survival. I worked with factories that started hedging feedstock prices, trying every trick to dodge losses.
Decades in this field taught me: volatility can’t always be planned away, but preparedness softens the blow. After 2018, producers diversified propylene sources. Some started blending recovered monomers or forming new supplier contracts before the next tight squeeze. Transparency helped. Buyers who kept tabs on market news adjusted faster, negotiating better or delaying inventory build-ups before panic set in.
It also became clear that stronger communication between manufacturers, suppliers, and retailers helps keep panic in check when prices start to rise. Setting flexible contracts and forging closer relationships made all the difference for businesses caught off guard in 2018.
