Octane and Gasoline Pull

Refiners are increasingly pulling aromatics like benzene into the gasoline pool to meet summer-grade octane requirements. This 'Octane War' is starving the chemical sector, pushing spot prices for styrene and phenol feedstock higher.

Regional Disparity

While European and US markets are extremely tight, Asian prices have seen some relative stability, though high freight and energy costs for steam cracker operations are providing a high price floor worldwide.