News Details
News Details
SLES Market Price Keeps Rising
Sep 21,2026
SLES (70% active, also known as AES) domestic market quotations have been continuously increased recently, with tight spot supply and steadily climbing market prices, which significantly raises procurement costs for downstream daily chemical and detergent manufacturers. As the core anionic surfactant in the daily chemical industry, SLES is widely used in shampoo, body wash, laundry detergent, dishwashing liquid and other cleaning products. The price hike has affected the whole cleaning raw material industrial chain.
Market Overview
Major domestic SLES manufacturers have successively lifted ex-factory prices. Spot market prices have seen a notable increase compared with earlier periods. Trading sentiment remains tight. Factories prioritize deliveries for long-term contracts, while the lead time for bulk spot orders is extended. Some traders hold back sales, resulting in lower spot liquidity. The export market rises accordingly with steady overseas inquiries. Strong domestic and overseas markets further support manufacturers’ offers.
Key Drivers for Price Increase
- Sharp rise in upstream raw material costs The production cost of SLES mainly consists of lauryl alcohol (fatty alcohol) and ethylene oxide (EO), accounting for more than 70% of total production cost, which acts as the primary driver of this price surge. A batch of EO plants underwent scheduled maintenance recently, and some co-production facilities switched production, tightening supply and pushing up EO prices directly and raising etherification section costs. Lauryl alcohol is derived from palm kernel oil. Weather disturbances in palm-growing regions of Southeast Asia have lifted palm kernel oil prices, and the CIF price of imported lauryl alcohol moves higher. Pressured by the two major raw materials, SLES manufacturers face shrinking profit margins and are forced to raise product prices. Sulfuric acid remains relatively stable and has limited impact on overall costs.
- Plant maintenance reduces market supply Multiple domestic SLES sulfonation units are under periodic maintenance, lowering operating rates and available commercial output. Together with stricter environmental and quality control standards, some small backward capacities keep exiting the market, reducing effective commercial supply. Leading manufacturers give priority to long-term contract clients, leaving limited spot goods and higher price flexibility for spot trades.
- Gradually recovering downstream demand plus expectations for the traditional Golden September peak season Entering the traditional daily chemical peak season in “Golden September”, downstream detergent factories gradually increase stocking activities. End-user consumption recovers, bringing positive demand support to SLES.
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