Chemicals, Aromatics, Solvents & Intermediates

October 21, 2024

Platts proposes to harmonize MX and toluene coverage in the US, discontinue industrial ethanol assessment

Platts, part of S&P Global Commodity Insights, proposes changes to its solvents coverage in the US, including harmonization of the MX and toluene assessments and a discontinuation of the industrial ethanol assessment, effective Jan. 13.

Toluene and MX

Platts proposes to discontinue solvent toluene and xylene price assessments, published every Tuesday on an FOB Chicago and FOB US Gulf basis.

Platts will continue publishing its daily nitration grade toluene and mixed xylenes assessments on the FOB US Gulf basis, with a weekly aromatics commentary on Fridays.

Under the proposal, the Tuesday instance of these prices would be reflected in the Solventswire and on all solvents pages, with Solventswire also reflecting the previous Friday's weekly aromatics commentary.

The monthly averages for the FOB USG price assessments reflect an arithmetic average of all daily assessments during the month.

Proposed for discontinuation Existing replacement assessments
Toluene Solvent toluene FOB Chicago Weekly: AAHRW00, M.Avg: AAHRX00 Solvent toluene FOB US Gulf Weekly: AAHRU00; M.Avg: AAHRV00

Nitration grade toluene FOB USG

Daily: PHAAR00 (M1), AASMY00 (M2);

W.Avg: PHAWW04 (M1), AASMY04 (M2);

M.Avg: PHAWX03 (M1), AASMY03 (M2)
Mixed xylenes Solvent xylenes FOB Chicago Weekly: AAHSA00, M.Avg: AAHSB00 Solvent xylenes FOB US Gulf Weekly: AAHRY00; M.Avg: AAHRZ00

Mixed xylenes FOB USG

Daily: PHBHN00 (M1), AASMZ00 (M2);

W.Avg: PHBHO04 (M1), AASMZ04 (M2);

M.Avg: PHBHP03 (M1), AASMZ03 (M2)

Ethanol

Platts also proposes to discontinue its FOB DSP assessment of industrial ethanol on the lack of market activity.

Platts would continue publishing ethanol benchmark assessment -- Chicago Ethanol Pipe AALRI00 -- as part of its biofuels package.

Proposed for discontinuation Weekly code M.Avg
Industrial Ethanol 190 FOB DSP cts/gal Weekly AANTP00 AANTP03
Industrial Ethanol 200 FOB DSP cts/gal Weekly AANTR00 AANTR03

The assessments, proposed for discontinuation, are currently published in Solventswire, Platts Connect and Platts Market Center, as well as in the Price Point database under the above-mentioned codes.

Please send any questions, comments, or feedback by Nov. 4 to petchems@spglobal.com and pricegroup@spglobal.com .

For written comments, please provide a clear indication if comments are not intended for publication by Platts for public viewing.

Platts will consider all comments received and will make comments not marked as confidential available upon request.