Argus Benzene and Derivatives

Argus Benzene and Derivatives covers physical markets across three major regions: 

• Americas: benzene (ddp Houston/Texas City, fob USGC, ddp Lower Mississippi River), styrene, ethylbenzene, cumene, phenol, cyclohexane and polystyrene. 
• Europe: benzene (cif ARA, cif NWE contract), styrene, phenol, cyclohexane and polystyrene. 
• Asia-Pacific: benzene (fob South Korea, cfr China, ex-tank East China), styrene, polystyrene and ABS resin, with coverage across China, South Korea, Taiwan, Southeast Asia and India. 

Benzene is a key aromatic hydrocarbon derived from crude oil refining and petrochemical processing. It is the primary feedstock for downstream chemicals including styrene, cumene, cyclohexane, ethylbenzene and phenol, which feed into the production of plastics, resins, rubber and consumer goods. Accurate price data across the benzene derivatives chain is essential for managing feedstock costs, setting contract terms and making confident trading decisions. 

The service includes price assessments for the following benzene derivatives: 

• Styrene 
• Ethylbenzene 
• Cumene 
• Phenol 
• Cyclohexane 
• Polystyrene (GPPS and HIPS) 
• ABS resin 

• Daily: benzene and styrene prices for the Americas, Europe and Asia-Pacific. 
• Weekly: spot, contract and forward prices for benzene, styrene, ethylbenzene, cumene, phenol, cyclohexane, polystyrene and ABS resin. 

Weekly assessments refer to prices for the week to Thursday, with exceptions for public holidays or scheduled changes. 

Argus applies several methodological approaches across regions to produce the most representative prices: 

• Volume-weighted averages of validated transactions. 
• Low-high ranges of deals done, with a published midpoint. 
• Assessed ranges in illiquid markets, informed by bids, offers and market fundamentals. 
• Contract and posted reference prices established through multilateral market discussions. 

Yes. Argus Benzene and Derivatives includes analysis of oil-based feedstocks, including crude and naphtha, helping subscribers understand how upstream market developments influence benzene and derivative pricing. 

Argus reporters apply rigorous verification to all data submitted to the assessment process. Transactions are screened against minimum volume, delivery, timing and specification requirements. Primary tests identify anomalous prices, non-arm's-length deals and atypical volumes. Where data falls short of thresholds, editors apply structured judgment informed by bids, offers and related market information. Supervising editors sign off on all price assessments daily. 

Yes. Each issue includes expert market commentary from specialist reporters covering price drivers, supply and demand developments, trade flows, production costs, demand trends and market-moving events. 

The service also provides global benzene spread analysis, benzene breakeven prices from toluene conversion, freight rate assessments and insight into plant start-ups, maintenance outages and other developments affecting benzene and derivative markets across all covered regions. 

Argus delivers price data and reports through multiple channels: 

• Argus Direct^® online portal, providing price assessments, news, charts and downloadable reports. 
• Electronic data feeds for direct integration into databases and analytics platforms. 
• Third-party data integrators. 
• The Argus publications app, optimised for mobile access. 
• Historical price data is available for purchase.