Q2 2024 fatty acids and alcohols outlook
This exclusive update delivers a concise overview of the fatty acids and alcohols markets, sharing insight into:
- Palm and lauric oil prices, analysis and outlook
- Glycerine quarterly contracts, supply & demand discussion and trade flow analysis
- Fatty alcohols quarterly outlook trends and in depth trade analysis
- Fatty acids price outlook, trade data and feedstock analysis
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Forest ownership helps Brazilian rosin makers cut costs
Forest ownership helps Brazilian rosin makers cut costs
Sao Paulo, 13 November (Argus) — Brazilian gum rosin and gum turpentine producers sourcing pine oleoresin from their own forests are better positioned to navigate weaker rosin markets, participants said at the Brazilian Pine Chemicals Meeting in Sao Paulo on 13 November. Rising pine oleoresin prices and softening gum rosin demand at key markets such as Portugal have squeezed margins, participants said. Factories in Brazil often buy the raw material in the spot market from third-party producers. The percentage of pine oleoresin sourced from third-party pine trees versus the factories' own forests can vary. Fewer players have sizeable forest assets, and most rely on third-party volumes. Argus assessed Brazilian elliottii pine oleoresin prices on 4 November at 5,100-5,230 Brazilian reals/t ($965-990/t) at the forest for cash payments. With gum rosin prices at $1,030-1,150/t fob Brazil port, margins are tight and in some cases negative. Access to in-house oleoresin at slightly lower cost can ease margin pressure, a seller said. Gum rosin, a co-product of pine oleoresin distillation, is a key feedstock for rosin esters production in Portugal and Spain. By Leonardo Siqueira Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
Turpentine price swings hinge on rosin fundamentals
Turpentine price swings hinge on rosin fundamentals
London, 22 October (Argus) — Rising turpentine prices this year have highlighted its sensitivity to fundamentals in the rosin market. Turpentine prices have been on the rise owing to higher demand, thin inventories, and softer rosin markets. Shifts in supply and demand for rosin affect turpentine volumes because gum rosin accounts for the biggest production volumes. Both are coproducts from pine oleoresin distillation. Brazilian elliottii gum turpentine midpoint prices have increased by 29pc to $3,075/t fob Brazil port on 15 October 2025 from a year-ago levels, Argus data shows. Brazil is a major global supplier of gum turpentine to markets including India, the US, Mexico, Japan and China, and is also a top global gum rosin exporter. Buyers are worried by rising gum turpentine prices because they find it more difficult to pass the higher feedstock costs on to their final customers. Availability of both gum turpentine and crude sulfate turpentine (CST) is low this year in key markets like Brazil and the US, unlike in 2023 when buyer and seller stocks were high. Supply fundamentals, along with higher demand across end markets, have further supported prices at current levels. Brazilian suppliers have seen increased margins on gum turpentine orders, but sales have only marginally offset weaker gum rosin and stalled gum rosin derivative markets. Several plants in Brazil reduced gum rosin operating rates because of the decreased demand to key southern European and US derivative markets following the implementation of 50pc US tariffs on Brazilian goods. Lower gum rosin production and limited pine oleoresin feedstock availability during the off-season in Brazil has further tightened the already thin gum turpentine stocks. Pulp mill shutdowns in the competing US CST market in recent years have also lowered supply, bringing the US CST price closer to that of Brazilian gum turpentine, buyers said. The price curves for Brazilian gum rosin and gum turpentine have been similar over time, but the spreads for turpentine over rosin have been increasing since late 2023 and early 2024, although they are far from their 2021 peaks, Argus historical data show. A rebound in rosin demand could ease some of the upward price pressure in gum turpentine markets, suppliers said. But the current bearish rosin demand scenario could persist through the end of the year as US tariffs on Brazilian goods remain in place. By Leonardo Siqueira Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
Australia, Singapore to collaborate on SAF, biofuels
Australia, Singapore to collaborate on SAF, biofuels
Sydney, 9 October (Argus) — Singapore and Australia plan to collaborate on sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and other biofuels, as part of a new agreement to work together on net-zero, defence and trade initiatives. The two countries announced the upgrade to their Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (CSP 2.0) in Canberra on 8 October at the 10th Singapore-Australia Annual Leaders' Meeting. Singapore's trade and industry ministry and Enterprise Singapore signed an initial agreement with the state of Victoria to explore opportunities in the new energy sector focusing on SAF, zero-emission transport, renewable energy storage, hydrogen and offshore wind. The CSP 2.0 initiatives will be implemented over the next 10 years. Singapore's biofuels industry is more developed than Australia's because it is home to Finnish refiner Neste's 1mn t/yr SAF plant. Singapore is also aiming to implement a SAF blending requirement starting in 2026, mandating 1pc SAF use on all departing flights, with plans to increase this to 3-5pc by 2030. Australia produces multiple biofuel feedstocks through its primary industries including tallow. Singapore is a major importer , taking 296,000t of Australian tallow in 2024. Australia is aiming to boost biofuels via a A$1.1bn ($730mn) federal fund, to help meet its 2030 emissions reduction goals. The two countries also finalised the Cross-Border Electricity Trade framework, developed in 2024 to improve regional electricity trading, energy security, and help meet each country's net-zero targets and international climate change obligations, Australia said. This could further Australia's SunCable project aiming to deliver solar power to Singapore via its flagship Australia-Asia Power Link project by 2035. Singapore and Australia will also work on a joint standard for renewable energy certificates (RECs) so industries can meet their sustainability commitments. By Grace Dudley Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
Australia excludes UCO, hydrogen from feedstock plan
Australia excludes UCO, hydrogen from feedstock plan
Sydney, 2 October (Argus) — The Australian Labor government's bioenergy feedstock strategy will exclude feedstocks not directly produced from primary industries, according to a discussion paper released today. The strategy aims to support the growth of feedstock supply chains through policy and will complement Australia's A$1.1bn ($728mn) Cleaner Fuels Program , according to the country's agriculture minister Julie Collins. Feedstocks excluded from the strategy include used cooking oil (UCO), municipal waste and non-biogenic feedstocks, such as green hydrogen used for power-to-liquid fuels. It will instead focus on feedstocks from Australia's agriculture and forestry sectors, including canola, tallow, biomass, sugar cane and sorghum. Australia's nascent hydrogen sector, including power-to-liquid projects, are eligible for subsidies under Canberra's Hydrogen Headstart program. A total of A$2bn was earmarked for the first round. The government intends to invest in the most viable bioenergy pathways such as the hydroprocessed esters and fatty acids (HEFA) pathway, instead of emerging pathways such as Fischer-Tropsch (FT), alcohol-to-jet (ATJ) and power-to-liquid methods. The strategy is one part of a broader collection of Australia's government policies aiming to support the domestic production of biofuels to achieve net-zero by 2050, and reduce emissions by 62-70pc below 2005 levels by 2035, the discussion paper said. Companies have until 7 November to respond to the strategy and submissions will be released on 21 November. The government has yet to release a discussion paper on its Cleaner Fuels Program. By Grace Dudley Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.