Chemical Market Weekly | 2026-10-13: August Industrial Output Up 5.2%, Chemical Profits Up 51.0% in Jan-Aug, Eurozone PPI Up 8.2% YoY

This week, the National Bureau of Statistics and the General Administration of Customs (data released via CCTV) published a dense batch of August and first-three-quarter operating data: August value-added of industrial enterprises above designated size rose 5.2% year on year, chemical industry profits grew 51.0% in January-August, and total foreign trade in the first eight months reached RMB 34.78 trillion, up 17.6%; overseas, Eurozone industrial producer prices rose 8.2% year on year in August, US commercial crude oil inventories fell 3.2 million barrels week on week, and Asian propylene prices climbed USD 75/ton in a single week. For chemical equipment buyers, industrial value-added reflects downstream operating tempo, profit data signals expansion and retrofit intentions, and trade data is linked to scheduling demand of export-oriented lines — these figures are leading indicators for the inquiry pace of jacket reactors and storage tanks. This article reviews the week's developments in six sections — domestic industry, sector profits, foreign trade, overseas PPI, energy inventories and Asian petrochemicals — each item with a traceable source link.

How do domestic industrial data read? August value-added of industry up 5.2%

### August industrial value-added up 5.2%; oil and gas extraction up 6.2%

Data released by the National Bureau of Statistics showed that in August 2026, value-added of industrial enterprises above designated size rose 5.2% year on year; oil and natural gas extraction grew 6.2%, while the chemical raw materials and chemical products manufacturing industry was flat versus a year earlier. Industrial value-added staying in a growth range above 5% means downstream chemical operating rates and restocking demand remain resilient, providing fundamental support for the timing of equipment renewal projects. Source: National Bureau of Statistics

### Late-September means of production prices: 22 up, 23 down, 5 flat

The National Bureau of Statistics' monitoring of prices of important means of production in the circulation field in late September showed that among 50 monitored items, 22 rose month on month, 23 fell and 5 were flat, continuing the pattern of mixed movements. Means-of-production prices are a key reference for chemical equipment selection and quotation: steel prices affect equipment manufacturing costs, and raw material prices affect downstream plant operating rates; together they determine buyers' order windows. Source: National Bureau of Statistics

How profitable is the chemical industry? Chemical profits up 51.0% in January-August

According to National Bureau of Statistics data cited by China Economic Net, raw materials manufacturing profits rose 47.3% year on year in January-August, contributing 6.2 percentage points to the growth of industrial enterprise profits; among them, the chemical raw materials and chemical products manufacturing industry grew 51.0%, nonferrous metal smelting and rolling grew 82.9%, and the petroleum, coal and other fuel processing industry turned profitable with RMB 56.29 billion in profits. High profit growth in chemicals usually corresponds to more active expansion and retrofit intentions among downstream producers, with inquiries for mixing tanks and complete turnkey lines often following. Source: China Economic Net

How do foreign trade data read? First-eight-month imports and exports at RMB 34.78 trillion, up 17.6%

Data from the General Administration of Customs (released via CCTV) showed that in the first eight months, China's total merchandise trade reached RMB 34.78 trillion, up 17.6% year on year; exports totaled RMB 20.17 trillion, up 14.6%, and imports RMB 14.61 trillion, up 22%. In August alone, imports and exports reached RMB 4.65 trillion, up 19.8%. Sustained high trade growth means export-oriented chemical and daily chemical lines keep running at high load, and maintenance and expansion demand for related equipment persists. Source: CCTV

How does overseas PPI read? Eurozone August industrial producer prices up 8.2% year on year

According to Eurostat data cited by Webull, Eurozone industrial producer prices (PPI) rose 8.2% year on year in August, above the market expectation of 8.1%, and 1.9% month on month; energy prices rose 5.6% month on month, intermediate goods and durable consumer goods both rose 0.4%, and capital goods rose 0.2%. Accelerating Eurozone PPI means European chemical plants' cost pressure and post-turnaround restart pace will affect landed quotations of imported chemicals, which domestic buyers should track closely. Source: Webull

How do US energy inventories read? Commercial crude inventories down 3.2 million barrels week on week

According to the US Energy Information Administration (EIA) weekly petroleum data (compiled and published by FedPrimeRate), for the week ending October 2, 2026, US commercial crude oil inventories stood at 424.1 million barrels, down 3.2 million barrels week on week; refinery utilization was 92.7%, above last week's 92.5%; and domestic crude production was 13,979 thousand barrels per day, up 24 thousand barrels per day. Continuous inventory drawdown combined with high refinery utilization supports the international oil price center and is an important cost-side variable for chemicals. Source: FedPrimeRate

How does Asian petrochemicals read? Propylene prices up USD 75/ton in a week

Polymerupdate data showed Asian propylene prices rose notably this week: FOB Korea at USD 1,255-1,265/ton, up USD 75/ton week on week; CFR China at USD 1,295-1,305/ton, also up USD 75/ton; CFR Taiwan up USD 35/ton to USD 1,155-1,165/ton; and CFR Southeast Asia up USD 20/ton to USD 1,265-1,275/ton. Stronger domestic Chinese prices and recovering downstream buying were the main drivers of this rally; as the upstream monomer of polypropylene and other polymers, propylene's price trend will pass down the chain to converters. Source: Polymerupdate

European reference: Italian August industrial producer prices up 2.4% month on month

Data from the Italian National Institute of Statistics (Istat) showed that in August, Italian industrial producer prices rose 2.4% month on month (domestic market +3.1%, foreign market +0.3%) and 10.9% year on year (domestic +13.5%, foreign +3.9%). Consistent with Eurozone PPI, factory-gate prices in major European economies keep rising, reflecting energy costs still passing into midstream manufacturing, which forms a reference for comparing imported chemical equipment and raw materials. Source: Istat

Summary: with dense public data releases, how should chemical equipment purchasing pace be set?

Taken together: domestic industrial value-added grew steadily, chemical profits grew strongly, foreign trade stayed resilient, and overseas PPI gains combined with crude inventory drawdowns point to sustained cost support. For buyers, three signals have practical meaning — expansion plans in high-profit industries (chemicals, nonferrous metals) usually lead equipment inquiries by 3-6 months, so long-cycle equipment such as reactors can be pre-booked early; when steel in means-of-production prices stabilizes and recovers, equipment quotation windows are relatively favorable; and export-oriented lines should schedule maintenance and expansion against trade order rhythm. Equipment selection should still follow process and materials, with non-standard customization and complete-line capability as comparison priorities; delivery and commissioning slots should be confirmed together with the technical agreement.

Further reading: - Chemical equipment industry accelerates transformation: from single-machine sales to non-standard customization plus complete lines - New energy materials capacity expansion keeps nano sand mill demand growing

This article is compiled by Hyline Shengda Equipment Manufacturing Co., Ltd. (hyline.cn); the information belongs to the original authors. We specialize in stainless steel reactors, mixing tanks, storage tanks, dispersers, concentrators and complete chemical line support, with non-standard customization available.