The latest in US aromatics import and export volumes coupled with relevant pricing information. To learn more about The Petrochemical Standard, visit us at www.petchemstandard.com.

1. BENZENE/PYGAS:
Summary: US benzene imports were at a virtual standstill on the week with no confirmed parcels landed as spot values in
the US declined. August spot DDP prices fell roughly $54 week on week as buy interest for August barrels dissipated to
end the week. September spot values moved sharply lower to close Friday’s session at $1,393/mt DDP, down $27 on the
day and near $60/mt on the week. The spread between FOB Korea and USG M2 DDP prices narrowed to $28/mt, down
$55 on the week. European benzene values closed the week on either side of $1,370/mt while the TPS Asian benzene
marker finished Friday’s session at $1,309/mt FOB Korea.
EN ROUTE:
The vessel Elevit, said to be loaded with 12,000 metric tons of benzene, was last seen just of the coast of New York,
headed south-southwest-at 11.3 knots. The vessel cast off from Montreal Harbor on August 20th
and was slated to
arrive in Houston on September 1. (Last update seen at 9:30 a.m on August 24.)
The vessel JBU Onyx, was heard loaded with 5,000 metric tons of BTX though it wasn’t immediately clear at time of
publication what specific products were on board. The vessel, which was said to have loaded Rotterdam, cast off from
Terneuzen on July 17th
and was last seen headed south-southwest at 10.6 knots. The vessel was expected at Bayonne, NJ
on August 29 and then subsequently make its way to the US Gulf. (Last update seen 9:44 a.m on August 24. )
Qty Load Discharge Laycan Tonnage Ship Notes
9,000 mt Korea USGC H1 Aug FPMC FPMC 29
5,000 Pajaritos USGC H1 Aug Olmeca
12,000 Montreal USGC Mid-Aug Navig8 Elevit
5,000 Rotterdam USGC Mid-Aug JBU Onyx BTX
20-25,000 Korea USGC H1 Sep FPMC FPMC 30
25-30,000 Korea USGC H1 Sep Navig8 Tambourin
- Korea USGC H1 Sep Aurora Maritime Rosemary
AROMATICS TRADE FLOW REPORT
August 24, 2014. Vol 1, Issue 14
Copyright © The Petrochemical Standard 2014 | kevin.allen@petchemstandard.com |
CONTENT IS PROVIDED “AS IS”. TPS MAKES NO GUARANTEES OR WARRANTIES AS TO THE ACCURACY, COMPLETENESS, TIMELINESS, OR RESULTS TO BE OBTAINED FROM,
ACCESSING AND USING TPS DATA.

2. The vessel FPMC 29, heard to be loaded 9,000 metric tons of benzene in H1 Aug, was last seen in the North Pacific
Ocean, moving east-southeast at 14.7 knots. The vessel, which cast off from Kaohsiung on August 1, was slated to arrive
at the Port of Long Beach on August 26 and then head toward the US Gulf. (Last updated seen 10:01 a.m. on August 24.)
STYRENE: Much like its feedstock benzene, spot styrene trade was muted this week as spot prices remained below
production costs but too high to move to Europe or Asia. US spot styrene was talked notionally at just below $1,575/mt
on an FOB USG basis, down near $20 on the week on pressure from declining benzene. US styrene prices faced some
pressure going forward due to an expected 30-day turnaround by Styrolution at its Bayport facility at the beginning of
September. Confirmation from the company was not available at time of publication. European styrene values were
talked on either side of $1,570/mt meaning that US material would have to be at least $1,525/mt (69.17 cents/lb) to
work, if not lower. The Asian TPS styrene markers finished the week at $1,556/mt FOB Korea and $1,587/mt CFR China,
down $23 and $30.50/mt respectively.
The Bow Saga, heard loaded with 7,000 metric tons of styrene was last seen moored at the Port of Rotterdam. The
vessel cast off from the Port of Houston on August 2nd
and arrived at the Port of Antwerp on August 17th
before then
moving on to Rotterdam, where it moored on August 23. (Last update seen on August 24 at 10:24 a.m.)
Qty Load Discharge Laycan Ship
5,000 Lk Charles ARA H1 July Stolt Inspiration
11,000 Lk Charles ARA 7-15 July Trans Iberia
7,000 Houston ARA 1-Aug Bow Saga
15,000 Houston Brazil 2-Aug Sloman Herakles
3,000 Houston Med H2 Aug
5,000 Houston Korea H1 Sep Ginga Lynx
Copyright © The Petrochemical Standard 2014 | kevin.allen@petchemstandard.com |
CONTENT IS PROVIDED “AS IS”. TPS MAKES NO GUARANTEES OR WARRANTIES AS TO THE ACCURACY, COMPLETENESS, TIMELINESS, OR RESULTS TO BE OBTAINED FROM,
ACCESSING AND USING TPS DATA.

3. TOLUENE AND XYLENES
Summary: Xylenes were probably the most active amongst the aromatics segment with an uptick in exports driven by
declining prices. Sources estimated that some 15,000 metric tons of MX has been recently fixed out of the US. Both MX
and PX values in the US have seen recent declines, largely as a result of a fire at BP’s 1.27 million mt/year PTA facility at
Cooper River as well as falling prices in Asia. MX was down marginally on the week however US PX prices were roughly
$40 lower week on week. Toluene prices opened Monday on a soft note but finished the week stronger, gaining near
$24/mt week on week. Toluene imports for August were estimated at just over 24,000 mt month-to-date.
The vessel Ivy Galaxy, said to be loaded with 5,000 metric tons of MX, was last seen in the North Pacific Ocean headed
west at 13.1 knots. The vessel cast off from Houston on July 18 and was slated to arrive in Ulsan on September 1 before
moving on to Mai Liao, sources said. (Last update seen on August 24 at 10:51 a.m.)
The vessel Beatrice, expected to load with 10,000 metric tons of PX, was last seen anchored off the coast of Houston.
The vessel was slated to load sometime in late August and was said to be destined for Taiwan/China. (Last update seen
on August 24 at 11:01 a.m.)
Qty Load Discharge Laycan Ship
PX
4,000 NWE Houston End July/Early Aug Duzgit Integrity
10,000 USG Taiwan/China H2 Aug Beatrice
10,000 TX City China H2 Aug UACC Masafi
MX
5,000 Houston Mai Liao H1 July Ivy Galaxy
6,000 NWE Houston H2 July Duzgit Integrity
2,000 Houston Montreal End July Elevit
7,000 Corpus Christi Korea/China End July/Early Aug Formosa 29
10,000 Corpus Christi Korea End Aug Stolt
Copyright © The Petrochemical Standard 2014 | kevin.allen@petchemstandard.com |
CONTENT IS PROVIDED “AS IS”. TPS MAKES NO GUARANTEES OR WARRANTIES AS TO THE ACCURACY, COMPLETENESS, TIMELINESS, OR RESULTS TO BE OBTAINED FROM,
ACCESSING AND USING TPS DATA.

4.  August spot DDP benzene prices shed $54/mt
on the week while M2 DDP values were down
roughly $60/mt. The TPS Asian benzene
marker closed the week at $1,309/mt FOB
Korea pushing as the spread between the
regions fell to $28/mt on lower US pricing.
European September benzene was near
$1,370/mt to close the week.
 August spot benzene prices stood roughly $28
below the 5-day moving average of $1,478 and
nearly $33.50 below the 20-day moving
average at $1,483.40/mt.
 Spot US toluene values reversed course,
gaining $15.50 on the week to close at
$1,128/mt FOB USG, $38 below the TPS FOB
Korea toluene marker.
 US MX values dipped slightly, down $6 on the
week to $1,091/mt FOB USG but were down
near $65.50 on the month. US prices held a
$33/mt discount to the TPS FOB Korea marker.
European MX was pegged at $1,070/mt on an
FOB basis.
 US PX values were seen sharply lower, closing
Friday at $1,250/mt FOB USG, down $40 on
the week. PX was dragged lower by falling
feedstock MX and a $58.50/mt drop in Asian
PX prices, which put the TPS FOB Korea marker
at $1,298.50/mt Friday.
 The US MX-PX spread narrowed to $159/mt
this week, down $34/mt on the week.
 Styrene prices were dragged lower by falling
benzene and thin demand. US spot SM values
closed the week at $1,574/mt, down $18 on
the week. US prices maintained an $13
discount to the TPS CFR China marker and
were roughly on par with September FOB NWE
prices.
 The US styrene-benzene spread widened $35
on the week to close Friday at $124/mt.
PRICING AND MARKET DYNAMICS
Copyright © The Petrochemical Standard 2014 | kevin.allen@petchemstandard.com |
CONTENT IS PROVIDED “AS IS”. TPS MAKES NO GUARANTEES OR WARRANTIES AS TO THE ACCURACY, COMPLETENESS, TIMELINESS, OR RESULTS TO BE OBTAINED FROM,
ACCESSING AND USING TPS DATA.
-$40.00
-$20.00
$0.00
$20.00
$40.00
$60.00
$80.00
$100.00
$120.00
$140.00
$160.00
$180.00
$600.00
$800.00
$1,000.00
$1,200.00
$1,400.00
$1,600.00
$1,800.00
3-Mar-14
11-Mar-14
19-Mar-14
27-Mar-14
4-Apr-14
14-Apr-14
23-Apr-14
2-May-14
12-May-14
21-May-14
30-May-14
9-Jun-14
17-Jun-14
25-Jun-14
3-Jul-14
14-Jul-14
22-Jul-14
30-Jul-14
7-Aug-14
15-Aug-14
US BZ DDP M2 BZ FOB KOREA SPREAD
300.00
350.00
400.00
450.00
500.00
550.00
3-Mar-14
10-Mar-14
17-Mar-14
24-Mar-14
31-Mar-14
7-Apr-14
14-Apr-14
22-Apr-14
29-Apr-14
7-May-14
14-May-14
21-May-14
29-May-14
5-Jun-14
12-Jun-14
19-Jun-14
26-Jun-14
3-Jul-14
10-Jul-14
17-Jul-14
24-Jul-14
31-Jul-14
7-Aug-14
14-Aug-14
21-Aug-14
SPOT BZ M1 DDP USG 5-DAY Ma 20-DAY MA
-$50.00
$0.00
$50.00
$100.00
$150.00
$200.00
$250.00
$300.00
$350.00
$400.00
$450.00
14-Mar-14
21-Mar-14
28-Mar-14
4-Apr-14
11-Apr-14
21-Apr-14
28-Apr-14
6-May-14
13-May-14
20-May-14
28-May-14
4-Jun-14
11-Jun-14
18-Jun-14
25-Jun-14
2-Jul-14
10-Jul-14
17-Jul-14
24-Jul-14
31-Jul-14
7-Aug-14
14-Aug-14
21-Aug-14
BZ-Tol spread Tol-MX spread PX-Tol Spread
$0.00
$50.00
$100.00
$150.00
$200.00
$250.00
$300.00
14-Mar-14
21-Mar-14
28-Mar-14
4-Apr-14
11-Apr-14
21-Apr-14
28-Apr-14
6-May-14
13-May-14
20-May-14
28-May-14
4-Jun-14
11-Jun-14
18-Jun-14
25-Jun-14
2-Jul-14
10-Jul-14
17-Jul-14
24-Jul-14
31-Jul-14
7-Aug-14
14-Aug-14
21-Aug-14US spot SM-BZ spread

5. FREIGHT RATES – 10,000 MT FREIGHT RATES – 5,000 MT
ULSAN – HOUSTON: $52-56/MT ULSAN – HOUSTON: $54-58/MT
HOUSTON – MAIN PORT FE: $44-48/MT HOUSTON – MAIN PORT FE: $48-52/MT
HOUSTON – CHINA: $52-56/MT HOUSTON – CHINA: $52-56/MT
HOUSTON – NORTHWEST EUROPE $39-43/MT HOUSTON – NORTHWEST EUROPE $41-45/MT
HALF MONTH AVERAGES
US SPOT BZ DDP USG US SPOT SM FOB USG US SPOT TOLUENE FOB USG
H2 June- $1,527.50 H2 Jun - $1,633.82 H2 Jun - $1,280.14
H1 July - $1,520.86 H1 July - $1,652.13 H1 July - $1,283.49
H2 July – $1,511.45 H2 July – $1,584.00 H2 July – $1,261.51
H1 Aug – $1,475.56 H1 Aug – $1,591.94 H1 Aug – $1,133.92
H2 Aug MTD – $1,478.00 H2 Aug MTD – $1,584.00 H2 Aug MTD – $1,124.25
US SPOT MX FOB USG US SPOT PX FOB USG
H2 Jun - $1,257.75 H2 Jun - $1,293.00
H1 July - $1,226.24 H1 July - $1,310.00
H2 July – $1,192.06 H2 July – $1,344.00
H1 Aug – $1,129.10 H1 Aug – $1,306.00
H2 Aug MTD – $1,087.00 H2 Aug MTD – $1,262.33
EDITORS CONTACT DETAILS
 Kevin Allen
 Email: kevin.allen@petchemstandard.com
 Phone: 713.344.3690
 Yahoo: tpsusaros
 Benzene assessments courtesy of Petrochem Wire
 Vessel photos and information courtesty of Vesseltracker
Copyright © The Petrochemical Standard 2014 | kevin.allen@petchemstandard.com |
CONTENT IS PROVIDED “AS IS”. TPS MAKES NO GUARANTEES OR WARRANTIES AS TO THE ACCURACY, COMPLETENESS, TIMELINESS, OR RESULTS TO BE OBTAINED FROM,
ACCESSING AND USING TPS DATA.