Episode 1491: PODCAST: China's styrene export position strengthens; FOB China assessment gains support

SINGAPORE (ICIS)--China's rapid expansion of styrene monomer (SM) capacity has transformed the country into an increasingly important exporter. By mid-2024, China's export volumes had overtaken imports, prompting ICIS to launch its FOB China SM assessment in August 2024. China became a net exporter in 2025, and growing liquidity has since increased the relevance of the FOB China benchmark.

In this podcast, Senior Editor Luffy Wu reviews the progress of ICIS' SM FOB China daily assessment since its launch two years ago and looks ahead to some of the improvements and plans in the pipeline to better serve the market.

• China becomes net exporter in 2025 amid capacity growth
• Jan-Jul exports hit 860,000 tonnes, filling supply gaps left by Mideast suppliers
• FOB China quote attracts rising attention, but CFR China conventions persist