Track Caprolactam Price Trend Historical and Forecast

Executive Summary

The global Caprolactam market experienced a year marked by persistent volatility, shaped by shifting demand patterns, fluctuating feedstock costs, geopolitical uncertainties, and evolving supply-chain dynamics. Across major consuming regions-North America, Asia-Pacific (APAC), and Europe-prices varied sharply quarter to quarter, influenced by factors such as benzene and cyclohexanone costs, inventory pressures, automotive production cycles, textile market behavior, logistics inefficiencies, and regional trade flows.

Through 2024 and 2025, Caprolactam markets oscillated between supply-driven declines and cost-push recoveries. North America faced oversupply and muted downstream consumption, APAC battled continuous inventory accumulation and competitive pricing from Chinese exporters, and Europe managed weak demand amid operational disruptions and feedstock constraints. Meanwhile, MEA markets navigated between global oversupply and seasonal restocking cycles.

This PR-style report delivers a comprehensive overview of Caprolactam prices, quarterly movements, regional market behavior, procurement trends, production cost structures, and forecasts. It concludes with a detailed outline of how ChemAnalyst empowers procurement teams with real-time data, predictive analytics, and supply-chain intelligence.

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Introduction

Caprolactam-an essential precursor to Nylon 6-is a critical industrial chemical used across automotive, textile, packaging, engineering plastics, electronic housings, and industrial components. With its demand directly tied to global manufacturing, logistics, and energy markets, Caprolactam pricing is highly sensitive to both macroeconomic and sector-specific developments.

From late 2024 through 2025, the Caprolactam market underwent sharp cyclical upheavals. Suppliers grappled with volatile benzene values, uneven demand from Nylon 6 convertors, import arbitrage shifts, and major disruptions such as hurricanes in North America, port congestion in Europe, typhoon-related delays in Asia, refinery outages, and currency fluctuations. These dynamics reshaped buyer strategies, supply conditions, and contract negotiations across each quarter.

This article compiles all major pricing and market developments to offer a holistic, region-specific, and historically grounded perspective on Caprolactam's global market trajectory.

Global Price Overview

On a global scale, Caprolactam prices fluctuated significantly through the final quarter of 2024 and the first three quarters of 2025. The major global themes include:

Demand Fragility Across Automotive & Textile Sectors

Weakness in automotive and textile consumption-two core demand pillars for Caprolactam-introduced persistent downward pressure globally. OEMs and nylon fibre producers frequently delayed procurement, opting to draw down inventories rather than commit to new volumes.

Oversupply & High Inventory Levels

Multiple regions reported ample domestic production combined with steady imports, especially from China and South Korea. This oversupply condition caused aggressive price competition, depressed spot prices, and maintained a bearish market tone.

Feedstock Cost Volatility

Benzene and cyclohexanone prices swung from flat to moderately firm across different quarters. While sharp feedstock climbs supported price gains in certain instances (e.g., North America in Q1 2025), prolonged periods of low or fluctuating costs largely limited producers' ability to raise offers.

Logistics Disruptions

Port congestion, long-haul freight rate adjustments, seasonal storms, typhoons, and inland transport delays caused sporadic supply chain disturbances-particularly in Europe and APAC. These disruptions occasionally tightened market availability but, overall, did not fundamentally shift market trends due to prevailing oversupply.

Trade-flow Realignment

Cheaper Chinese material consistently influenced regional price floors. Import competitiveness fluctuated based on freight rates, trade policies, currency movements, and arbitrage dynamics, shaping procurement behavior and cost negotiation outcomes globally.

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Regional Market Analysis

North America

Quarter Ending September 2025

North America experienced a 21.4% quarter-over-quarter decline in the Caprolactam Price Index, driven primarily by domestic oversupply, high operating rates, and steady imports that outpaced sluggish demand. The average Caprolactam price stood at USD 1492.67/MT, reflecting consistent price erosion across Houston and Gulf Coast markets.

Key Drivers of Price Change

Domestic plants operated near capacity.
Inventories continued to climb due to weak automotive and textile consumption.
Spot prices fell under pressure from reduced freight costs and a strong US dollar, which made imports cheaper.
Flat-to-lower benzene and steady cyclohexanone offered no cost support.
Export competitiveness remained subdued.

Why prices changed in September 2025:

Excess production, steady import arrivals, lower feedstock costs, weak demand, and declining freight ensured heightened availability and downward pressure.

Quarter Ending June 2025

North American Caprolactam prices declined 4.3% QoQ, mirroring the region's structural oversupply and subdued downstream demand. Import volumes from Asia and Europe kept supply conditions stable while feedstock prices showed no meaningful upward movement.

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Market Conditions

Flat benzene and cyclohexanone costs provided no margin relief.
Falling freight rates increased import competitiveness.
Automotive and nylon convertors preferred inventory drawdowns.
Why the Price Index moved in July 2025:
Prices remained stable as neither supply nor demand fundamentals changed meaningfully-steady domestic output, consistent imports, and cautious procurement kept values range-bound.

Quarter Ending March 2025

North America registered a 10% QoQ price increase in Q1 2025, supported by:

Higher benzene costs early in the quarter.
Rising crude oil futures and inflation expectations.
Stronger automotive demand and improved manufacturing activity.
Pre-emptive procurement ahead of potential import tariffs.
Normalization of operations after Winter Storm Enzo.
The quarter closed at USD 2086/MT DEL Houston, reflecting firm bullish sentiment.

Quarter Ending December 2024

Q4 2024 saw a modest 1% decline due to:

Weak automotive and textile demand.
Reduced benzene costs.
Hurricane-related logistics disruptions.
Rising political uncertainty post-election.
Prices ended the quarter at USD 1879/MT DEL Houston, the highest for the quarter but still reflective of subdued activity.

Asia-Pacific (APAC)

Quarter Ending September 2025

Japan's Caprolactam Price Index fell 20.13% QoQ, driven by a persistent oversupply scenario and muted downstream demand. Average quarterly prices settled at USD 1068.67/MT.

Key Drivers

Elevated inventories from domestic production and imports.
Flat cyclohexanone and mixed benzene trends offered limited cost support.
Automotive and engineering plastics sectors underperformed.
Buyers delayed purchases amid tariff uncertainty.
Why prices changed in September 2025:
High supply volumes, weak cost support, and deferred procurement combined to exert strong downward pressure.

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Quarter Ending June 2025

APAC prices increased 1.5% QoQ, bolstered by:

Temporary supply disruptions in China.
Volatile benzene values.
Restocking by automotive buyers due to government incentives.
Steady operating rates across South Korea and Taiwan.
However, competitive Chinese offers prevented broader gains.

Why prices declined in July 2025:
Weak demand, oversupply, and soft feedstock costs reintroduced downward pressure, reversing Q2's modest improvements.

Quarter Ending March 2025

APAC saw a 3.4% QoQ decline, shaped by:

Subdued benzene and cyclohexanone costs.
Weak demand ahead of Lunar New Year.
Oversupply across key producers.
Delayed shipments and logistical challenges.
Increased cost pressures mid-quarter due to rising phenol and cyclohexanone.
Prices ultimately retreated to USD 1450/MT FOB Shanghai by March-end.

Quarter Ending December 2024

APAC remained under marked downward pressure due to:

Oversupply and steady production rates.
Weak textile- and automotive-sector demand.
Year-end destocking cycles.
Typhoon interruptions affecting shipping routes.
Weak benzene costs eroding production margins.
Poor pre-Chinese New Year procurement.
Prices closed at USD 1460/MT FOB Shanghai, reinforcing long-term bearishness.

Europe

Quarter Ending September 2025

Germany recorded an 8.69% QoQ decline, with prices averaging USD 1849.33/MT. Despite some late-quarter logistics tightening, overall demand remained soft.

Key Market Themes

Weak automotive and engineering plastics consumption.
High inventory levels across producers.
Benzene supply constraints supported small late-quarter gains.
Stable domestic production limited price momentum.
Why prices changed in September 2025:
Downstream restocking, benzene tightness, and delayed imports provided mild price support despite subdued broader demand.

Quarter Ending June 2025

European prices saw a marginal 0.6% QoQ increase, shaped by:

Rising benzene costs.
Stable cyclohexanone and natural gas prices.
Port congestion and inland transport delays.
Mixed automotive sector performance.
Muted textile-sector consumption.
Why prices declined in July 2025:
Steady production and intra-EU supplies kept inventories high, while demand from key sectors stayed weak, overwhelming logistical constraints.

Quarter Ending March 2025

Europe saw a 1.72% QoQ increase, supported by:

Rising benzene and energy values.
Port strikes, labour shortages, and congestion.
Supply tightening after shutdowns at BASF and Czech production sites.
Cautious automotive and textile demand.
Prices reached USD 2104/MT FOB Hamburg by quarter-end.

Quarter Ending December 2024

European markets declined steadily due to:

Weak automotive and textile consumption.
Strong Chinese EV competition affecting OEM demand.
Lower benzene prices.
High inventory levels.
Lower freight rates but rising cost expectations under ETS.
Prices closed at USD 1855/MT FOB Hamburg.

Historical Quarterly Review (Q4 2024-Q3 2025)

Across all major regions:

Q4 2024: Characterized by weak demand and oversupply across North America, APAC, and Europe.
Q1 2025: North America and Europe saw gains due to feedstock and logistics tightness; APAC declined.
Q2 2025: APAC saw a slight improvement; North America remained bearish; Europe showed stable, narrow-range activity.
Q3 2025: All major markets except parts of Europe saw notable declines due to oversupply and muted demand.
This sequence underscores Caprolactam's sensitivity to:

Feedstock volatility
Downstream production cycles
Import economics
Seasonal restocking habits
Global macroeconomic factors
Production & Cost Structure Insights

Feedstock Dynamics

Benzene is the dominant cost driver; its fluctuations directly influence Caprolactam margins.
Cyclohexanone remained comparatively stable across periods but offered limited support.

Energy Costs

Natural gas and crude oil movements played a significant role, especially in Europe and North America.

Operating Rates

Global producers maintained high operating rates even during demand downturns, contributing to oversupply.

Supply Resilience

Refinery shutdowns and plant outages-though impactful locally-did not result in structural scarcity due to high global inventory.

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Procurement Outlook

Procurement teams across regions are expected to adopt:

Cautious Procurement & Inventory Drawdowns

Given weak sectoral demand, buyers will continue minimizing excess stock.

Short-Term Contracting

Volatile costs and uncertain demand encourage shorter-term bookings.

Opportunistic Spot Purchases

Lower freight rates and improved arbitrage windows will support tactical procurement from Asia.

Upstream Cost Monitoring

Feedstock trends-particularly benzene-will remain central to contract negotiations and forward planning.

Supply Chain Risk Management

Storms, port congestion, and geopolitical tensions continue to pose risks that procurement teams must track closely.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Why are Caprolactam prices so volatile?
Caprolactam prices fluctuate due to changes in benzene and cyclohexanone costs, downstream demand shifts, supply conditions, operating rates, trade policies, and macroeconomic dynamics.

What sectors influence Caprolactam demand the most?
Automotive, textiles, engineering plastics, industrial components, and packaging heavily influence Caprolactam consumption and pricing.

How do logistics disruptions affect Caprolactam prices?
Port congestion, storms, freight fluctuations, and transport delays can tighten supply temporarily, but their impact is often moderated by global oversupply.

How important is Asia to global supply?
Asia-particularly China, South Korea, and Japan-is a major global supplier. Chinese pricing often sets the global price floor.

Will Caprolactam prices rise in Q4 2025?
Minor improvements may occur due to seasonal restocking and feedstock stability, but structural oversupply continues to cap upward momentum.

How ChemAnalyst Supports Buyers with Real-Time Market Intelligence

ChemAnalyst stands as a global leader in delivering real-time price assessments, weekly market updates, plant-level intelligence, and forward-looking analytics for over 450 commodities, including Caprolactam.

Key Advantages for Procurement Teams

✔ Real-Time Price Tracking

ChemAnalyst monitors Caprolactam prices across 50+ global ports, enabling buyers to make informed purchasing decisions.

✔ Clear Explanations Behind Price Movements

Beyond data, ChemAnalyst provides expert interpretation to help buyers understand why prices rise or fall.

✔ Forward-Looking Forecasts

Short-, medium-, and long-term forecasts empower procurement teams to:

Time purchases effectively
Optimize budgets
Manage cost risk
✔ Supply-Chain Visibility

Plant outages, port congestion, feedstock disruptions, geopolitical events, and freight volatility are tracked continuously.

✔ Global Analyst Presence

Teams in Houston, Cologne, and New Delhi, backed by ground personnel across major ports such as Rotterdam, Busan, Shanghai, and Jebel Ali, ensure timely and accurate intelligence.

✔ Strategic Procurement Enablement

With full visibility into cost structures, demand cycles, regional arbitrage windows, and producer behaviors, ChemAnalyst helps buyers negotiate better contracts and safeguard supply continuity.

Conclusion

The Caprolactam market between late 2024 and 2025 was defined by oscillating cost pressures, persistent oversupply, and unpredictable demand across key end-user sectors. While isolated periods of feedstock tightness or seasonal restocking drove temporary gains, the broader global narrative remained bearish. As markets navigate uncertain economic conditions into 2026, procurement teams must rely on precise, real-time intelligence to remain agile.

ChemAnalyst's comprehensive market coverage, predictive models, and on-ground intelligence equip buyers with the tools necessary to respond strategically to market shifts-making it an indispensable partner for organizations seeking clarity and control in a volatile Caprolactam landscape.

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This release was published on openPR.