據ICIS網站3月24日消息 受需求萎縮的影響，歐洲3月份苯現貨價格在不到24小時的時間里已經下跌50%。

周二下午，3月份的價格為150-170美元/噸，而周一的價格為185-190美元/噸。

4月早些時候的交易價格為150美元/噸和180美元/噸，4月上半月的交易價格為175美元/噸。

一位交易員表示：“歐洲的需求低迷，消費者正在拋售。”

周一，4月份苯的價格為300美元/噸。

交易員表示：“今天…價格下跌了一半。”

該交易所補充稱，價格下滑似乎正在放緩，至少目前是這樣，并將市場描述為過山車。

一位買家說：“苯的價格低于石腦油的價格真令人吃驚。據我所知，需求非常疲軟，因此一些賣家希望轉移材料。”

另一買家則認為這次暴跌不僅是需求的萎縮，而且是恐慌…也許市場反應過度了。

4月上半月的價格為160-175美元/噸，而4月份的價格為180-200美元/噸。

5月份價格為205-230美元/噸，6月份的報價也在200美元/噸的低位。

周一3月份的價格區間為340-350美元/噸，4月份為260-340美元/噸。

周二上午晚些時候和下午早些時候出現的下跌與當天早些時候原油和石腦油價格相對穩定形成對比。

3月價格上周五較前一周下跌33%。

過去幾周，由于疫情影響了供應鏈，并造成了越來越大的經濟不確定性，需求面臨越來越大的壓力。與此同時，由于沙特阿拉伯和俄羅斯之間的石油價格戰，油價已經下跌。

苯被用來生產一些中間體，用以制造聚合物、溶劑和洗滌劑。

王磊 摘譯自 ICIS

原文如下：

Europe benzene March spot prices crash over 50% since Monday

Europe benzene spot prices for March have halved in value in less than 24 hours on the back of collapsing demand.

March was valued at $150-170/tonne on Tuesday af【】ternoon, which is a $185-190/tonne decrease over values seen on Monday.

April traded earlier at $150/tonne and at $180/tonne, and twice for H1 April at $175/tonne.

“Demand in Europe is bad,” a trader said, adding that consumers were selling.

On Monday, benzene for April traded at $300/tonne.

“Today... half price,” the trader said.

The price slide appears to be slowing, “for now at least,” the traded added, describing the market as a rollercoaster.

A buyer said, “It’s amazing to see benzene prices below naphtha. As far as I understand, demand is very weak so some sellers wished to move material.”

Another player attributed the plunge to not only a near eradication in demand but also to “panic as well... maybe overreaction?”.

April was valued at $160-175/tonne for H1, while any April was valued at $180-200/tonne.

May was valued in contango at $205-230/tonne, with June bids firmer still but also in the low $200s/tonne.

The ranges on Monday stood at $340-350/tonne for March, and at $260-340/tonne for April.

The decreases seen in late morning and early afternoon Tuesday came in contrast to the relative stability in crude oil and naphtha prices earlier in the day.

March prices closed 33% lower on Friday versus the week before.

Demand has been under increasing pressure in the past few weeks as the coronavirus pandemic has impacted supply chains and created growing economic uncertainty. In the meantime, prices have tumbled in response to the oil price war between Saudi Arabia and Russia.

Benzene is used to produce a number of intermediates that are used to create polymers, solvents and detergents.