Methanol Futures in China Firm on Pre Holiday Logistics Tightness

MTO Sector Demand

Demand from the MTO sector remains the key anchor for global prices. Chinese facilities are maintaining high utilization rates to build finished goods inventory before the February shutdown, absorbing domestic surplus.

Global Surplus Outlook

Beyond the holiday, the 2026 outlook is bearish due to nearly 15.6 million tons of new global capacity coming online. Producers are expected to face significant margin pressure in the second half of the year.