Mixed C4 (also called crude C4 or C4 raffinate feed) is a mixture of four-carbon hydrocarbons obtained primarily as a byproduct of steam cracking of naphtha, gas oil, or ethane/propane in ethylene plants, and also from fluid catalytic cracking (FCC) units in refineries. The mixture typically contains butadiene, isobutylene, 1-butene, 2-butene (cis and trans), n-butane, and isobutane in varying proportions depending on the feedstock and process conditions. Mixed C4 is a key petrochemical intermediate: it is processed further to extract or convert individual components such as 1,3-butadiene (for synthetic rubber), isobutylene (for MTBE, butyl rubber, and polyisobutylene), and the butene raffinate streams (for alkylation, polymerization, or fuel blending). It is handled and transported as a liquefied gas under moderate pressure.
How About the Price?
Key Influence Events
Data source: UN Comtrade monthly trade statistics (https://comtradeapi.un.org/public/v1/preview/C/M/HS?period=202606&cmdCode=271114&partnerCode=0&flowCode=X&includeDesc=true) | Last updated: 2026-09-24
Price Trajectory, latest 12 months (2025-07 to 2026-06)
The monthly customs export unit value for HS 271114 moved from USD 553/ton in 2025-07 to USD 732/ton in 2026-06 (+32.5% across the window). The window high was USD 819/ton in 2026-05 and the low USD 458/ton in 2025-12. Three-month averages put the latest quarter +38.2% against the previous one, which is classified here as bullish.
The same panel reported USD 765.3 million of export value on 1,233,522 tonnes over the twelve months, an average of 102,793 tonnes a month. These are customs returns for the stated HS heading, so they capture the traded mix of that heading rather than a single quoted grade.
Supply-side factors
- Fixed reporting panel of 8 economies: AUS, CAN, CZE, DEU, IDN, PRT, SWE, USA. The panel is constant in every month of the window, so month-to-month movement is not a composition effect.
- Monthly unit value range over the window: USD 458 to USD 819/ton.
- Latest month, 2026-06: USD 732/ton, -10.6% against the previous month, on 87,986 tonnes.
Demand-side factors
- No reported demand-side factors or influences identified in the provided influence/event log during 2020-2025.
Related market pages on this site: Butadiene, Methyl tert-butyl ether, Propane, n-Butene market analysis.
Basis: these are customs unit values for the stated HS heading, not quoted spot, contract or assessed prices, and no paid price assessment is used or redistributed on this page. Every figure can be re-checked at the API links listed at the end of this page. Coverage note: HS 271114 groups liquefied ethylene, propylene, butylene and butadiene; butanes fall under HS 271113, so a C4 refinery cut sits inside a wider group line.
Top Countries Production Capacity
| Property / Component | Typical Value / Range | Unit | Grade / Stream Name |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1,3-Butadiene content (steam cracker C4) | 40 – 55 | wt% | Crude C4 (steam cracker) |
| Isobutylene content (steam cracker C4) | 20 – 30 | wt% | Crude C4 (steam cracker) |
| 1-Butene content | 10 – 15 | wt% | Crude C4 (steam cracker) |
| 2-Butene (cis + trans) content | 5 – 10 | wt% | Crude C4 (steam cracker) |
| n-Butane content | 2 – 8 | wt% | Crude C4 (steam cracker) |
| Isobutane content | 1 – 5 | wt% | Crude C4 (steam cracker) |
| 1,3-Butadiene content (FCC C4) | 1 – 5 | wt% | FCC C4 cut |
| Isobutylene content (FCC C4) | 15 – 25 | wt% | FCC C4 cut |
| Isobutane content (FCC C4) | 30 – 50 | wt% | FCC C4 cut |
| n-Butane content (FCC C4) | 5 – 15 | wt% | FCC C4 cut |
| C3 and lighter impurities | < 2 | wt% | Both grades |
| C5 and heavier impurities | < 1 | wt% | Both grades |
| Total sulfur | < 10 – 50 | ppm wt | Both grades (varies by spec) |
| Water content | < 50 | ppm wt | Both grades |
| Vapor pressure (at 37.8°C) | 3.5 – 5.5 | bar (abs) | Both grades |
| Raffinate-1 (after butadiene extraction) | Butadiene < 0.5 wt%, high isobutylene | — | C4 Raffinate-1 |
| Raffinate-2 (after isobutylene removal) | Mainly 1-butene, 2-butene, n-butane | — | C4 Raffinate-2 |
Data Sources
Price, volume and capacity figures on this page are computed from the public sources listed below; no subscription assessment data is used or redistributed.
- UN Comtrade monthly public trade statistics — HS 271114, exports, by month (2025-07 to 2026-06): 2025-07, 2025-08, 2025-09, 2025-10, 2025-11, 2025-12, 2026-01, 2026-02, 2026-03, 2026-04, 2026-05, 2026-06
- Fixed reporting panel for this series: AUS, CAN, CZE, DEU, IDN, PRT, SWE, USA. The exact API calls are the per-month links above.
Who are the Top Players?
| Company | Headquarters | Key Facilities |
|---|---|---|
| Dow Chemical | Midland, Michigan, USA | Terneuzen, Freeport TX, Plaquemine LA |
| BASF | Ludwigshafen, Germany | Antwerp, Belgium |
| Shell | The Hague, Netherlands | Moerdijk, Netherlands, Monaca PA, USA |
| SABIC | Riyadh, Saudi Arabia | Geleen, Netherlands |
| ExxonMobil | Irving, Texas, USA | Baytown TX, Baton Rouge LA, Corpus Christi TX |
| LyondellBasell | Rotterdam, Netherlands | Wesseling, Germany |
| INEOS | London, United Kingdom | Dormagen, Germany, Grangemouth, United Kingdom |
| Evonik Industries | Essen, Germany | Marl, Germany, Antwerp, Belgium |
| Sinopec | Beijing, China | Zhenhai, China, Tianjin, China, Maoming, China |
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