What is Dioctyl Phthalate (DOP) Market Analysis: Price Trend, Trade Data and Plasticizer Demand
Analysts Sentiment
Bullish
Neutral
Bearish
What's driving sentiment this week:
Latest published month (2026-07) — Sentiment: Bullish
The most recent published customs observation for HS 291732 is 2026-07 at USD 1,439.43/ton, -6.2% against the previous month and +22.8% against 2025-08.
Reported volume across the fixed 4-economy panel was 45,745 tonnes over the window, 3,812 tonnes a month on average, and the three-month trend is +17.8%.
Next 1–3 Months — Outlook
This page is refreshed from public customs statistics rather than paid price assessments, so the next revision will roll in each newly published month for HS 291732. Direction shown here is a reading of published customs unit values, not a forecast.
Key Market Impact
Customs unit values for this heading are the single most checkable price signal available without a subscription: they combine the product mix actually crossing borders, the average contract level behind those shipments and freight-relevant volume. Treat them as the trade-weighted baseline for the heading, and read the coverage note above before applying them to a single grade.
How About the Price?
Data source: UN Comtrade public trade statistics (https://comtradeapi.un.org/public/v1/preview/C/M/HS?reporterCode=156,842,699,410,276,528,356,360,764,458,724,40,56,251,380,616,826,124,76,484,792,682,784,704,490,702,643,36,710,818,364,203,348,300,620,372,208,246,752,578,320,508&period=202607&cmdCode=291732&partnerCode=0&flowCode=X&includeDesc=true) | Last updated: 2026-11-03
Demand-side factors
- DOP offtake is flexible PVC compounding — flooring, wire and cable insulation, films, coated fabrics and automotive interior parts — so demand tracks construction and cable spending in the markets where orthophthalate plasticizers are still permitted, and it competes directly with the higher-molecular-weight phthalates and with terephthalate and citrate alternatives in the same compounds.
- Related market pages on this site: Phthalic Anhydride (the anhydride the ester is made from), Octanol (the C8 alcohol esterified with it), Vinyl Chloride (the monomer of the PVC it plasticises), Dioctyl Terephthalate (the non-phthalate plasticiser that displaces DOP).
Price Trajectory, latest 12 months (2025-08 to 2026-07)
The monthly customs export unit value for HS 291732 moved from USD 1,172.03/ton in 2025-08 to USD 1,439.43/ton in 2026-07 (+22.8% across the window). The window high was USD 1,534.76/ton in 2026-06 and the low USD 986.61/ton in 2026-01. Three-month averages put the latest quarter +17.8% against the previous one, which is classified here as bullish.
The same panel reported USD 53.3 million of export value on 45,745 tonnes over the twelve months, an average of 3,812 tonnes a month. Values are customs returns for the stated HS heading, so they capture the traded mix of that heading rather than a single quoted grade.
The EU side of the same heading gives a volume check rather than a price: Eurostat Comext records EU27 imports of HS 291732 from outside the EU at 198 tonnes in 2026-08 and 4,136 tonnes over the twelve months to 2026-08. Monthly consignments at that size are too small for a unit value to mean anything, so no EU import price is published here.
2026-08 is deliberately not in the series: of the 4 economies that make up this page's fixed panel, 3 had filed both value and net weight for this heading when the page was rebuilt on 2026-11-03, while the heading drew 6 filers in total that month; 2026-09 drew 0 filings for this heading, 0 of them from panel members, and 2026-10 drew 0 (0 from the panel). Splicing a partly-filed month onto a fixed panel would move the unit value through composition alone, so the window stays at 2026-07 until the whole panel for 2026-08 has reported.
HS 291732 names dioctyl orthophthalates on their own, which is the customs line for DOP and its DEHP equivalent, so the series isolates the C8 orthophthalate diester. Dibutyl orthophthalate is separated in 291731, the dinonyl and didecyl esters in 291733, the other orthophthalate esters in 291734 and the remaining aromatic polycarboxylic acid esters in 291739, so no other plasticizer leaks into this line; the PVC compound made with the plasticizer is classified outside chapter 29.
Supply-side factors
- Fixed reporting panel of 4 economies: ITA (380), MYS (458), IND (699), USA (842). The panel is held 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 986.61 to USD 1,534.76/ton.
- Latest month, 2026-07: USD 1,439.43/ton, -6.2% against the previous month, on 1,602 tonnes.
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.
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Data Sources
Every monthly endpoint used for the series on this page, the EU cross-check, the exchange rate used to express it in dollars and the HS classification reference:
- https://comtradeapi.un.org/public/v1/preview/C/M/HS?reporterCode=156,842,699,410,276,528,356,360,764,458,724,40,56,251,380,616,826,124,76,484,792,682,784,704,490,702,643,36,710,818,364,203,348,300,620,372,208,246,752,578,320,508&period=202508&cmdCode=291732&partnerCode=0&flowCode=X&includeDesc=true
- https://comtradeapi.un.org/public/v1/preview/C/M/HS?reporterCode=156,842,699,410,276,528,356,360,764,458,724,40,56,251,380,616,826,124,76,484,792,682,784,704,490,702,643,36,710,818,364,203,348,300,620,372,208,246,752,578,320,508&period=202509&cmdCode=291732&partnerCode=0&flowCode=X&includeDesc=true
- https://comtradeapi.un.org/public/v1/preview/C/M/HS?reporterCode=156,842,699,410,276,528,356,360,764,458,724,40,56,251,380,616,826,124,76,484,792,682,784,704,490,702,643,36,710,818,364,203,348,300,620,372,208,246,752,578,320,508&period=202510&cmdCode=291732&partnerCode=0&flowCode=X&includeDesc=true
- https://comtradeapi.un.org/public/v1/preview/C/M/HS?reporterCode=156,842,699,410,276,528,356,360,764,458,724,40,56,251,380,616,826,124,76,484,792,682,784,704,490,702,643,36,710,818,364,203,348,300,620,372,208,246,752,578,320,508&period=202511&cmdCode=291732&partnerCode=0&flowCode=X&includeDesc=true
- https://comtradeapi.un.org/public/v1/preview/C/M/HS?reporterCode=156,842,699,410,276,528,356,360,764,458,724,40,56,251,380,616,826,124,76,484,792,682,784,704,490,702,643,36,710,818,364,203,348,300,620,372,208,246,752,578,320,508&period=202512&cmdCode=291732&partnerCode=0&flowCode=X&includeDesc=true
- https://comtradeapi.un.org/public/v1/preview/C/M/HS?reporterCode=156,842,699,410,276,528,356,360,764,458,724,40,56,251,380,616,826,124,76,484,792,682,784,704,490,702,643,36,710,818,364,203,348,300,620,372,208,246,752,578,320,508&period=202601&cmdCode=291732&partnerCode=0&flowCode=X&includeDesc=true
- https://comtradeapi.un.org/public/v1/preview/C/M/HS?reporterCode=156,842,699,410,276,528,356,360,764,458,724,40,56,251,380,616,826,124,76,484,792,682,784,704,490,702,643,36,710,818,364,203,348,300,620,372,208,246,752,578,320,508&period=202602&cmdCode=291732&partnerCode=0&flowCode=X&includeDesc=true
- https://comtradeapi.un.org/public/v1/preview/C/M/HS?reporterCode=156,842,699,410,276,528,356,360,764,458,724,40,56,251,380,616,826,124,76,484,792,682,784,704,490,702,643,36,710,818,364,203,348,300,620,372,208,246,752,578,320,508&period=202603&cmdCode=291732&partnerCode=0&flowCode=X&includeDesc=true
- https://comtradeapi.un.org/public/v1/preview/C/M/HS?reporterCode=156,842,699,410,276,528,356,360,764,458,724,40,56,251,380,616,826,124,76,484,792,682,784,704,490,702,643,36,710,818,364,203,348,300,620,372,208,246,752,578,320,508&period=202604&cmdCode=291732&partnerCode=0&flowCode=X&includeDesc=true
- https://comtradeapi.un.org/public/v1/preview/C/M/HS?reporterCode=156,842,699,410,276,528,356,360,764,458,724,40,56,251,380,616,826,124,76,484,792,682,784,704,490,702,643,36,710,818,364,203,348,300,620,372,208,246,752,578,320,508&period=202605&cmdCode=291732&partnerCode=0&flowCode=X&includeDesc=true
- https://comtradeapi.un.org/public/v1/preview/C/M/HS?reporterCode=156,842,699,410,276,528,356,360,764,458,724,40,56,251,380,616,826,124,76,484,792,682,784,704,490,702,643,36,710,818,364,203,348,300,620,372,208,246,752,578,320,508&period=202606&cmdCode=291732&partnerCode=0&flowCode=X&includeDesc=true
- https://comtradeapi.un.org/public/v1/preview/C/M/HS?reporterCode=156,842,699,410,276,528,356,360,764,458,724,40,56,251,380,616,826,124,76,484,792,682,784,704,490,702,643,36,710,818,364,203,348,300,620,372,208,246,752,578,320,508&period=202607&cmdCode=291732&partnerCode=0&flowCode=X&includeDesc=true
- https://comtradeapi.un.org/files/v1/app/reference/HS.json
- Eurostat Comext DS-045409, EU27 extra-EU imports, monthly: https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/api/comext/dissemination/statistics/1.0/data/DS-045409?format=JSON&freq=M&reporter=EU27_2020&partner=EXT_EU27_2020&flow=1&indicators=VALUE_IN_EUROS&indicators=QUANTITY_IN_100KG&product=291732&sinceTimePeriod=2025-07
- ECB euro reference rate, monthly average (EXR/M.USD.EUR.SP00.A): https://data-api.ecb.europa.eu/service/data/EXR/M.USD.EUR.SP00.A?format=csvdata&startPeriod=2025-07&endPeriod=2026-10
Substitutes & Alternatives
| Substitute | Replacement Scenario / How It Substitutes |
|---|---|
| Di-isodecyl Phthalate (DIDP) | Used as a drop-in or partial replacement for DOP in high-temperature wire and cable insulation, automotive underhood applications, and roofing membranes where superior heat stability and very low volatility are required. Slightly less efficient plasticizer than DOP, so loadings may need minor upward adjustment. Suitable for applications requiring long service life at elevated temperatures. |
| Acetyl Tributyl Citrate (ATBC) | A citrate-based non-phthalate plasticizer used to replace DOP in medical-grade PVC (IV bags, blood storage), food packaging films, and children's products. Biodegradable and toxicologically favorable. Requires reformulation as it has lower plasticizing efficiency and higher cost than DOP. Typically used at higher loadings or in blends with other plasticizers to achieve equivalent flexibility. |
| Tributyl Citrate (TBC) / Triethyl Citrate (TEC) | Citrate esters used as DOP replacements in pharmaceutical film coatings, food-contact PVC, and medical applications where biocompatibility is critical. Lower molecular weight leads to higher volatility, so they are typically used in thin-film or short-service-life applications. Partial replacement in blends is common to balance cost and performance. |
| Polymeric Plasticizers (e.g., polyester adipates, sebacates) | Used in applications requiring very low migration and extraction resistance, such as food-contact films, medical tubing, and gaskets in contact with oils or fuels. They replace DOP where permanence is critical. Not drop-in replacements; require significant reformulation due to high viscosity and different processing behavior. Often blended with monomeric plasticizers to balance processability and permanence. |
Related PetroApex Market Pages
- Phthalic Anhydride — the anhydride esterified with 2-ethylhexanol to make DOP.
- Octanol — the C8 alcohol that supplies the ester alkyl group.
- Vinyl Chloride — the PVC resin that DOP is compounded into.
- Dioctyl Terephthalate
Regulatory Status
| Region | Regulation / Policy Name | Issuing Authority | Year (enacted or latest revision) | Key Requirement / Threshold | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EU | REACH Regulation (EC No 1907/2006) - Candidate List of Substances of Very High Concern | European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) | Published 21 January 2025 (32nd update; DEHP included since 2013) | Information on SVHC presence >0.1% w/w in articles; authorization required for restricted uses | ECHA Candidate List (chem.echa.europa.eu), ECHA 2025 updates |
| EU | REACH Regulation (EC No 1907/2006) - Annex XVII Restriction | European Commission (ECHA implementation) | Original 2006; phthalate limits unchanged (entries 51/52) | DEHP, DBP, BBP, DIBP: max 0.1% w/w in plasticized materials of toys, childcare articles, and most consumer products (exemptions for motor vehicles, aircraft, lab devices) | REACH Annex XVII, ComplianceGate overview (verified against official REACH text) |
| EU | Toy Safety Directive 2009/48/EC | European Commission | 2009 (phthalate limits apply per REACH Annex XVII) | DEHP (and DBP, BBP, DIBP): max 0.1% w/w in toys and childcare articles that children may place in mouth | Toy Safety Directive + REACH Annex XVII |
| EU | RoHS Directive 2011/65/EU (as amended by 2015/863) | European Commission | 2011 (phthalate addition 2015/863) | DEHP: max 0.1% w/w in electrical and electronic equipment (EEE); applies to medical devices and monitoring/control instruments | RoHS Directive 2011/65/EU |
| EU | Plastic Materials and Articles Regulation (EU) 2023/2006 - Annex I (Specific Migration Limits) | European Commission | 2023 | DEHP: individual migration limit 1.5 mg/kg for food contact materials; group limit 0.6 mg/kg for sum of DEHP, DBP, BBP, DIBP (as DEHP equivalent) | Plastic Materials and Articles Regulation (EU) 2023/2006 |
| US | Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA) - Phthalate Limits in Children’s Products | US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) | 2008 | DEHP: max 0.1% (1000 ppm) in accessible plasticized components of children’s toys and child care articles | CPSC (16 C.F.R. part 1307) |
| US | Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) - Final Risk Evaluation | US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) | 6 January 2026 | DEHP identified as presenting unreasonable risk to workers (13 conditions of use) and environment (20 conditions of use) | Federal Register 2026-01-06 (91 FR 373); EPA final risk evaluation |
| US | Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) | US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) | Draft 4 June 2025; final January 2026 | Public comment period on draft risk evaluation (comments due 4 August 2025) | Federal Register 2025-06-05 (90 FR 23931); EPA draft risk evaluation |
| US | California Proposition 65 | Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) | Listing effective 24 October 2003 | DEHP listed as known to cause reproductive toxicity; safe harbor levels (oral: 58 µg/day adult; intravenous: 210–600 µg/day infant) | OEHHA Proposition 65 list (oehha.ca.gov/proposition-65) |
| China | China RoHS (Measures for the Administration of the Restricted Use of Hazardous Substances in Electrical and Electronic Equipment) | State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) | Amendment effective 1 January 2026 (phthalates added) | DEHP: max 0.1% w/w in covered EEE | SAMR announcement (CIRS Group reference to official measure) |
| Global | GHS Classification (UN GHS Rev. 10) | United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) | 2023 (current) | Environmentally Hazardous Substance, Aquatic Chronic 2; Hazard statements: H411 Toxic to aquatic life with long lasting effects | GHS Purple Book (standard classification); SDS references confirm |
| Global | IMDG Code (International Maritime Dangerous Goods) | International Maritime Organization (IMO) | 2024 edition (current) | Environmentally Hazardous Substance, Liquid, N.O.S.; UN 3082; class 9, packing group III | IMDG Code (standard); SDS references confirm |
Key Influence Events
It is the most widely used general-purpose plasticizer in the world, primarily employed to impart flexibility, durability, and workability to polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and other polymers. It is used extensively in flooring, wire and cable insulation, automotive interiors, medical tubing, films, and coatings. Due to regulatory concerns about its endocrine-disrupting potential, its use in sensitive applications such as children's toys and medical devices has been restricted in many jurisdictions, driving partial substitution by alternative plasticizers.
Top Countries Production Capacity
Production Process of Dioctyl Phthalate (DOP) Market Analysis: Price Trend, Trade Data and Plasticizer Demand
It is the most widely used general-purpose plasticizer in the world, primarily employed to impart flexibility, durability, and workability to polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and other polymers. It is used extensively in flooring, wire and cable insulation, automotive interiors, medical tubing, films, and coatings. Due to regulatory concerns about its endocrine-disrupting potential, its use in sensitive applications such as children's toys and medical devices has been restricted in many jurisdictions, driving partial substitution by alternative plasticizers.
Specs & Grades
| Property | Typical Value / Range | Unit | Grade / Standard |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appearance | Clear, colorless to slightly yellow oily liquid | — | All grades |
| Specific Grade | General Purpose Plasticizer | — | DOP / DEHP Standard |
| Specific Grade | Electrical / Wire & Cable | — | DOP Electrical Grade |
| Specific Grade | Medical / Pharmaceutical | — | DOP USP / EP Grade (legacy, now largely replaced) |
Data Sources
Price and volume figures are derived from the directly verified public sources below. The customs unit values are USD/ton; they are not subscription price assessments. Numeric assay rows were removed because no public product-grade source is cited for them - confirm grade-level specifications with the supplier. Every monthly endpoint used for the series on this page is listed below, together with the HS classification reference.
- https://comtradeapi.un.org/public/v1/preview/C/M/HS?reporterCode=156,842,699,410,276,528,356,360,764,458,724,40,56,251,380,616,826,124,76,484,792,682,784,704,490,702,643,36,710,818,364,203,348,300,620,372,208,246,752,578,320,508&period=202507&cmdCode=291732&partnerCode=0&flowCode=X&includeDesc=true
- https://comtradeapi.un.org/public/v1/preview/C/M/HS?reporterCode=156,842,699,410,276,528,356,360,764,458,724,40,56,251,380,616,826,124,76,484,792,682,784,704,490,702,643,36,710,818,364,203,348,300,620,372,208,246,752,578,320,508&period=202508&cmdCode=291732&partnerCode=0&flowCode=X&includeDesc=true
- https://comtradeapi.un.org/public/v1/preview/C/M/HS?reporterCode=156,842,699,410,276,528,356,360,764,458,724,40,56,251,380,616,826,124,76,484,792,682,784,704,490,702,643,36,710,818,364,203,348,300,620,372,208,246,752,578,320,508&period=202509&cmdCode=291732&partnerCode=0&flowCode=X&includeDesc=true
- https://comtradeapi.un.org/public/v1/preview/C/M/HS?reporterCode=156,842,699,410,276,528,356,360,764,458,724,40,56,251,380,616,826,124,76,484,792,682,784,704,490,702,643,36,710,818,364,203,348,300,620,372,208,246,752,578,320,508&period=202510&cmdCode=291732&partnerCode=0&flowCode=X&includeDesc=true
- https://comtradeapi.un.org/public/v1/preview/C/M/HS?reporterCode=156,842,699,410,276,528,356,360,764,458,724,40,56,251,380,616,826,124,76,484,792,682,784,704,490,702,643,36,710,818,364,203,348,300,620,372,208,246,752,578,320,508&period=202511&cmdCode=291732&partnerCode=0&flowCode=X&includeDesc=true
- https://comtradeapi.un.org/public/v1/preview/C/M/HS?reporterCode=156,842,699,410,276,528,356,360,764,458,724,40,56,251,380,616,826,124,76,484,792,682,784,704,490,702,643,36,710,818,364,203,348,300,620,372,208,246,752,578,320,508&period=202512&cmdCode=291732&partnerCode=0&flowCode=X&includeDesc=true
- https://comtradeapi.un.org/public/v1/preview/C/M/HS?reporterCode=156,842,699,410,276,528,356,360,764,458,724,40,56,251,380,616,826,124,76,484,792,682,784,704,490,702,643,36,710,818,364,203,348,300,620,372,208,246,752,578,320,508&period=202601&cmdCode=291732&partnerCode=0&flowCode=X&includeDesc=true
- https://comtradeapi.un.org/public/v1/preview/C/M/HS?reporterCode=156,842,699,410,276,528,356,360,764,458,724,40,56,251,380,616,826,124,76,484,792,682,784,704,490,702,643,36,710,818,364,203,348,300,620,372,208,246,752,578,320,508&period=202602&cmdCode=291732&partnerCode=0&flowCode=X&includeDesc=true
- https://comtradeapi.un.org/public/v1/preview/C/M/HS?reporterCode=156,842,699,410,276,528,356,360,764,458,724,40,56,251,380,616,826,124,76,484,792,682,784,704,490,702,643,36,710,818,364,203,348,300,620,372,208,246,752,578,320,508&period=202603&cmdCode=291732&partnerCode=0&flowCode=X&includeDesc=true
- https://comtradeapi.un.org/public/v1/preview/C/M/HS?reporterCode=156,842,699,410,276,528,356,360,764,458,724,40,56,251,380,616,826,124,76,484,792,682,784,704,490,702,643,36,710,818,364,203,348,300,620,372,208,246,752,578,320,508&period=202604&cmdCode=291732&partnerCode=0&flowCode=X&includeDesc=true
- https://comtradeapi.un.org/public/v1/preview/C/M/HS?reporterCode=156,842,699,410,276,528,356,360,764,458,724,40,56,251,380,616,826,124,76,484,792,682,784,704,490,702,643,36,710,818,364,203,348,300,620,372,208,246,752,578,320,508&period=202605&cmdCode=291732&partnerCode=0&flowCode=X&includeDesc=true
- https://comtradeapi.un.org/public/v1/preview/C/M/HS?reporterCode=156,842,699,410,276,528,356,360,764,458,724,40,56,251,380,616,826,124,76,484,792,682,784,704,490,702,643,36,710,818,364,203,348,300,620,372,208,246,752,578,320,508&period=202606&cmdCode=291732&partnerCode=0&flowCode=X&includeDesc=true
- https://comtradeapi.un.org/files/v1/app/reference/HS.json
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