What is Acrylic Acid Market Analysis: Price Trend, Trade Data and Superabsorbent Demand
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What's driving sentiment this week:
Latest published month (2026-07) — Sentiment: Neutral
The most recent published customs observation for HS 291611 is 2026-07 at USD 1,180.70/ton, -12.4% against the previous month and +41.9% against 2025-08.
Reported volume across the fixed 7-economy panel was 164,341 tonnes over the window, 13,695 tonnes a month on average, and the three-month trend is +31.7%. The heading-level series is volatile: the largest month-on-month move in the window was +39.2% between 2026-03 and 2026-04, when reported value moved +99.8% and reported tonnage moved +43.6%, so that move reflects the mix and size of shipments filed under this heading rather than a single quoted price.
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 291611. 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=291611&partnerCode=0&flowCode=X&includeDesc=true) | Last updated: 2026-11-06
Price Trajectory, latest 12 months (2025-08 to 2026-07)
The monthly customs export unit value for HS 291611 moved from USD 832.26/ton in 2025-08 to USD 1,180.70/ton in 2026-07 (+41.9% across the window). The window high was USD 1,477.11/ton in 2026-05 and the low USD 797.96/ton in 2025-12. Three-month averages put the latest quarter +31.7% against the previous one, which is classified here as neutral. The heading-level series is volatile: the largest month-on-month move in the window was +39.2% between 2026-03 and 2026-04, when reported value moved +99.8% and reported tonnage moved +43.6%, so that move reflects the mix and size of shipments filed under this heading rather than a single quoted price.
The same panel reported USD 163.4 million of export value on 164,341 tonnes over the twelve months, an average of 13,695 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 is one month fresher than the panel above: Eurostat Comext records EU27 imports of HS 291611 from outside the EU at USD 1,992.80/ton in 2026-08 (EUR 1,718.96/ton at the ECB monthly reference rate), +10.6% against 2026-07, on 695 tonnes; the twelve months to 2026-08 totalled 5,519 tonnes. On the 12 months the two datasets share (2025-08 to 2026-07), three-month blocks that far apart moved +52.0% on the export panel and +6.4% on the EU import side, so the two agree on direction. At this volume the monthly unit value still moves with the mix of consignments, so read it as a cross-check rather than as a second price series. Import values are recorded on a CIF-type basis by a single bloc, so the level is not comparable with the export panel — the comparison above is directional.
2026-08 is deliberately not in the series: of the 7 economies that make up this page's fixed panel, 5 had filed both value and net weight for this heading when the page was rebuilt on 2026-11-06 (the heading drew 11 filers in total that month); neither 2026-09 nor 2026-10 drew a single filing for this heading. 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 291611 carries acrylic acid and its salts together, so the series is wider than the acid alone; it also does not separate glacial technical grade from the inhibited grades shipped for esterification, and the acrylate esters made from it sit in separate headings.
Supply-side factors
- Fixed reporting panel of 7 economies: BRA (76), CZE (203), FIN (246), IDN (360), MYS (458), NLD (528), IND (699). 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 797.96 to USD 1,477.11/ton.
- Latest month, 2026-07: USD 1,180.70/ton, -12.4% against the previous month, on 13,599 tonnes.
Demand-side factors
- Acrylic acid demand is led by superabsorbent polymer for hygiene products, then by acrylate esters for coatings, adhesives and sealants, and by water-treatment dispersants, so the call splits between a hygiene-driven base load and a construction-driven ester cycle.
- Related market pages on this site: Propylene (the oxidation feedstock), n-Butanol (the alcohol behind butyl acrylate), Acrylonitrile (the sister propylene derivative), Methyl Methacrylate (the other propylene-based acrylic monomer).
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.
Need the supplier landscape, contract structure or a delivered-cost build-up behind this heading? Request a sample report or a custom cut.
Substitutes & Alternatives
| Substitute / Alternative | Replacement Scenario / How It Substitutes |
|---|---|
| Methacrylic Acid (MAA) | Can replace acrylic acid in certain polymer and coating formulations where slightly higher hydrophobicity and improved UV resistance are acceptable. Used as a partial or full substitute in adhesives, dispersants, and copolymers; requires reformulation of monomer ratios and adjustment of polymerization conditions due to lower reactivity of MAA. |
| Maleic Anhydride / Maleic Acid | Substitutes for acrylic acid in scale-inhibitor and dispersant polymer applications (e.g., water treatment polymers). Polymaleic acid and maleic-acrylic copolymers can replace polyacrylic acid in some detergent builder and antiscalant uses; typically a partial replacement requiring copolymer reformulation. |
| Itaconic Acid | Bio-based alternative to acrylic acid in superabsorbent polymers, coatings, and adhesives. Can partially replace acrylic acid in SAP formulations and latex binders; currently limited by higher cost and lower production volume, but used in specialty and bio-preferred applications where sustainability is prioritized. |
| Butyl Acrylate / Ethyl Acrylate (downstream esters) | In coating and adhesive formulations, formulators sometimes shift directly to acrylic ester monomers rather than using acrylic acid as an intermediate, bypassing the acid entirely. This is a process-level substitution where the ester is purchased directly rather than produced in-house from acrylic acid. |
| Polyvinyl Alcohol (PVA) / Carboxymethyl Cellulose (CMC) | In thickener, binder, and adhesive applications, PVA and CMC can substitute for polyacrylic acid-based thickeners. These are drop-in or near-drop-in replacements in water-based adhesives, paper coatings, and textile sizing, though performance in high-ionic-strength environments is generally inferior to polyacrylates. |
| Sodium Polyacrylate alternatives (starch-based SAP) | In superabsorbent polymer applications (diapers, hygiene), modified starch-based or cellulose-based superabsorbents can partially substitute for acrylic acid-derived SAP. Absorption capacity is lower (typically 30–50% of SAP performance), so higher loadings are required; used mainly in cost-sensitive or bio-based product lines. |
| Fumaric Acid | Can substitute for acrylic acid as a reactive monomer in unsaturated polyester resins and certain copolymer systems. It is a solid, easier to handle, and used where the vinyl-acid functionality of acrylic acid is needed but liquid handling is undesirable; requires adjustment of resin formulation and cure conditions. |
Related PetroApex Market Pages
- Propylene
- Propylene Feedstock Gas
- n-Butanol
- Methyl Methacrylate — the other propylene-based acrylic monomer.
Regulatory Status
| Region | Regulation / Policy Name | Issuing Authority | Year (enacted or latest revision) | Key Requirement / Threshold | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EU | Registration under Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006 (REACH) | European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) | 2007 (active registration) | Full registration dossier required for >1 t/y manufacture/import | ECHA CHEM dossier view (chem.echa.europa.eu) |
| EU | Annex XVII Restriction on acrylic acid (stabilized) | European Commission (via ECHA) | 2017 (restriction code 3(a) and 3(b) in force) | Restricted as liquid substance meeting CLP hazardous classes; specific limits on concentration/use in mixtures | REACH Annex XVII via MSDS (lobachemie.com); ECHA compliance data |
| US | Designation as Hazardous Air Pollutant (HAP) under Clean Air Act | US EPA | 1990 (initial list); unmodified since 1990 | Acrylic acid (CAS 79-10-7) listed as HAP | US EPA Initial List of Hazardous Air Pollutants with Modifications (epa.gov, updated 18 Dec 2025) |
| US | Testing Consent Order under TSCA Section 4 | US EPA | 1992 (Federal Register); consent order in force as of Jan 2026 | Manufacturers (BASF, Dow, etc.) must perform specified health effects testing | US EPA Testing Consent Order page (epa.gov, updated 6 Jan 2026) |
| US | Exposure Limit (OSHA PEL) | US OSHA | N/A (current as of 2026) | Ceiling limit 10 ppm; STEL 20 ppm (skin notation applies) | OSHA Chemical Data (osha.gov/chemicaldata/688) |
| US | Exposure Limit (NIOSH REL) | US NIOSH | N/A (current as of 2026) | TWA 2 ppm (6 mg/m³); skin notation | NIOSH Pocket Guide to Chemical Hazards (cdc.gov) |
| Global (IMDG/ADR) | UN Number 2218 and GHS classification (H226, H314, H315, etc.) | UN (IMDG Code) / UNECE GHS Rev 10 | 1990s (UN 2218); GHS 2002 (EU CLP equivalent 2008) | Class 3 (flammable liquid) + Class 8 (corrosive); Packing Group II; EHSM | IMDG Code via SDS data (basf.com, fishersci.pt); GHS via EU CLP Regulation |
Key Influence Events
Acrylic acid (systematic name: prop-2-enoic acid; CAS 79-10-7) is a colorless, corrosive, water-miscible organic acid with the molecular formula CH2=CHCOOH and a pungent, acrid odor. It is the simplest unsaturated carboxylic acid, containing both a vinyl group and a carboxylic acid group, which makes it highly reactive toward polymerization and esterification. Commercially, it is produced almost exclusively by the two-stage catalytic vapor-phase oxidation of propylene. Acrylic acid is a critical industrial monomer used to manufacture superabsorbent polymers (SAP) for diapers and hygiene products, polyacrylic acid dispersants and thickeners, acrylic esters (butyl acrylate, ethyl acrylate, 2-ethylhexyl acrylate) for coatings, adhesives, and sealants, and various specialty polymers. It is typically stabilized with a polymerization inhibitor such as monomethyl ether of hydroquinone (MEHQ) during storage and transport.
Top Countries Production Capacity
Production Process of Acrylic Acid Market Analysis: Price Trend, Trade Data and Superabsorbent Demand
Acrylic acid (systematic name: prop-2-enoic acid; CAS 79-10-7) is a colorless, corrosive, water-miscible organic acid with the molecular formula CH2=CHCOOH and a pungent, acrid odor. It is the simplest unsaturated carboxylic acid, containing both a vinyl group and a carboxylic acid group, which makes it highly reactive toward polymerization and esterification. Commercially, it is produced almost exclusively by the two-stage catalytic vapor-phase oxidation of propylene. Acrylic acid is a critical industrial monomer used to manufacture superabsorbent polymers (SAP) for diapers and hygiene products, polyacrylic acid dispersants and thickeners, acrylic esters (butyl acrylate, ethyl acrylate, 2-ethylhexyl acrylate) for coatings, adhesives, and sealants, and various specialty polymers. It is typically stabilized with a polymerization inhibitor such as monomethyl ether of hydroquinone (MEHQ) during storage and transport.
Specs & Grades
| Property | Typical Value / Range | Unit | Grade |
|---|
Data Sources
Price and volume figures are derived from the directly verified public sources below. The customs unit values are USD/ton and are not subscription price assessments. Grade-level specifications are not restated here: confirm them with the supplier. Every monthly endpoint used for the series on this page is listed below, together with 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=291611&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=291611&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=291611&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=291611&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=291611&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=291611&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=291611&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=291611&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=291611&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=291611&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=291611&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=291611&partnerCode=0&flowCode=X&includeDesc=true
- 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=291611&sinceTimePeriod=2025-08
- https://data-api.ecb.europa.eu/service/data/EXR/M.USD.EUR.SP00.A?format=csvdata&startPeriod=2025-08&endPeriod=2026-10
- https://comtradeapi.un.org/files/v1/app/reference/HS.json
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