What is Benzyl Alcohol Market Analysis: Price Trend, Trade Data and Coating Solvent 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 290621 is 2026-07 at USD 2,614.00/ton, +1.6% against the previous month and +30.7% against 2025-08.
Reported volume across the fixed 9-economy panel was 50,258 tonnes over the window, 4,188 tonnes a month on average, and the three-month trend is +25.9%.
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 290621. 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=290621&partnerCode=0&flowCode=X&includeDesc=true) | Last updated: 2026-11-05
Demand-side factors
- Benzyl alcohol demand runs through coatings and ink solvents, benzoate plasticiser and preservative esters, and pharmaceutical and personal-care applications.
- Related market pages on this site: Benzyl Chloride (the feedstock hydrolysed to benzyl alcohol), Toluene (the upstream aromatic), Benzoic Acid (the oxidation product of the same toluene chain), para-Chlorobenzyl Chloride (the ring-chlorinated analogue on the same benzyl chain).
Price Trajectory, latest 12 months (2025-08 to 2026-07)
The monthly customs export unit value for HS 290621 moved from USD 2,000.29/ton in 2025-08 to USD 2,614.00/ton in 2026-07 (+30.7% across the window). The window high was USD 2,614.00/ton in 2026-07 and the low USD 1,847.11/ton in 2026-01. Three-month averages put the latest quarter +25.9% against the previous one, which is classified here as bullish.
The same panel reported USD 108.9 million of export value on 50,258 tonnes over the twelve months, an average of 4,188 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 290621 from outside the EU at USD 3,140.94/ton in 2026-08 (EUR 2,709.32/ton at the ECB monthly reference rate), +37.0% against 2026-07, on 604 tonnes; the twelve months to 2026-08 totalled 12,301 tonnes. On the 12 months the two datasets share (2025-08 to 2026-07), three-month blocks that far apart moved +28.9% on the export panel and +28.5% 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 9 economies that make up this page's fixed panel, 8 had filed both value and net weight for this heading when the page was rebuilt on 2026-11-05, while the heading drew 14 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 290621 names benzyl alcohol on its own within the aromatic alcohols, so the series is product-specific; the other aromatic alcohols and their derivatives share 290629. Benzyl esters and the benzoate plasticisers made from benzyl alcohol are classified in later chapters, so only merchant benzyl alcohol crosses this line.
Supply-side factors
- Fixed reporting panel of 9 economies: DNK (208), DEU (276), IRL (372), MYS (458), NLD (528), POL (616), IND (699), GBR (826), USA (842). The panel is held constant in every period of the window so period-to-period movement is not a composition effect.
- Unit value range over the window: USD 1,847.11 to USD 2,614.00/ton.
- Latest month, 2026-07: USD 2,614.00/ton, +1.6% against the previous month, on 4,613 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 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=290621&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=290621&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=290621&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=290621&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=290621&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=290621&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=290621&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=290621&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=290621&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=290621&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=290621&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=290621&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=290621&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 |
|---|---|
| Ethanol (Ethyl Alcohol) | Used as a drop-in or partial replacement for benzyl alcohol as a solvent in pharmaceutical formulations, cosmetics, and surface coatings where its lower viscosity and higher volatility are acceptable. In injectable preservative applications, ethanol can substitute at adjusted concentrations, though it lacks benzyl alcohol's specific antimicrobial profile against certain organisms. Widely preferred where residual aromatic solvent limits apply. |
| Isopropanol (IPA) | Substitutes benzyl alcohol as a general-purpose solvent in inks, cleaning agents, and personal care products. It is a drop-in replacement in many solvent blends where the aromatic character of benzyl alcohol is not required. Not suitable for injectable pharmaceutical use due to toxicity profile differences. |
| Benzaldehyde | Replaces benzyl alcohol as a fragrance ingredient and flavoring agent in applications requiring an almond-like aromatic note. Used in perfumery and food flavoring as a partial substitute; however, it is an aldehyde rather than an alcohol, so it is not interchangeable in ester-forming reactions or as a preservative. Requires reformulation of fragrance blends. |
| 2-Phenylethanol (Phenethyl Alcohol) | Substitutes benzyl alcohol in fragrance and cosmetic formulations, particularly as a preservative booster and antimicrobial agent in leave-on and rinse-off personal care products. It offers a rose-like odor profile versus benzyl alcohol's mild floral note, so substitution requires sensory re-evaluation. Increasingly preferred in cosmetics due to a more favorable regulatory perception in some markets. |
| Propylene Glycol | Used as a co-solvent and preservative substitute for benzyl alcohol in topical pharmaceutical and cosmetic formulations. It is a drop-in replacement in many water-based systems where benzyl alcohol serves primarily as a preservative or solubilizer, though it lacks the same antimicrobial potency and requires higher use levels. Not suitable as a fragrance ingredient. |
| Dibutyl Phthalate / TXIB (non-phthalate plasticizers) | In certain lacquer and coating formulations where benzyl alcohol acts as a reactive diluent or coalescing solvent for nitrocellulose or epoxy systems, non-phthalate plasticizers or glycol ether solvents (e.g., propylene glycol n-butyl ether) can substitute. Requires reformulation to match viscosity, drying time, and film properties. |
| Linalool | Substitutes benzyl alcohol in fragrance compositions and cosmetic preservative systems, particularly in natural or 'clean beauty' formulations. It provides a floral-lavender note and mild antimicrobial activity. Substitution is partial and requires fragrance reformulation; it is not interchangeable in pharmaceutical or industrial solvent applications. |
| Benzyl Benzoate | In pharmaceutical topical applications (e.g., scabicide treatments) and as a fixative in perfumery, benzyl benzoate can partially substitute benzyl alcohol. It is itself a benzyl alcohol ester, so in some ester-forming downstream processes benzyl alcohol cannot be replaced by benzyl benzoate without process changes. Used as a drop-in fixative in fragrance blends at adjusted levels. |
Related PetroApex Market Pages
- Benzyl Chloride — the chlorinated precursor hydrolysed to benzyl alcohol.
- Benzoic Acid — the oxidation product of benzyl alcohol.
- Toluene — the root feedstock for the chlorination route.
- para-Chlorobenzyl Chloride — the ring-chlorinated analogue on the same benzyl chain.
Regulatory Status
| Region | Regulation / Policy Name | Issuing Authority | Year (enacted or latest revision) | Key Requirement / Threshold | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| European Union | REACH Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006 | ECHA (European Chemicals Agency) | 1907/2006 (ongoing) | Registered under REACH; no specific restriction or ban; included in Union list of authorised substances for food use | ECHA (https://echa.europa.eu/substance-information/-/substanceinfo/100.002.600); EFSA re-evaluation |
| European Union | Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009 on cosmetic products | European Commission | 1223/2009 (latest amendments up to 2025) | Permitted as preservative and fragrance ingredient; no concentration limit for use in cosmetics; allergen labelling required if above 0.01% in leave-on products | European Commission CosIng database; Cosmetics Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009 |
| European Union | Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009 on cosmetic products | European Commission | 1223/2009 (latest amendments up to 2025) | As fragrance ingredient: Category 4 (e.g. body lotion) max 2.5%; Category 5B (e.g. hair spray) max 0.17%; Category 9 (e.g. hair tonic) max 2.2%; Category 11B (e.g. aftershave) max 0.057% (IFRA standard) | IFRA Standards Amendment 49 (https://ifrafragrance.org/standards-library) |
| European Union | Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009 on cosmetic products | European Commission | 1223/2009 (latest amendments up to 2025) | For pharmaceuticals/excipients: used as solvent and preservative; no specific concentration limit but permitted in medicinal products | EMA Q&A on benzyl alcohol as excipient; CosIng database |
| European Union | Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/362 | European Commission | 2026/362 (17 February 2026) | Imports of benzyl alcohol (CAS 100-51-6, CN 29062100) originating in People's Republic of China subject to registration (valid 9 months) with a view to possible anti-dumping duties | Official Journal of the EU (https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg_impl/2026/362/oj/eng) |
| United States | 21 CFR 172.515 | US FDA | 172.515 (current) | GRAS food additive; permitted as flavouring agent and solvent in food; no numerical limit specified | US FDA Food Additive Regulations (https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-21/section-172.515) |
| United States | 21 CFR 173.310 | US FDA | 173.310 (current) | Approved preservative in injectable drug formulations; concentrations up to 0.9% | US FDA (https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-21/section-173.310); industry reports citing FDA |
| United States | TSCA Inventory | US EPA | TSCA (1976, active) | Active on TSCA Inventory; no specific restrictions on use as preservative, excipient or solvent | US EPA (https://www.epa.gov/tsca-inventory) |
| Property | Typical Value / Range | Unit | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appearance | Clear, colorless liquid | — | All grades |
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=202508&cmdCode=290621&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=290621&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=290621&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=290621&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=290621&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=290621&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=290621&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=290621&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=290621&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=290621&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=290621&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=290621&partnerCode=0&flowCode=X&includeDesc=true
- https://comtradeapi.un.org/files/v1/app/reference/HS.json
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