What is Trioctyl Trimellitate (TOTM) Market Analysis: Price Trend, Trade Data and Cable 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 291739 is 2026-07 at USD 1,935.11/ton, -9.9% against the previous month and +4.8% against 2025-08.
Reported volume across the fixed 7-economy panel was 196,041 tonnes over the window, 16,337 tonnes a month on average, and the three-month trend is +12.0%.
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 291739. 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=291739&partnerCode=0&flowCode=X&includeDesc=true) | Last updated: 2026-11-03
Demand-side factors
- TOTM is bought for PVC compounds that must hold up at high temperature and low volatility — automotive under-bonnet wire, high-temperature cable, medical tubing and blood bags — and for some lubricant and polymer applications, so its call follows cable, appliance and medical-grade PVC demand rather than general flexible PVC output.
- Related market pages on this site: Dioctyl Terephthalate (the general-purpose terephthalate plasticizer), Dioctyl Phthalate (the orthophthalate it is chosen over), Octanol (the C8 alcohol esterified with trimellitic acid), Vinyl Chloride (the monomer behind the PVC it plasticises).
Price Trajectory, latest 12 months (2025-08 to 2026-07)
The monthly customs export unit value for HS 291739 moved from USD 1,846.59/ton in 2025-08 to USD 1,935.11/ton in 2026-07 (+4.8% across the window). The window high was USD 2,172.75/ton in 2026-05 and the low USD 1,642.42/ton in 2026-01. Three-month averages put the latest quarter +12.0% against the previous one, which is classified here as bullish.
The same panel reported USD 377.7 million of export value on 196,041 tonnes over the twelve months, an average of 16,337 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 291739 from outside the EU at USD 1,680.39/ton in 2026-08 (EUR 1,449.48/ton at the ECB monthly reference rate), -4.6% against 2026-07, on 15,616 tonnes; the twelve months to 2026-08 totalled 232,004 tonnes. On the 12 months the two datasets share (2025-08 to 2026-07), three-month blocks that far apart moved +6.9% on the export panel and +9.1% on the EU import side, so the two agree on direction. 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 2026-11-03, while the heading drew 15 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 291739 is the residual line for aromatic polycarboxylic acids and their anhydrides, halides, peroxides and derivatives not specified elsewhere in 2917.3, so TOTM shares it with DOTP, the other terephthalate and trimellitate esters and the aromatic anhydrides that have no dedicated line. Trimellitic anhydride, the feedstock the ester is made from, is not separated from the ester either, so this line mixes an acid derivative with its own downstream ester; DOP is separated in 291732 and the other orthophthalate esters in 291734.
Supply-side factors
- Fixed reporting panel of 7 economies: CAN (124), CZE (203), MYS (458), NLD (528), POL (616), IND (699), SWE (752). 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 1,642.42 to USD 2,172.75/ton.
- Latest month, 2026-07: USD 1,935.11/ton, -9.9% against the previous month, on 16,066 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.
Need the supplier landscape, contract structure or a delivered-cost build-up behind this heading? Request a sample report or a custom cut.
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=291739&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=291739&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=291739&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=291739&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=291739&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=291739&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=291739&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=291739&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=291739&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=291739&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=291739&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=291739&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=291739&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 |
|---|---|
| Diisononyl phthalate (DINP) | Used as a lower-cost alternative to TOTM in general flexible PVC applications such as flooring, wall coverings, and non-critical wire insulation. DINP offers better volatility resistance than DEHP but still falls short of TOTM's performance at elevated temperatures. Substitution is straightforward in standard PVC compounding but requires reformulation to match mechanical properties at high service temperatures. |
| Dioctyl adipate (DOA) / Diisononyl adipate (DINA) | Adipate plasticizers serve as partial substitutes in flexible PVC applications requiring good low-temperature flexibility (e.g., refrigerator gaskets, cold-climate cables). They do not match TOTM's high-temperature performance and are typically used in blends with trimellitates or phthalates rather than as full replacements. Substitution is partial and application-specific. |
| Citrate esters (e.g., acetyl tributyl citrate, ATBC; acetyl triethyl citrate, ATEC) | Bio-based, non-phthalate alternatives used primarily in medical PVC applications (blood bags, IV tubing, medical gloves) where regulatory compliance and biocompatibility are critical. Citrates can replace TOTM in medical-grade PVC where migration and toxicological profile are the primary drivers, though they generally offer lower heat resistance and higher volatility than TOTM. Reformulation of the PVC compound is typically required to match mechanical performance. |
| Polymeric plasticizers (e.g., polyester adipates, polyester sebacates) | High-molecular-weight polymeric plasticizers offer very low volatility and migration resistance comparable to or exceeding TOTM, making them suitable substitutes in applications requiring minimal plasticizer loss over time (e.g., automotive interior parts, long-life cable insulation, coated fabrics). They are generally more viscous and harder to process than TOTM, requiring higher processing temperatures or blending with monomeric plasticizers. Used as partial or full replacements depending on the application. |
| Epoxidized soybean oil (ESBO) | Bio-based secondary plasticizer and heat stabilizer used in PVC. ESBO can partially replace TOTM in flexible PVC formulations, particularly in food-contact and medical applications, providing both plasticization and stabilization functions. It is not a full drop-in replacement for TOTM as a primary plasticizer due to limited compatibility at high loading levels and inferior low-temperature performance, but it is commonly used in blends to reduce TOTM content. |
Related PetroApex Market Pages
- Octanol — the C8 alcohol esterified with trimellitic anhydride.
- Dioctyl Terephthalate — the terephthalate plasticizer used where TOTM's heat rating is not required.
- Dioctyl Phthalate — the general-purpose plasticizer TOTM displaces in high-temperature cable.
- Vinyl Chloride
Regulatory Status
| Region | Regulation / Policy Name | Issuing Authority | Year (enacted or latest revision) | Key Requirement / Threshold | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EU | REACH | ECHA | 2007 (pre-reg) | Registration required for manufacture/import >=1 t/year; no authorization or restriction | No stable public URL (source page not reachable when last checked) |
| EU | REACH | ECHA | 2018 (extended one-generation reproductive toxicity study request) | Additional information required on reproductive toxicity for tri-n-octyl trimellitate | No stable public URL (source page not reachable when last checked) |
| US | TSCA Inventory | EPA | 1976 (active) | Listed on TSCA active inventory; no restrictions identified | https://www.aglayne.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Trioctyl-Trimellitate-TOTM-SDS.pdf |
| EU | EU Medical Device Regulation (MDR) | EU Commission | 2017/745 | Justification required for continued use of materials like DEHP above 0.1% w/w (Annex 1, Chapter 2, Section 10.4); TOTM permitted as alternative plasticizer in blood bags and tubing | https://health.ec.europa.eu/system/files/2019-05/ev_20190404_co05_en_0.pdf |
| Global | Transport Classification | UN Model Regulations / IMDG Code | 2023 (GHS Rev 11 / UN Orange Book) | Not classified as dangerous goods; no UN number; not regulated for transport (DOT, IATA, IMDG) | https://redox.com/wp-content/sds/2910.pdf |
Key Influence Events
It belongs to the trimellitate family of plasticizers and is characterized by its low volatility, excellent heat stability, and good electrical insulation properties. TOTM is primarily used as a primary plasticizer in polyvinyl chloride (PVC) compounds for demanding applications such as automotive wire and cable insulation, medical tubing and blood bags, and high-temperature electrical cables, where conventional phthalate plasticizers would be inadequate due to their higher volatility and lower thermal stability.
Top Countries Production Capacity
Production Process of Trioctyl Trimellitate (TOTM) Market Analysis: Price Trend, Trade Data and Cable Demand
It belongs to the trimellitate family of plasticizers and is characterized by its low volatility, excellent heat stability, and good electrical insulation properties. TOTM is primarily used as a primary plasticizer in polyvinyl chloride (PVC) compounds for demanding applications such as automotive wire and cable insulation, medical tubing and blood bags, and high-temperature electrical cables, where conventional phthalate plasticizers would be inadequate due to their higher volatility and lower thermal stability.
Specs & Grades
| Property | Typical Value / Range | Unit | Grade / Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appearance | Clear, light yellow oily liquid | — | All commercial 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=291739&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=291739&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=291739&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=291739&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=291739&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=291739&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=291739&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=291739&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=291739&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=291739&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=291739&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=291739&partnerCode=0&flowCode=X&includeDesc=true
- https://comtradeapi.un.org/files/v1/app/reference/HS.json
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