Petroleum (hydrocarbon) resin has no single “price” — it is quoted per grade and per order, driven by feedstock, plant operating rates, freight, exchange rate, and specification. This page explains how the market moves and what determines your number, so an RFQ can be compared correctly. It is market context, not a price offer; a dated written quotation controls any transaction.
LAST_UPDATED: 2026-07
For a grade-matched figure, send your target specification, application, quantity, and destination to [email protected] or request a quote. Milorez quotes FOB Xiamen or Qingdao as a transparent export trading supplier, not as the owner of a resin factory.
What actually sets your quote
The table below shows what a quotation is built around — not a sellable number, because each grade prices differently by specification and order.
| Resin family | MR grade or selection basis | Main quote discriminator |
|---|---|---|
| C5 aliphatic | MR-C5100 / MR-C5110 | Softening point, color, tack profile |
| C9 aromatic (thermal) | MR-C9110 / MR-C9120 | Softening point; color and application |
| C9 aromatic (cold-polymerized) | MR-C9130 | Lighter-color requirement |
| C5/C9 copolymer | MR-5910 / MR-5920 | Aromaticity / compatibility target |
| DCPD (unhydrogenated) | MR-D100 / MR-D110 | Softening point, color, end use |
| Hydrogenated C5 or DCPD | MR-H water-white match | Base chemistry, hydrogenation level, color |
To turn a discriminator into a firm figure, request a quote with your specification — there is no fixed website price and no lock-price commitment outside a dated quotation.
2026 market trend: mixed by grade
Through 2026 there is no single hydrocarbon resin market direction — the useful read is by chemistry. Independent market reporting is the reference for the trend; these are third-party market assessments, not Milorez offers:
- Standard C5 / C5-C9 has been broadly stable with a firmer near-term tone as buyers restock around crude-oil concerns.1
- Hydrogenated (water-white) resin corrected downward through mid-2026 as earlier raw-material tightness eased and supply recovered.2
- C9 splits sharply: lighter cold-polymerized grades hold firmer than commodity dark thermal C9, which stays much cheaper and largely range-bound.3
- Longer-run third-party indices placed China petroleum resins broadly stable across late 2025 before firming modestly into early 2026 on post-holiday demand.4
The takeaway for procurement: track the exact chemistry you buy, not a blanket “market up/down” percentage applied to every grade.
Five factors moving petroleum resin prices
- C5 and C9 feedstocks. Cracker operating conditions and the value of piperylene-rich C5, cracked C9, and DCPD streams set the cost floor. Oil is an influence, not a direct formula.
- Plant operating rates. Maintenance, restarts, and load changes can tighten one chemistry while another stays ample.
- Ocean freight. FOB excludes the main sea leg; CIF includes it. Buyers in India or the UAE should compare resin value and freight as separate lines.
- USD/CNY exchange rate. A stronger yuan raises the dollar equivalent of domestic costs; a weaker yuan can create export room. Firm quotations therefore carry an expiry date.
- Grade specification. Softening point, Gardner or APHA color, ash, acid value, melt viscosity, hydrogenation level, packing, and inspection scope all change the cost. Cold-polymerized light C9 is not comparable with dark thermal C9, even if both are called “C9 resin”.
The low-price trap: compare quality before headline numbers
A low resin price can be expensive in use. Darker or off-color material can tint a hot-melt adhesive, road marking, ink, or coating. Excess ash or catalyst residue can leave filtration residue and signal weaker process cleanup. Softening-point drift changes melt behavior; inconsistent molecular distribution can alter viscosity, compatibility, tack, or film response. Odor and heat-aging color may only appear after processing.
Compare the current TDS, agreed test methods, sample, and batch COA — not just the family name. Milorez’s quality process ties shipment review to the agreed softening point, color, acid value, ash, packing, and lot identity. Always validate the sample in the complete formulation.
How to get an accurate quote
Send one complete RFQ containing:
- MR grade, incumbent grade, or full target specification;
- application and base polymer, elastomer, binder, or solvent system;
- Ring-and-Ball softening point and test method;
- maximum color, acid value, ash, and any viscosity requirement;
- trial order and annual volume;
- 25 kg bag, pallet, label, and net-loading requirements;
- destination port and FOB or CIF basis;
- required COA fields, inspection scope, and shipment window.
The normal commercial MOQ is 1 × 20-foot FCL, approximately 18 MT. A free 1-2 kg sample is available, with courier freight collected. Request a quote or request a sample before approving a replacement grade.
Sources
- ChemAnalyst, July 2025 petroleum resin market: China stability.
- IMARC Group, Petroleum resins price trend for China.
- Longzhong Information via Mysteel, C9 and hydrogenated petroleum resin market direction, 2026.
- ChemOrbis citing Freightos Terminal FBX, Freight Rate Update, July 2026.
Sources accessed July 2026. Public market assessments are independent third-party references; they are market context only and are not Milorez transaction records or offers.
Footnotes
-
ChemAnalyst / IMARC China petroleum resins assessments, 2025-2026, accessed July 2026. ↩
-
Longzhong Information via Mysteel, hydrogenated petroleum resin market direction, 2026, accessed July 2026. ↩
-
Longzhong Information via Mysteel, C9 cold-polymerized vs thermal assessments, 2026, accessed July 2026. ↩
-
IMARC Group petroleum resins price trend, China, Q3 2025-Q1 2026, accessed July 2026. ↩
Frequently asked questions
How is the hydrocarbon resin price determined?
Price is set per grade and per order. The main drivers are the C5/C9/DCPD feedstock value, plant operating rates, ocean freight, the USD/CNY exchange rate, and the exact specification (softening point, color, ash, hydrogenation level, packing, and inspection scope). Because these move independently, a single headline 'resin price' is unreliable — the accurate figure comes from a grade-specific quotation.
Does the price change with minimum order quantity?
Yes. The standard commercial MOQ is one 20-foot FCL, approximately 18 metric tonnes. A smaller or mixed shipment normally carries a higher unit cost because bagging, inland handling, documentation, and LCL charges are spread over less material. Confirm whether a non-FCL shipment is feasible before comparing offers.
Is a petroleum resin sample free?
A 1-2 kg evaluation sample is free; courier freight is collected from the recipient. Share the application, base polymer, target softening point, color limit, and incumbent grade so the sample represents the material that would be quoted.
How do I get a firm price?
Send a complete RFQ (grade or incumbent TDS, application, quantity, destination port, and Incoterm) to [email protected]. A firm figure is provided in a written quotation valid for a stated period; this page is market context only, not a price offer.
Why is hydrogenated petroleum resin more expensive than standard resin?
Hydrogenation adds processing, hydrogen, catalyst, purification, and quality-control requirements while targeting very low color and improved stability. Base-resin chemistry and hydrogenation level also matter, so two products described only as water-white resin may not be comparable.
Can you quote CIF India or the UAE?
Yes, destination freight can be checked for ports such as Nhava Sheva or Jebel Ali. Provide the port, required Incoterm, quantity, packing, and grade. The FOB Xiamen or Qingdao basis and the ocean freight are kept as separate lines in the comparison.