2026年LPG、丙烯期货行情展望：节奏博弈下的利润再平衡

Report Information - Report Title: "Profit Rebalancing under Rhythm Game - Outlook for LPG & Propylene Futures Market in 2026" [1] - Report Date: December 18, 2025 - Analysts: Chen Xinchao (Investment Consulting Qualification No.: Z0020238), Zhao Shucen (Contact Person, Futures Practitioner Qualification No.: F03147780) 1. Report Industry Investment Rating - Not provided in the report 2. Core Viewpoints of the Report - The operating logic of the C3 industrial chain is expected to shift from unilateral compression in 2025 to profit repair under range - bound fluctuations in 2026. The propane price center is likely to remain relatively low, providing weak cost - side support for the C3 industrial chain. Meanwhile, with the slowdown of propylene capacity expansion and the continued drive from downstream sectors, the supply - demand outlook for propylene is expected to improve marginally, but attention should be paid to the actual implementation of new plant construction under the low - profit background. The opportunities in the industrial chain mainly lie in periodic repairs rather than a trend reversal [2]. 3. Summary by Directory 3.1. 2025 LPG, Propylene Trend Review 3.1.1 2025 LPG Market Review - The LPG market in 2025 can be divided into four stages: In the first quarter, the domestic civil gas market was in a seasonal peak. The spot price of the lowest deliverable product in the domestic market was around 4,800 - 4,900 CNY/ton, and the market fluctuated widely with costs. From April to May, affected by tariff policies, the external market price of crude oil and FEI market prices plummeted, and then rebounded. The domestic market was weak due to high inventory and low demand. From June to September, with the shift of the import trade center to the Middle East, the supply was stable, but the demand was weak, and the market was under pressure. In the fourth quarter, the CP price dropped, PDH profit was briefly repaired, and the chemical demand increased. The supply - demand situation improved, but the long - term supply was still loose [8][9]. 3.1.2 2025 Propylene Market Review - The propylene market in 2025 also had three stages: In the first quarter, new capacity led to an oversupply situation, and the price declined. From June to August, due to the shutdown of main production plants and maintenance of multiple devices, the supply tightened, and the price rebounded, but the sustainability was limited due to weak downstream demand. In the fourth quarter, the downstream profit was compressed, demand weakened, and the price dropped to a five - year low [11][13][14]. 3.2. 2026 LPG Operating Logic 3.2.1 Supply Side - In 2025, China's LPG imports remained stable, but the import structure changed significantly. After the adjustment of Sino - US tariff policies in April, the import from the Middle East increased, while that from the US decreased. In 2026, the Middle East's LPG supply has an expected increase, with the main increment concentrated in the second half of the year. The US production growth is expected to slow down, but the export capacity will improve [15][18][34]. 3.2.2 Demand Side - The growth of PDH capacity will further slow down in 2026, and the profit is expected to be repaired. The average operating rate of PDH is expected to increase, driving an additional propane demand of about 2 million tons. The demand for imported propane from domestic cracking plants is expected to remain weak. The propane demand in Japan and South Korea is expected to remain stable, and the growth rate of India's propane demand is expected to slow down, while Southeast Asia's demand may continue to be supported by the operation of existing cracking plants [41][44][52]. 3.2.3 LPG Summary - The supply - demand pattern of propane in 2026 shows a characteristic of "tight at the beginning and loose later, gradually becoming looser". In the first quarter, the supply is relatively tight, but better than in the fourth quarter of 2025. In the second quarter, the market is in a transition period. In the second half of the year, with the release of new capacity in the Middle East, the supply - demand pattern will become looser [57]. 3.3. 2026 Propylene Operating Logic 3.3.1 Supply Side - In 2025, the propylene supply expanded rapidly, and the over - supply situation intensified. In 2026, the growth rate of propylene capacity is expected to slow down to about 9%. The new capacity is mainly concentrated in the second half of the year, and most of the new capacity comes from integrated plants. The supply is still expected to be loose, and the focus will shift to the risks of structural and rhythm mismatches [59][67]. 3.3.2 Demand Side - In 2025, the demand for propylene from major downstream sectors increased by 15%. In 2026, the nominal demand growth rate is about 11%, mainly from polypropylene, propylene oxide, and butanol - octanol. However, due to the over - capacity in the downstream and compressed profits, the actual demand may be less than the nominal demand [69][75]. 3.3.3 Propylene Summary - In 2025, the propylene market in Shandong was generally in a state of over - supply, with a brief tightening in the middle of the year. In 2026, the upstream and downstream production schedules of propylene show a structural characteristic of "downstream first, more downstream production throughout the year". Nationally, the supply - demand gap is expected to narrow in the first half of the year, and the overall pattern will remain stable in the second half of the year. In Shandong, the supply - demand situation is expected to improve gradually, with a possible improvement in the second half of the year [87][89]. 3.4. Overall Summary - In 2025, the global propane supply was abundant, and the price decreased. The propylene market was in an over - supply situation, and the C3 industrial chain was under pressure. In 2026, the propane price is expected to stay low, and the supply - demand situation of propylene is expected to improve marginally. The operating logic of the C3 industrial chain is expected to shift from unilateral compression to profit repair under range - bound fluctuations [95][96].