Energy · METH

Methanol price

Methanol currently trades at US$3,054 per tonne (≈ €2,597 · £2,276) — 11.73% below the 12-month high. Over the past 12 months it has gained 36.89%, with the annual range running from US$1,949 to US$3,460. 24-hour movement is minimal (±0.00%).

US$3,054 / tonne
≈ €2,597 ≈ £2,276 Unchanged 24h 73% within the 52-week range
FX Editorial Team · Data updated: · Editorially verified
Methanol (METH) price today US$3,054 / tonne, ↑ +0.00% (24h)

Methanol chart

Interactive chart and 30-day overview

7 days
▼ −0.20%
−US$6.00
30 days
▼ −0.68%
−US$21.00
1 year
▲ +36.89%
+US$823.00
52-week range
US$1,949 73% US$3,460
Methanol (METH) 30-day price chart — USD, EUR, GBP

The Methanol chart shows how the methanol price has moved over time. The interactive view lets you switch the timeframe (from 7 days up to MAX), the currency (USD / EUR / GBP) and overlay moving averages. Click any two points to measure the percentage change between those dates.

How is methanol priced?

Methanol is priced per metric tonne (1 t = 1,000 kg) — the standard unit for industrial and bulk commodities on the London Metal Exchange (LME), CME and major European exchanges. Wholesale shipments move in containers or bulk vessels, typically in 25-tonne or 100-tonne lots.

At US$3,054 per tonne, one kilogram is worth US$3.05. End-user pricing for processed goods includes refining margins, transport and tariffs on top of the wholesale benchmark.

What moves the price of methanol?

The main driver of methanol prices is the feedstock cost, which varies by region. Producers on the US Gulf Coast, in the Middle East (Saudi Arabia, Oman, Iran) and in Trinidad make methanol from natural gas through steam methane reforming, so Henry Hub and regional gas benchmarks directly shape margins. China, by contrast, produces about 80% of its domestic methanol from coal, mainly through gasification in the mining regions of Inner Mongolia and Shanxi. Chinese methanol costs therefore move with Qinhuangdao coal prices and Chinese power prices. The different carbon footprints of the two production routes are becoming a more relevant cost factor because of European customs rules, including CBAM, and IMO shipping regulations.

The second key factor is Chinese MTO economics. The methanol-to-olefins process converts methanol into ethylene and propylene, the two basic monomers used in polymer production. It accounts for about 70% of domestic methanol consumption in China. The market prices the process against the cost of olefins produced through conventional oil-based naphtha cracking, which is why methanol and naphtha prices tend to move closely together. If naphtha rises because of higher crude oil prices, MTO plants run at higher utilisation and Chinese methanol demand strengthens. If naphtha is cheap, many MTO plants temporarily shut down or operate at lower rates. Chinese MTO plants have nominal capacity of about 30 Mt/year of olefin output, equivalent to about 90 Mt/year of methanol use.

The third longer-term driver is the marine fuel transition. As the International Maritime Organization (IMO) tightens CO₂ and pollutant rules, the shipping industry is looking at lower-carbon fuels. Methanol, especially renewable “green methanol”, is one of the main candidates. Maersk has ordered and deployed dozens of large dual-fuel methanol container ships. MSC and CMA CGM have also announced methanol-capable capacity, while X-Press Feeders operates methanol-powered vessels in the regional feeder segment. In Methanol Institute scenarios, maritime methanol demand is a significant long-term demand item and a visible share of current global demand. This demand factor matters for both Methanex MX and CFR China pricing.

How to invest in the methanol industry

Methanol is a specialised chemicals market. Retail CFD brokers in the US, UK and Europe, including XTB and eToro, do not offer direct methanol CFDs. The Dalian MA contract is regulated in China, while global spot references such as Methanex MX and CFR China are benchmark prices, not exchange-traded products. A European retail investor therefore tends to access methanol exposure through companies in the industry: a pure-play North American methanol producer (Methanex — MEOH, the NASDAQ-listed Canadian company and the world’s largest pure-play methanol producer with about 9 Mt/year of capacity), a Norwegian nitrogen and methanol producer (Yara International — YAR.OL), a Dutch nitrogen and methanol producer (OCI N.V.), and a South African integrated energy and chemicals group (Sasol — SOL.JO / SSL ADR, a pioneer in Fischer-Tropsch coal and gas processing). International shares may be eligible for tax-efficient accounts, such as a UK ISA or similar EU wrappers, depending on the investor’s jurisdiction and account provider.

30-day price history

Chart and daily closing prices

Methanol (METH) 30-day price chart — USD, EUR, GBP

Daily close

30 trading days

Date Price (USD) Price (EUR) Price (GBP) Daily change
23 May 2026 US$3,054 €2,597 £2,276 ▲ +1.16%
22 May 2026 US$3,019 €2,568 £2,250 ▼ −0.76%
21 May 2026 US$3,042 €2,587 £2,267 ▼ −0.56%
20 May 2026 US$3,059 €2,602 £2,280 ▲ +8.86%
19 May 2026 US$2,810 €2,390 £2,094 ▲ +0.29%
18 May 2026 US$2,802 €2,383 £2,088 ▼ −8.43%
16 May 2026 US$3,060 €2,602 £2,281 ▲ +2.00%
15 May 2026 US$3,000 €2,551 £2,236 ▼ −1.96%
14 May 2026 US$3,060 €2,602 £2,281 ▲ +0.59%
13 May 2026 US$3,042 €2,587 £2,267 ▲ +1.40%
12 May 2026 US$3,000 €2,551 £2,236 ▼ −1.83%
11 May 2026 US$3,056 €2,599 £2,278 ▲ +0.23%
10 May 2026 US$3,049 €2,593 £2,272 ▼ −4.72%
6 May 2026 US$3,200 €2,722 £2,385 ▼ −0.19%
1 May 2026 US$3,206 €2,727 £2,389 ▲ +1.33%
30 Apr 2026 US$3,164 €2,691 £2,358 ▼ −1.43%
29 Apr 2026 US$3,210 €2,730 £2,392 ▲ +2.00%
28 Apr 2026 US$3,147 €2,676 £2,345 ▲ +1.52%
27 Apr 2026 US$3,100 €2,636 £2,310 ▼ −0.39%
25 Apr 2026 US$3,112 €2,647 £2,319 ▲ +1.20%
22 Apr 2026 US$3,075 €2,615 £2,292 ▲ +0.10%
21 Apr 2026 US$3,072 €2,613 £2,290 ▲ +0.36%
20 Apr 2026 US$3,061 €2,603 £2,281 —

Methanol FAQ

What is methanol, and how is it different from ethanol? +
Methanol (CH₃OH, historically known as wood alcohol) is the simplest aliphatic alcohol, with one carbon atom in the molecule. It was once produced by the dry distillation of wood. Today it is made at industrial scale from natural gas through steam methane reforming or from coal through gasification, via synthesis gas (CO + H₂). Ethanol (C₂H₅OH), by contrast, is a two-carbon alcohol usually produced by fermenting plant feedstocks such as corn, sugar cane or wheat. The two substances have different toxicities. Methanol is highly poisonous to humans even in small amounts, so it is sold only as an industrial raw material and fuel additive, never for consumption.
What is the MTO process? +
The MTO process, or methanol-to-olefins, converts methanol over a zeolite catalyst into ethylene and propylene, the two basic monomers used in polymer production. In China, the process has been widely deployed at industrial scale through UOP/Honeywell and Sinopec variants, including S-MTO and DMTO. MTO plants absorb about 70% of domestic methanol consumption. The economics depend on whether the per-tonne cost of olefins made from methanol is below the cost of conventional naphtha cracking. Chinese MTO utilisation is therefore highly sensitive to the methanol-naphtha spread. China’s MTO capacity is nominally about 30 Mt/year of olefin output.
How is methanol made, and from which feedstocks? +
Modern industrial methanol production works through synthesis gas, or syngas (CO + H₂), which is converted into methanol in a catalytic reactor. The source of the syngas differs by region. US and Middle Eastern producers make it from natural gas through steam methane reforming, while China produces most of its domestic methanol from coal through gasification, mainly in the coal regions of Inner Mongolia and Shanxi. In smaller, usually pilot-scale plants, methanol can also be made from biomass, municipal waste, or green hydrogen and captured CO₂. The latter is known as “e-methanol” and is one of the key products in shipping decarbonisation.
How large is global methanol production, and which countries produce it? +
Global methanol production is about 110 Mt a year. China is by far the largest producer at about 70 Mt, mainly coal-based. The Middle East, including Iran, Saudi Arabia and Oman, produces about 25 Mt. The United States produces about 7 Mt, mainly from natural gas on the Gulf Coast. Trinidad and Tobago is one of the Caribbean’s major exporters. Among pure-play companies, Canada’s Methanex Corporation is the largest independent methanol producer, with about 9 Mt/year of capacity and sites in Canada, the US, New Zealand, Chile, Trinidad and Egypt. The Methanol Institute publishes detailed annual global industry data.
What is the Methanex MX reference price? +
The Methanex MX, or Methanex Non-Discounted Reference Price, is a monthly reference price published by Methanex Corporation for the US Gulf Coast, Europe (Rotterdam) and Asia (CFR China, CFR Korea). It is not an exchange price. It is a contractual pricing guide used by industry participants in supply contracts, with actual transaction prices usually adjusted by a discount or rebate. The daily Chinese spot market is tracked by the ICIS Methanol CFR China assessment. The exchange-traded reference is the Dalian Commodity Exchange Methanol Futures contract, ticker MA, which is the most active methanol futures product globally.
Why is methanol discussed as a marine fuel? +
As the International Maritime Organization (IMO) tightens sulphur and CO₂ emissions rules, the shipping industry is looking for lower-carbon alternatives to conventional heavy fuel oil. One advantage of methanol is that it is liquid at normal temperatures. Unlike LNG, it does not require storage at −162 °C. It has zero sulphur content and, when produced from renewable sources as green methanol or e-methanol, can in principle be carbon neutral. Maersk was the first large container-shipping group to order large dual-fuel methanol container ships. MSC, CMA CGM and X-Press Feeders have also announced methanol-capable capacity. The Methanol Institute describes shipping demand as the fastest-growing segment of the global methanol market.
Can investors trade a direct methanol CFD? +
Major European and UK retail CFD brokers, including XTB and eToro, do not offer direct methanol CFDs. Dalian Commodity Exchange Methanol Futures (MA) is the world’s most active exchange-traded methanol product, but it is regulated in China and is hard for foreign retail investors to access. Western benchmarks such as Methanex MX and CFR China are contractual references, not exchange-traded products, so CFDs are not typically built on them. Investors therefore access the methanol industry through shares such as Methanex (MEOH, NASDAQ — pure-play methanol), Yara, OCI N.V. and Sasol.
How are gains on methanol-industry shares taxed? +
Tax treatment varies by jurisdiction; consult a local tax adviser.

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Data sources: Methanex Corporation — MX Reference Price · ICIS — Methanol Market Intelligence · Dalian Commodity Exchange — Methanol Futures (MA) · Methanol Institute — Global Industry Data