Ethanol, Fuels and Co-Product Pricing
Market Outlook: U.S. ethanol prices ended last week 1.5 percent higher but erased those gains in early week trading and fell 2 percent through Tuesday’s close. Midwest wholesale rack ethanol prices were higher to end last week but were down 0.7 percent through Tuesday’s market close to their last quote of 57.77 cents/liter (218.68 cents/gallon).
FOB Houston ethanol prices finished last week 5.2 percent higher but are down 0.8 percent through Tuesday’s trading from Friday’s close. FOB Houston ethanol prices are quoted at 58.21 cents/liter (220.34 cents/gallon). FOB Santos, Brazil anhydrous ethanol prices were higher last week; they are down in early week trading, falling 2.5 percent to 54.15 cents/liter (204.975 cents/gallon) through Tuesday’s close.
The FOB Gulf-Santos, Brazil ethanol spread has widened from last week’s close through Tuesday’s trading and is currently at 4.06 cents/liter (15.37 cents/gallon).
MTBE prices rose 2.6 percent last week and extended that move in early week trading to gain 1.4 percent from Friday’s close through Tuesday’s trading. MTBE’s premium to FOB Houston ethanol has increased from last week’s report and stands at 17.51 cents/liter (66.3 cents/gallon).
BTX component prices were mixed last week and continued that trend through Tuesday’s market close: Benzene was down 1 percent while Toluene was up 0.3 percent, and Xylene was up 0.6 percent. The estimated weighted average aromatic price is currently 88.39 cents/liter (334.61 cents/gallon), up from last Friday’s close. The BTX-Houston ethanol spread widened last week, and the weighted average BTX price is 30.19 cents/liter (114.26 cents/gallon) higher than the FOB Houston ethanol price.
Gasoline and petroleum products were higher last week and saw additional gains in early week trade. RBOB futures are up 2.3 percent to start the week while 84 octane RBOB (Houston) and 87 octane CBOB (U.S. Gulf) gasoline prices are up 3.6 and up 3.7 percent, respectively. WTI futures are 1.6 percent higher at $82.88/barrel while Brent futures are up 1.6 percent to $86.37/barrel, from Friday through Tuesday’s close.
Liquid tanker rates are 3 percent lower on average this week with offers for the U.S. Gulf to Brazil seeing the largest gains (up 0.1 percent). Freight from the U.S. Gulf to the East Coast of Mexico saw the largest declines and is down 16 percent from last week. On average, tanker freight from the U.S. Gulf is down 4 percent this week while freight from the PNW has posted a 3 percent decline. Liquid tanker freight rates from Brazil are down 1 percent, on average, this week. Freight rates across all origins are 47 percent higher than this same week in 2023.
On a cost-and-freight (C&F) basis, offers are mostly lower this week as both freight rates and FOB ethanol offers have moved below last week’s values. Prices for ethanol C&F to Central America from the U.S. Gulf are down 0.1 percent this week and are down 15.2 percent from this same week in 2023. Values for PNW ethanol to Southeast Asia average $784.66/MT this week, down 2.6 percent from the prior week and down 11.2 percent year-over-year. That compares to U.S. Gulf to Southeast Asia C&F prices that average $866.08/MT and are down 0.1 percent from last week and are down 10.5 percent year-over-year. C&F prices for Brazilian ethanol to Southeast Asia are down 1.1 percent from last week.
