BEIJING / SHANDONG, October 16, 2026 – The maleic anhydride (MA) industry has undergone one of the most profound geographic realignments in its history over the past year. China has transformed from a long-time importer into the world’s largest producer and exporter of the chemical, with its share of global capacity breaking through 65 percent in 2026. As trade flows reverse and regional demand centers migrate, the center of gravity — and increasingly the pricing center — of the global MA market is moving decisively eastward.
China’s Capacity Takes the Global Lead
Global maleic anhydride capacity surpassed 3.2 million tonnes in 2026, with total output reaching 2.78 million tonnes, up 5.8 percent year-on-year. China alone accounts for more than 2.1 million tonnes of capacity and 1.87 million tonnes of output — both exceeding 65 percent of global totals. What was once a market dominated by European and American producers has become a landscape in which a cluster of Chinese manufacturers sets the pace.
The shift is not only about volume. Chinese producers have fully mastered proprietary n-butane oxidation technology, with unit raw-material consumption roughly 8 percent below that of conventional overseas plants. The n-butane route now represents about 92 percent of global capacity additions in 2026, cementing its position as the dominant technology and further widening the cost-efficiency gap.
Trade Flows Reverse: From Import Dependency to Export Leadership
The global trade map has been redrawn. Where Europe and North America once served as the primary export regions, China now exports more than 420,000 tonnes of MA annually to 112 countries and territories — the largest export volume in the world. Emerging markets across Southeast Asia, the Middle East and South America, which historically relied on Western supply, now source more than 70 percent of their MA requirements from China, drawn by consistent quality, competitive value and reliable delivery.
Meanwhile, Western producers — constrained by high feedstock costs and stringent environmental regulation — have progressively idled older plants. Their remaining capacity now serves niche high-end applications in domestic markets, effectively exiting the commodity-grade competition altogether.
Regional Clusters Deepen Industrial Synergy
Within China, production has coalesced into three major clusters — Shandong, Jiangsu and Shanxi — positioned close to the country’s unsaturated polyester resin industrial belt. The top producers with capacities above 100,000 tonnes per year now account for approximately 72 percent of national capacity, reflecting a sustained trend of consolidation that rewards scale, integration and operational excellence.
Shandong’s position in this landscape is particularly notable. As one of the three core production bases, the province combines feedstock access, refining integration and downstream proximity — a combination that has helped its leading producers build internationally recognized quality credentials alongside domestic scale.
Dayou’s Role in the New Global Architecture
Binzhou Dayou New Energy Development Co., Ltd., located in the Shandong production cluster, is a representative example of the new generation of Chinese MA producers. The company operates a 60,000-tonne-per-year plant based on the n-butane oxidation route, supported by 40 proprietary technologies and an integrated site covering gas separation, MTBE, liquefied-gas oligomerization, sulfuric acid recovery, n-butane isomerization and MA synthesis.
With ISO, SGS and FAMI-QS certifications and exports to more than 30 countries and regions, Dayou is part of the quality-oriented export wave that is redefining China’s position in the global market. As the pricing center of maleic anhydride continues to shift eastward, producers that combine technological mastery, integrated operations and global quality standards are best positioned to shape the industry’s next chapter.
A New Era of Global Leadership
The year 2026 marks a structural turning point for the maleic anhydride industry. With China’s capacity share above 65 percent, its technology leadership in the n-butane route, and its export network spanning more than 100 countries, the market’s center of gravity has moved — and it is not likely to move back. For global buyers, the question is no longer whether to source from China, but how to build durable, quality-assured partnerships with the producers leading this transformation.