Ethyl Acetate & Butyl Acetate

Acetate ester solvents for inks, coatings, adhesives and food-grade decaffeination

Ethyl acetate (HS 2915.31) and n-butyl acetate (HS 2915.33) are the fast and medium-evaporating ester solvents of the ink, coatings and adhesives trades. Ethyl acetate is the solvent of flexible-packaging printing inks and laminating adhesives. Food-grade ethyl acetate is a permitted decaffeination solvent: US 21 CFR 173.228 allows it as a solvent in the decaffeination of coffee and tea when it meets the Food Chemicals Codex specification, and green coffee processors buy it on that basis. n-Butyl acetate is a solvent for coating resins including epoxies and urethanes, and goes into automotive refinish, wood coatings and thinners. Ethyl acetate is UN 1173, Class 3 flammable liquid, packing group II, with a flash point of -4 °C; n-butyl acetate ships as UN 1123 butyl acetates, Class 3, packing group III, with a flash point of 22 °C. UN Comtrade 2024 export declarations under HS 2915.31 total about USD 1.12 billion: China USD 387 million and 0.52 million MT, the UK USD 153 million, Belgium USD 108 million, India USD 94 million and 0.10 million MT, Singapore USD 71 million and 0.09 million MT, the Netherlands USD 57 million and South Africa USD 36 million. Under HS 2915.33, n-butyl acetate exports total about USD 550 million: China USD 180 million and 0.18 million MT, Germany USD 98 million, the USA USD 63 million, Singapore USD 46 million, Malaysia USD 40 million and Belgium USD 35 million.

The buyer is an ink, adhesive or coatings producer, a coffee or tea decaffeinator buying food grade, or a distributor. Most lots move in 20-24 MT ISO tanks, 1,000-litre IBCs and 180-200 kg drums in containers under dangerous goods documentation; large users take chemical-tanker parcels under the IBC Code. Pricing is per MT on contract or spot basis against ICIS, Platts and Argus assessments. CBIL is a commodity brokerage company and brokers ethyl acetate and n-butyl acetate from Chinese, Indian, Singaporean, Malaysian, Belgian, German, Dutch, UK and US producers' offtake and trader parcels, against the producer's certificate of analysis, a Food Chemicals Codex or equivalent food-grade certificate where food grade is ordered, SGS or Intertek inspection, the safety data sheet, a certificate of origin and REACH registration confirmation for EU imports, on FOB, CFR and CIF terms. Send the product, grade (industrial or food), volume, pack and discharge port.

Excluded origins are not offered, including product re-exported, blended or re-processed through a third country. Every lot moves with a certificate of origin naming the producing plant, mine or grower country, and nothing is quoted before the seller and loading point are known.