Purified Terephthalic Acid (PTA)

PTA powder for polyester fibre, film and PET resin, in jumbo bags by the container

Purified terephthalic acid (HS 2917.36) is one half of polyester: every polyester fibre, filament, film and bottle-resin plant buys PTA and MEG together. PTA is made by oxidising paraxylene and purifying the crude acid, and the specification is about what the purification leaves behind: acid value, 4-carboxybenzaldehyde (4-CBA, the chain terminator that limits molecular weight), p-toluic acid, ash, metals (cobalt, manganese, iron), moisture, particle size and b-colour. It is a combustible organic powder and ships as a solid in 1,000-1,100 kg jumbo bags on containers, with bulk silo trucks inside producing regions. UN Comtrade 2024 export declarations under HS 2917.36 total about USD 8.19 billion: China USD 3.18 billion and 4.42 million MT (38.8%), Korea USD 1.64 billion and 2.20 million MT, Thailand USD 890 million and 1.20 million MT, Taiwan USD 643 million and 0.83 million MT, Belgium USD 472 million and 0.59 million MT and Poland USD 311 million.

The buyer is a polyester staple fibre or filament plant, a PET resin maker or a BOPET film line, and it buys PTA on the same contract calendar as MEG. Asian PTA trades on ICIS and Platts spot assessments CFR China and a monthly contract, and PTA prices follow paraxylene, which is assessed daily and settled monthly as an Asian contract price. CBIL is a commodity brokerage company and brokers PTA from Chinese, Korean, Thai, Taiwanese and Belgian producers' offtake and trader parcels, against the producer's certificate of analysis, SGS or Intertek inspection at stuffing, the safety data sheet, a certificate of origin and REACH registration confirmation for EU imports, on FOB, CFR and CIF terms. Because PTA and MEG go into the same reactor, we quote both legs for a polyester plant on the same day. Send the grade you run, the 4-CBA and b-colour limits, monthly volume 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.