Oleochemicals at 2026 Mid-Year: Trade Action, Biofuel Competition and Geopolitics Redraw the Market

Global oleochemical markets entered 2026 with weak and uneven demand, but the first seven months have delivered far more than a routine cyclical recovery. Fatty acids have been reshaped by U.S. trade action, fatty alcohols have swung sharply with palm kernel oil and competition from synthetic alternatives, while glycerine has remained governed by its established drivers: biodiesel production and epichlorohydrin demand.