PUdaily reports that since January 2026, cumulative market price increases for Polymeric MDI and Monomeric MDI have approached 40%, with TDI, flexible-foam polyether polyols and TPU also gaining over 20% in the past six months. Drivers cited include energy costs, geopolitical supply disruptions and tightening capacity. PU buyers are reviewing procurement strategies and contract structures.
MDI is the dominant isocyanate behind rigid polyurethane foams used in sandwich panels, cold-storage cores, refrigerator walls, spray foam and a wide slate of CASE applications. A cumulative ~40% move on the headline grade in roughly four months therefore reshapes both contract economics and procurement timing across the value chain — system houses, panel lines, white-goods OEMs and spray-foam applicators alike.
Upstream, the cited drivers run in parallel rather than in sequence: European natural-gas costs feeding into utilities and steam, methanol and benzene/aniline costs feeding into the MDI feed itself, and capacity rationalisation reducing the spot-market buffer that historically absorbed shocks. PUdaily also flags TDI, flex polyether and TPU all gaining 20%+ over the half-year, which signals broad-based tightness rather than a single-isocyanate event.