Paraffin wax price is set by feedstock cost, refinery output, freight, duty and grade specification — not a single published figure. BHD Group, through its BHD Sourcing division, prices paraffin wax against a named grade (HP3, M3, UL2) and a stated delivery basis, and buyers can benchmark quotes against public data from the EIA, WITS/UN Comtrade and USITC.
Paraffin wax price moves with crude oil markets, refinery output and regional supply — it is not a fixed number, and buyers who track the underlying data negotiate from a stronger position. This guide explains what drives paraffin wax price, how to read the public data that shapes it, and what to check before you place an order.
Who this guide is for
This page serves three buyers researching paraffin wax price today. Candle makers and container-candle producers need a working number for cost planning and want to know how paraffin wax price compares across grades. Wax distributors and blenders are pricing slack-wax blending programs and need to understand supply trends behind the number. Procurement leads evaluating a new paraffin wax supplier want a defensible way to check that a quoted price is reasonable. Each section below speaks to one of these questions directly.
What is paraffin wax price?
Paraffin wax price is the cost per unit weight of paraffin wax as traded commercially, typically quoted per metric ton or per kilogram depending on the market. Petroleum wax more broadly sits in the same supply chain as crude oil distillation, so its price tracks upstream feedstock costs alongside refinery output and regional demand. According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (undated), crude oil is quoted in dollars per barrel and refined products in dollars per gallon, published daily, weekly, monthly and annually — the same cadence buyers use to track feedstock movement that feeds through to paraffin wax price.
How supply data explains price movement
Wax is a refinery co-product, not a primary output, so supply is sensitive to refinery run rates. The U.S. Energy Information Administration (undated) reports refinery net production by product, including a selectable wax series measured in thousand barrels on a monthly basis — a useful proxy for tightening or loosening domestic supply. Separately, Kline & Company (2026) reports that petroleum wax has nearly halved as a share of global supply over the past two decades and is still falling, with European Group I refinery closures reducing petroleum wax supply further. A shrinking supply base against steady demand is a structural reason paraffin wax price has trended upward over time.
How does paraffin wax price work?
Paraffin wax price is set through a mix of feedstock cost, refinery yield, freight and import duty, and grade specification. Buyers researching paraffin wax price should treat it as a landed cost built from several components, not a single published index.
Trade classification and duty
Paraffin wax is classified for customs and statistical purposes under Harmonized System codes. The International Trade Administration (undated) describes the Harmonized System as a standardized numerical method used worldwide to assess duties and gather trade statistics. Within that system, the U.S. International Trade Commission (2026) places mineral waxes in HTS Chapter 27, alongside mineral fuels and bituminous substances. Correct classification affects the duty applied at import, which is part of the landed paraffin wax price a buyer ultimately pays.
Trade volumes and origin
Import volumes give a sense of scale and sourcing concentration. According to the World Bank WITS/UN Comtrade (2023) dataset, United States imports of paraffin wax containing less than 0.75% oil totaled $192,737.75K and 107,888,000 kg in 2023, with China the largest supplier at $72,401.69K and 58,301,100 kg. The United Nations Statistics Division (undated) also maintains a paraffin waxes commodity series covering 86 reporting countries or areas, useful for buyers comparing origin diversity.
Who is paraffin wax price for?
Tracking paraffin wax price matters most to buyers who reorder regularly and carry price risk in their own cost of goods: candle producers running economy and utility candle lines, grave, church and mourning candle makers, container-candle brands, and distributors managing slack-wax blending inventory. It also matters to procurement teams that need a documented basis for negotiating with a paraffin wax supplier rather than accepting a quote at face value.
Candle makers and container-candle producers
Paraffin wax is used to make pillar candles, an application the wax family serves directly (client-published evidence). For economy and utility candle lines, container candles and textile-yarn paraffin, buyers should ask a supplier which grade — HP3, M3 or UL2 — the quoted paraffin wax price applies to, since specification changes cost.
Cosmetics and personal-care formulators
The wax family is also used to make cosmetic creams and balms, serving the cosmetics and personal-care industry (client-published evidence). Formulators sourcing wax for this use should confirm melting point and consistency data are available before comparing paraffin wax price across suppliers, since formulation stability depends on both.
How much does paraffin wax price cost?
This page does not publish a live paraffin wax price, because a defensible number changes with the date, grade and delivery terms quoted. What buyers can do is anchor a quote against public reference points: the EIA's refined-product and refinery-production series, and import statistics such as the WITS/UN Comtrade dataset cited above, which puts 2023 US import value at roughly $1.79 per kilogram in aggregate ($192,737.75K across 107,888,000 kg). That figure is a blended national average across grades and origins, not a quote for any specific paraffin wax price — treat it as a sanity check, not a target.
paraffin wax price vs alternatives?
Buyers comparing paraffin wax price against alternatives are usually comparing petroleum-derived wax against other feedstocks, or comparing grades within the paraffin range. The U.S. International Trade Commission notes that subject wax imports were higher in 2020, at 21.8 million pounds, than in 2009 (15.7 million pounds) or 2014 (13.9 million pounds) — a sign that demand for this material class has grown even as domestic petroleum wax supply has contracted, per Kline & Company above. Within the paraffin range itself, grade drives price more than any single market factor: HP3, M3 and UL2 sit at different price points reflecting oil content and melting behavior, and buyers should compare paraffin wax price grade-for-grade, never across grades.
| Standard / data source | What it measures | Why a buyer checks it |
|---|---|---|
| ASTM D87 | Melting point of petroleum wax (cooling curve) | Confirms the grade matches the intended candle or blending use before price is agreed |
| HTS Chapter 27 | Customs classification of mineral waxes and bituminous substances | Determines the duty applied, part of landed paraffin wax price |
| EIA refinery net production (wax series) | Monthly domestic wax output in thousand barrels | Signals tightening or loosening supply that moves price |
| WITS/UN Comtrade import data | Import value and volume by origin country | Benchmarks a quote against recent trade-weighted averages |
What to check before you order
- Confirm the exact grade quoted — HP3, M3 or UL2 — since paraffin wax price varies by grade, not by a single market number
- Ask whether the quoted price is ex-works, FOB or landed, and what freight and duty are added on top
- Request melting point data consistent with ASTM D87 testing practice so the grade matches your application
- Check the HTS classification used for the shipment, since it affects the duty component of landed price
- Compare the quote against recent public reference points, such as EIA production trends or WITS import averages, rather than accepting a single figure in isolation
- Clarify minimum order quantity and delivery date, since both affect the price a supplier can hold
- For candle or cosmetic use, confirm the application matches confirmed use cases — pillar candles, or cosmetic creams and balms — before finalizing volume
- Ask for origin information, since sourcing concentration (China supplied the largest share of 2023 US imports) can affect both price and lead time
Quick facts
- Paraffin wax is classified under HTS Chapter 27, covering mineral waxes and bituminous substances (USITC, 2026)
- 2023 US paraffin wax imports (under 0.75% oil) totaled $192,737.75K and 107,888,000 kg, with China the largest supplier (World Bank WITS/UN Comtrade, 2023)
- Petroleum wax has nearly halved as a share of global supply over the past two decades and is still falling (Kline & Company, 2026)
- Subject wax imports reached 21.8 million pounds in 2020, up from 13.9 million pounds in 2014 (USITC)
- ASTM D87 is the standard melting-point test widely used by wax suppliers and consumers (ASTM International)
Working with BHD Group
BHD Group operates as one accountable house across two divisions, one house: BHD Chemical and BHD Sourcing. Paraffin Wax sits in the wax range that BHD Sourcing supplies alongside Petroleum Jelly and Slack Wax — the goods this business leads with — while BHD Chemical covers the industrial side of the catalogue. We quote paraffin wax price against a named grade and a stated delivery basis, never a headline figure with no specification behind it. Buyers evaluating a paraffin wax supplier are welcome to send us a grade and volume and get a quote grounded in what is actually on offer.
Sources
- U.S. Energy Information Administration (undated) — Petroleum & Other Liquids Spot Prices — link
- U.S. Energy Information Administration (undated) — Refinery Net Production — link
- World Bank WITS (UN Comtrade) (2023) — United States Paraffin wax imports by country — link
- United Nations Statistics Division (undated) — UNdata: Paraffin waxes — link
- U.S. International Trade Commission (2026) — Harmonized Tariff Schedule, Chapter 27 — link
- U.S. International Trade Commission (undated) — Publication 5232 — link
- International Trade Administration (undated) — Harmonized System (HS) Codes — link
- ASTM International (undated) — ASTM D87, Melting Point of Petroleum Wax — link
- Kline & Company (2026) — The Wax Market at a Crossroads — link
Frequently asked questions
What is paraffin wax price?
Paraffin wax price is the cost per unit weight of paraffin wax as traded commercially, tracking crude oil feedstock costs, refinery output and regional supply rather than sitting at one fixed figure.
How does paraffin wax price work?
It builds up from feedstock cost, refinery yield, freight and import duty, and grade specification. Trade classification under HTS Chapter 27 (USITC, 2026) affects the duty component, and EIA refinery production data signals supply tightness that moves the price.
Who is paraffin wax price for?
It matters most to candle makers running economy, utility, container and textile-yarn paraffin lines, wax distributors managing slack-wax blending inventory, cosmetics formulators sourcing wax for creams and balms, and procurement teams negotiating with a paraffin wax supplier.
How much does paraffin wax price cost?
There is no single published number — it depends on grade, date and delivery terms. As a reference point, 2023 US paraffin wax imports averaged roughly $1.79 per kilogram in aggregate value ($192,737.75K across 107,888,000 kg, World Bank WITS/UN Comtrade, 2023), though that blends multiple grades and origins.
paraffin wax price vs alternatives?
Within the paraffin range, grade — HP3, M3 or UL2 — drives price more than any single market factor, so buyers should compare price grade-for-grade. Demand for this material class has grown even as domestic petroleum wax supply has contracted (USITC; Kline & Company, 2026).
Why buyers work with BHD Group
Two divisions operate under a single accountable house. There is no handoff between a trading desk and a sourcing desk that leaves a buyer chasing an answer — one team owns the order from enquiry to delivery.
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