Caixin Global published on 25 September 2026 (12:10 a.m. GMT+8) that a toxic gas leak at Shanghai BASF Polyurethane Co. Ltd. (SBPC), a major Shanghai chemical plant operated by Germany's BASF SE, prompted a temporary production halt and raised concern over plastics feedstocks. Caixin said it confirmed the incident through multiple sources on Thursday (24 Sep).
According to the report, the release occurred Wednesday morning when wastewater-treatment equipment failed and nitrogen oxides escaped. Digest details on the same page state the leak was contained within about two hours, with limited reported impact on employees and the environment.
SBPC produces toluene diisocyanate (TDI) and methylene diphenyl diisocyanate (MDI), core inputs for polyurethane foams, coatings, adhesives, and elastomers used across furniture, footwear, appliances, and industrial goods. Caixin's digest cites annual capacity of about 220,000 tons of TDI (around 10% of China capacity) and about 300,000 tons of MDI (around 4%). Spot reaction was immediate in East China: TDI was reported at 17,450 yuan/ton on 23 Sep (+2.35%) and 18,050 yuan/ton on 24 Sep (+3.44% day on day in the digest timeline); polymeric MDI was reported up about 1.4% to 17,800 yuan/ton.
Buyers should treat the halt as a feedstock risk into the Mid-Autumn (25-27 Sep) and Golden Week (1-7 Oct) window, when factory and logistics staffing is already thin. Confirm whether finished-goods quotes include a chemical surcharge, and whether suppliers have alternate MDI/TDI allocation outside East China spot.