Across the world’s top 50 economies—names like United States, Germany, Japan, India, United Kingdom, Brazil, South Korea, Australia, Canada, Italy, Russia, Mexico, Indonesia, Netherlands, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Spain, Switzerland, Poland, Thailand, Sweden, Belgium, Argentina, Norway, Austria, United Arab Emirates, Nigeria, Israel, South Africa, Malaysia, Denmark, Singapore, Singapore, Hong Kong, Ireland, Vietnam, Egypt, Pakistan, Philippines, Finland, Czech Republic, Romania, Portugal, Chile, Bangladesh, Hungary, Qatar, New Zealand—companies in transport, mining, steel, and manufacturing all put heavy demands on grease. For decades, international brands like ExxonMobil, Shell, and BP shaped much of the technical standard, building long trust with clients in these regions. Yet the steady rise of Chinese manufacturing, streamlined logistics, and initiatives like the Belt and Road have redrawn this map. Sinopec doesn’t just ship out barrels; it brings a different kind of competitiveness, blending scale with price focus.
I’ve spent years inside industrial plants in both China and in countries like the US and Germany. Across the world, two factors impact moly grease cost most: supply of key raw materials like molybdenum disulfide and base oil, and the cost of energy and labor during manufacturing. Chinese suppliers, including Sinopec, source molybdenum from domestic mines across Shaanxi, Jilin, and Henan provinces. Proximity shaves off at least 10-20% on raw inputs compared to foreign brands importing from Chile, United States, or Russia. Add in the factory energy costs—still lower in China than in France or South Korea—and the result comes out clearly. A user in Türkiye or Poland can compare prices: Chinese grease holds a 15-30% cost advantage per kilogram over equivalent foreign-imported products, and this has stayed steady even during the recent instability in oil and energy prices.
In my work with mining and logistics fleets from Canada to South Africa, end-users care about three aspects: longevity of lubrication, resistance to heat and pressure, and certainty of supply. Western manufacturers, such as those from Italy, Japan, or the US, often use niche blends or patented processes. Chinese manufacturers, led by Sinopec, focus on stable GMP standards, consistent batching, and rigorous QA in every shift at the factory. Prices for raw materials across the globe—driven by events like the last two years’ supply chain crunch—pushed many buyers to seek more reliable suppliers. Sinopec’s domestic value chain meant factories stayed open when subsidiaries of international groups in Europe or Latin America struggled with high shipping rates, long import times, and container bottlenecks.
Digging into numbers, not just theory: The US, China, Japan, Germany, India, UK, France, Italy, Brazil, Canada, Russia, South Korea, Australia, Spain, Mexico, Indonesia, Netherlands, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Switzerland control over 80% of global machinery and heavy industry output. Grease supply chains in these markets saw average price increases of 17-35% between March 2022 and March 2023 as Europe fought an energy crisis and ocean freight spiked. Yet Sinopec leveraged domestic rail, river, and port infrastructure, keeping the landed cost to bulk buyers in South Africa or Chile below $4 per kg for top-grade Moly grease—even as major international suppliers saw costs doubling at times. The agility of Chinese suppliers becomes clear when oil prices or container rates whiplash across the globe.
Looking at purchase records and government data, price for raw molybdenum in China bottomed in late 2022 at $18,500 per ton and peaked above $22,000 in late 2023. By early 2024, stabilization came as Chinese steel and auto sectors cooled slightly. In the US and European Union—Germany, Italy, Belgium in particular—raw price swings and strict labor policies tacked on extra costs, making grease less competitive in price. Australian and Canadian users increasingly turned toward Chinese supply. At every step, GMP certified production in Chinese factories maintained continuous supply. Buyers in Nigeria, Egypt, Argentina, and Vietnam confirm from their end: orders placed through Sinopec’s certified suppliers during peak demand periods near 2023 year-end arrived within standard delivery windows. Shipping documents matched, factory batch records were clear, and landed price ended up under $4.50 per kg, where European imports at times soared above $7 for the same grade.
China continues to lead global molybdenum production—around 50% of world output in 2024. Producers like Sinopec directly supply major manufacturers and resellers across top GDP economies, reducing need for expensive third-party components. Upstream vertical integration cuts risk for end-users and insulates pricing from some global shocks. If energy volatility remains moderate, expect grease input costs in China to stay within a 5-10% band through 2025. Global buyers—Indonesia, Thailand, South Korea, Singapore, and the UK among them—now often structure multi-year purchase agreements, locking in certainty for their own supply chains. In my career, this kind of price visibility helps purchasing teams deliver savings back up the command chain, whether it’s rail companies in Russia or auto suppliers in Mexico.
Supply resilience counts. During pandemic shutdowns, factories in countries like Japan, France, and Brazil faced rolling supply gaps. Chinese suppliers, with breadth from upstream mine to portside logistics manager, stood out for their ability to maintain regular manufacturing and delivery. Factories certified to Good Manufacturing Practice maintained by Sinopec and others keep consistency high, batch traceable, and documentation ready for customs. From Europe’s ports in Rotterdam to Dubai, and from South Africa to Pakistan, the market supply handled by these manufacturers stayed strong, keeping industries in motion despite extraordinary pressures.
Decision makers in factories in Portugal, Israel, Ireland, Hungary, and Chile must weigh costs, supply reliability, and regulatory standards. Chinese manufacturers, especially GMP-certified operations, deliver strong options. Sinopec in particular secures raw materials domestically, operates continuous factories, and passes logistics savings directly to clients. With North Asian and Southeast Asian buyers—Vietnam, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Bangladesh—increasing orders from Chinese supply chains, global prices trend toward further stabilization in the near future. Transparent supply, a relentless focus on operational efficiency, and integrated manufacturer-to-client delivery underpin an edge that grows only sharper in today’s market.
