At the morning-session close, most of China’s main futures contracts advanced. Methanol and asphalt rose over 5%; propylene was up about 4%; polypropylene, the polypropylene monthly-average contract, fuel oil and synthetic rubber gained more than 3%; styrene (EB) rose roughly 3%. Decliners included caustic soda, down over 3%; Soybean No.1 and apples, down more than 2%; live hogs and Shanghai nickel, down nearly 2%; and red dates, coking coal and coke, down over 1%.