Polymer Price Reports Released for September 2018

The latest polymer price reports and charts have been released by Plastrack.

Standard Thermoplastics Trends September 2018:

Ethylene (C2) Feedstock – in September prices increased slightly by Eur 4/mt.  Demand and supply are at normal levels.

Propylene (C3) – in September prices increased by Eur 22/mt.  This is a slight increase when viewed in light of increasing crude oil and naphtha prices however lower demand levels resisted further price escalation.  Supply is at a low level attributed to scheduled cracker maintenance however no supply disruptions are foreseen due to lower levels of overall demand.

LDPE, LLDPE, HDPE small price reductions continued to trickle through in September.  Supply was at normal levels although increased availability of imported supplies helped resist upward price movements.  Demand has returned to normal levels following the summer period.

PP pricing increased by Eur 10/mt in September due to low supply. Major supply issues were prevented by lower levels of demand experienced in the period.

PVC pricing levels increased by only 5 Eur/mt in September. Supply levels remain at very high levels and demand levels have returned to normal after the summer period.

Styrenic prices experienced a Eur 52/mt increase in the month on the back of rising styrene monomer pricing levels. The market is well balanced with both supply and demand being at normal levels.

Engineering Thermoplastics Trends September 2018:
Benzene feedstock pricing decreased by Eur 10/mt in the month. The market remains over supplied with normal supply levels and lower demand. The NL production outage reported last month has been rectified however this has not resulted in significantly higher levels of demand in the period.

PC prices continue to be stable with normal levels of supply and demand. Demand is predicted to continue at low levels due to weaker demand from the automotive sector. This should provide a good level of resistance against any upward price movement next month.

PA6 pricing was stable in the month with only a slight increase of Eur 4/mt being seen. The market is balanced with normal levels of supply and demand. The outlook in the short term is for reducing demand which should provide further stability on the pricing front going forward.

PA66 pricing was stable but there is still no end in sight for the low supply situation. The price stability is attributed to weaker automotive demand although the forward outlook is that prices will continue to rise.

PBT pricing averages increased slightly by Eur 2/mt in September. Supply and demand are at normal levels.

POM pricing reduced by Eur 6/mt in September. Supply and demand are at normal levels.

PMMA pricing experienced a Eur 53/mt reduction in September. Supply improved to normal levels and demand was also normal. The forward outlook is for decreasing prices attributed to normal levels of supply and lower levels of demand (particularly from the automotive market).

Plastrack Polymer Price Index

Plastrack is a web based tool which can be accessed by desktop, tablet or mobile and provides pricing data on the most common feedstocks and polymers. Prices are updated on a monthly basis based on information obtained by Plastrack researchers directly from plastics producers, traders, distributors and converters. Visit Plastrack’s website for more information.