Polymer Price Reports Released for August 2018
The latest polymer price reports and charts have been released by Plastrack.
Standard Thermoplastics Trends August 2018:
Ethylene (C2) Feedstock – in August prices continued to remain stable. Demand and supply are at normal levels and the scheduled cracker outages (maintenance) in September is not thought to be sufficient to trigger upward price pressure in the near term.
Propylene (C3) – in August prices were stable with normal levels of supply and demand. Prices are expected to creep up in September against fears of lower supply and higher levels of demand predicted following the summer holiday period.
LDPE, LLDPE, HDPE small price reductions trickled through in August as they did in July as a result of lower demand from the usual summer period and normal levels of supply. September is expected to be stable with little market change from a demand, supply or price perspective.
PP pricing and conditions were stable during August with the market being well balanced from a demand and supply perspective. Demand was lower as was expected due to the summer holiday period. Small price increases are expected in September as demand returns to higher levels.
PVC pricing levels reduced by around Eur 8/mt in the month as weaker demand was balanced against a continuing high supply situation. The current levels of demand and supply and price stability is expected to continue into September.
Styrenic prices experienced a Eur 14/mt reduction in the month as the lower levels of demand caused by the summer holiday period continued. Pricing is expected to creep up in September following a rise in styrene monomer pricing and predicted higher demand levels.
Engineering Thermoplastics Trends August 2018:
Benzene feedstock pricing decreased by Eur 53/mt in the month. The market is over supplied. Further price falls are predicted in September since Lyondell Covestro´s production outage in NL is leading to significantly weaker demand levels.
PC price was stable in the month. Continuing lower levels of demand was balanced well against low levels of supply preventing any pricing change. September conditions are expected to mirror August although demand and supply are expected to increase following the summer holiday period.
PA6 pricing was stable in the month. The market had low levels of demand with normal supply levels. Demand and supply levels will increase in September. It remains to be seen if the current reported slowdown in automotive sectors will impact the demand/supply balance.
PA66 pricing was stable but the supply problems in the market remain. A further increase in pricing is expected in September as demand returns following summer holidays.
PBT pricing was stable in the period with lower levels of demand supply.
POM pricing was stable in the month with lower levels of demand balanced against low levels of supply.
PMMA pricing was stable in the month with lower levels of demand balanced against low levels of supply.
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.
