Polymer Price Reports Released for June 2018

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

Standard Thermoplastics Trends June 2018:

Ethylene (C2) Feedstock – in June we saw a further increase of Eur 57/mt marking the third consecutive month of price rises. Slight relief is on the horizon in July with a small price fall of between Eur 10/mt and Eur 20/mt being predicted. Demand and supply are at normal levels.

Propylene (C3) – In June we saw increases of Eur 83/mt although the pace of increases is set to stabilize with little to no movement expected in July. Demand and supply are at normal levels.

LDPE, LLDPE, HDPE demand and supply is well balanced but pricing edged upward as producers pushed through the increase seen in Ethylene (C2) feedstock.

PP has increased in price in line with Propylene feedstock price rises. Demand and supply are balanced. There is predicted to be some respite from the past few months of price increases in July where roll over pricing is anticipated from most producers.

PVC pricing levels edged upwards by around Eur 18/mt in the month – somewhat lower than producers would have liked but the resistance to upward price movement was significant. Demand and supply are balanced but demand is on the higher side.

Styrenic prices experienced an increase in the month of around Eur 54/mt which was surprising as the Styrene monomer pricing was relatively stable in the month. Anticipated forward price volatility in styrene monomer will continue to add uncertainty in pricing however supply and demand are balanced and at normal levels.

Engineering Thermoplastics Trends June 2018:
Benzene feedstock pricing increased by Eur 53/mt in the month. The market is currently well balanced from a demand and supply perspective however demand is thought to be on the weaker side with the usual summer period depression occurring in a number of end use market segments.

PC price was stable in the month. Demand remains tight with long producer lead times and normal levels of demand.

PA6 pricing was stable in the month. The market appears more balanced although producer lead times remain long. June demand was at normal levels.

PA66 pricing was stable in the month however producers have warned of significant price increases on the horizon with customer letters being issued to a number of consumers. Further force majeure’s in the supply chain have added further headaches to what was an already tight supply situation. Demand was weaker during the month which helped to resist a further upward price movement.

PBT pricing was stable in the period with the supply situation improving (although producers are still quoting longer than average lead times). Further price increases are predicted in the coming months.

POM pricing was stable in the month despite no improvement in the supply situation. Supply remains tight with stronger demand levels in the month. Upward price pressure is expected to continue in the coming months.

PMMA pricing was stable in the month however supply remains at reduced levels with normal levels of demand.

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.