Polymer Prices Standard Thermoplastics

Standard Thermoplastics in February 2009: Initial gains slip back during the course of the month / PE up slightly / PP in a rollover / PVC down marginally / Styrenics firmer / Outlook uncertain

Standard Thermoplastics Trend February 2009: Prices seem to have bottomed out / Ethylene contract lifts PE up / PP and PVC bulk business now stable / Styrenics rise, but margins narrow

Standard Thermoplastics in January 2009: Polyolefins at rock bottom / Feedstocks tend upwards / PVC prices sliding on a broad front / PS follows monomer / EPS pressured by depressed demand / Outlook is for firming

Standard Thermoplastics Trend January 2009: Polyolefin plunge subsides / Feedstock contracts in flux / PVC eases / PS follows monomer downward / EPS suffers from slack demand

Standard Thermoplastics in December 2008: Year-end fire sale further pressures polyolefins / PVC down slightly / More of SM price drop passed on / Producers' planned hikes aim to return stability to the market

Standard Thermoplastics Trend December 2008: Polyolefin plunge almost unstoppable / Triple-digit notations / PVC market mixed / Fresh SM fall heightens pressure / Some order revival / Downward potential exhausted?

Standard thermoplastics in November 2008: Polyolefins slump dramatically / Sharp declines drop notations into the triple-digit range / PVC sees more moderate setback / Will monomer crash trigger a further nosedive?

Standard Thermoplastics Trend November 2008: Prices continue to plunge / PE notations fall heavily again / PP and PVC decline more moderately / Styrenics pay the price for SM crash / No end to pressure

New "A-Plastixx" indices enable analysis of plastic prices by individual markets / Greater transparency for converters and their customers / Packaging, construction, automotive and E&E applications

Standard thermoplastics in October 2008: Notations in free fall / PE collapses / Demand weak overall / Many production cutbacks / Market seeks the bottom of the spiral / Benzene “implosion” unravels styrene chain

Standard Thermoplastics Trend October 2008: Prices for commodities plummet / No more fantasy in monomer rebates / Pipelines still well filled / Oversupply persists despite production cuts / Further price reductions possible

Standard Thermoplastics in September 2008: Most polymers on the decline at the end of Q3 / Buyers still holding back / Demand poor / Damage limitation through production cuts / Feedstock situation eases / Notations in October likely to soften further

Standard Thermoplastics Trend September 2008: Prices start to slide back from summer's peak levels / Notations fall as buyers hold back and demand slackens / Dark clouds hang over Q4

Standard Thermoplastics in August 2008: Further increases across the board / Perceptible levelling off in month's second half / Southern Europe holiday doldrums depress demand / End to upward spiral in sight?

Standard Thermoplastics Trend August 2008: Signs of consolidation / "Remaining increases" for polyolefins / PVC producers near two-month target / EPS and PS rise in parallel with the monomer

Standard Thermoplastics in July 2008: Historic rises for polyolefins / PE up by as much as EUR 170/t, PP gains "only" half as much / Supply gaps for commodities / Demand slows / Producers seeking more hikes

Standard Thermoplastics Trend July 2008: Q3 ethylene price propels polyolefins and PVC upward / PS and EPS point sharply upward on tight styrene / Supply balanced to tight / Slack demand / Proposed price hikes likely to grip

Standard thermoplastics in June 2008: Second quarter closes with dramatic cost bang / Supplies of some polymers short due to plant outages and capacity cutbacks / Steep rises announced

Standard thermoplastics at the beginning of June 2008: Cost explosion in oil and derivatives makes an impact / PE climbs strongly due to stockpiling / PP does about-turn to move up / PVC relatively weak / PS and EPS take off

Standard Thermoplastics in May 2008: Polyolefins weaken further / Only EVA up slightly / PVC slips very slightly / Styrenics margins down / High cost of naphtha fuels producer price drive

Standard thermoplastics at the beginning of May 2008: Downwind has slackened / Oversupply gradually draining away / Demand mostly normal / Calls for increases either stabilise or drive prices up

Standard Thermoplastics in April 2008: Most notations point downward / Oversupply begins to bite / Demand mostly normal / “Short” business month could limit price hikes in May

LyondellBasell resigns from plastics committee

Standard thermoplastics in April 2008: Polyolefins flagging / Upturn for PVC / PS down but margins improve / EPS in rollover / Weather dampens seasonal demand / Plant outages have little effect / April still has potential for upswing

Standard thermoplastics in March 2008: Market lacks direction / PE upswing brought to a halt / PP crumbles / PVC stable / PS moves up but margins erode / Slight recovery for EPS / Hopes for strong April