Polymer Prices Standard Thermoplastics

Standard thermoplastics at the beginning of September: Most polyolefins rise only slightly / Demand slows / PVC clearly on the way up / PS crumbles under renewed fall in styrene monomer contract / EPS numbers starting to bottom out?

Standard thermoplastics in August: Producers' demands fail to bite / Supply improves / PE and PP up slightly / PVC stable / PS weakens / EPS down heavily / Demand returning to normal / Outlook varies

Standard thermoplastics at the beginning of August: Proposed steep hikes fail to go through / Polyolefins up slightly / PVC in strong rollover / PS and EPS see further declines / Supply balanced on the whole / Demand not as weak as expected

Standard thermoplastics July 2007: Second half-year begins mainly with increases / Polyolefins and PVC rise significantly / PS and EPS notations down less than monomer / Supply adequate - not long / Improved availability of EPS

Standard thermoplastics at the beginning of July 2007: Inconsistent picture at the start of H2 / Producers push through hikes in polyolefins and PVC / PS and EPS come down on falling styrene / Most commodities tight / PVC and EPS availability improves

Standard thermoplastics June 2007: Strong demand soaks up short supplies / Delivery bottlenecks for feedstocks / Most prices move up / Fall in styrene price checks call for substantial increases in PS and EPS

Standard thermoplastics beginning of June 2007 / Force majeure declarations and maintenance turnarounds hit olefin supply / Tough negotiations on steep hike plans / Will higher styrene prices be passed on? / PVC rising / Demand stable

Standard thermoplastics May 2007: Feedstock shortage and strong demand drive prices up / Polyolefins resist / PS rises on monomer increase / PVC and EPS stable / Producers call for hikes

Standard thermoplastics at the beginning of May 2007: Moderate rise for polyolefins / Monomer increase passed on in PS prices / PVC and EPS stable / Volumes mostly short / Steep hikes no longer a topic

Standard thermoplastics April 2007: Polyolefins and PS generally tight / Most of rise in monomer prices passed on / PVC and EPS roll over / Some production plants down / Producers put steep hikes on the table

Standard thermoplastics at the beginning at April 2007: Demand and higher monomer contracts drive polymers upward / Polyolefins and PS rise significantly / Only PVC and EPS still stuck in a strong rollover / Supply generally adequate

Standard thermoplastics March 2007: Continued strong demand for packaging boosts polyolefins / Only traders and distributors able to pre-buy / PVC and EPS unchanged as building rests until Easter at least / Notations likely to move up in April

Standard thermoplastics at the beginning of March 2007: Supply situation varies / Producers´ increases go through almost everywhere / Polyolefins and PS tend upward / PVC and EPS stuck in a rollover / Building products still slack

Standard thermoplastics February 2007: Films business buzzes / Construction industry still quiet / Announced increases only just begin to bite / Polyolefins firm / PVC mixed / PS and EPS softer / Prices set to climb considerably in March

Standard thermoplastics at the beginning of February 2007: Capacity utilisation and supply normal / Producer-planned hikes not yet felt / Polyolefins firmer, PVC softer but stable / Steep drop in PS prices leads to hoarding / Slight discounts also for EPS

Standard thermoplastics January 2007: No turnaround / PE, PP and EPS basically roll over / PVC slips / PS up slightly / Supply situation normal / Rises announced for polyolefins and PVC

Standard thermoplastics at the beginning of January 2007: Normal start to the year / Most prices firmer / Only PVC slightly softer / Supplies adequate / No sign of producers´ hoped-for turnaround

Standard thermoplastics December 2006: Only a few small "Christmas gifts" / Polyolefins and PS still soft / PVC and EPS firm / Good order book situation for January / Prices set to rise again?

Standard thermoplastics trend December 2006: Waiting for year-end bargains / Polyolefins softer / PVC and EPS firm / Plant outages persist

Standard thermoplastics November 2006: Very differentiated picture / Polyolefins show sharp drop / PS tends weaker / PVC and EPS more robust / Overcapacity pressures notations / Steep hikes announced for January

Standard thermoplastics trend November 2006: Mixed picture / Polyolefin prices come down significantly / PVC continues to climb / PS weakening / EPS rolls over as market ceiling reached

Standard thermoplastics October 2006: Slack orders prompt price concessions for PE / Rollover for PP and PS / Demand pushes PVC still higher / EPS upsurge appears to be nearing its limit

Standard thermoplastics at the beginning of October 2006: Market situation dampens producers´ demands / PE just short of rollover / PVC, PP and PS up slightly / EPS still tight but upward curve somewhat flatter

Standard thermoplastics in September 2006: Commodities hit by wave of price rises / Battle for volumes / Demand still strong / Significant increases also on the horizon for October

Standard thermoplastics at the beginning of September: Rises take hold on a broad front / PE and PVC up sharply, PP advances slowly / PS producers at last improve margins / EPS situation still dramatic