Polymer Prices World Regions

China Standard Thermoplastics February 2016: Feedstock costs rise on back of tight supply and post-holiday demand / Processors resume activity in mid-February / Demand in line with expectations / Domestic polymer prices mostly firm / Import quotes rising

China Engineering Thermoplastics January 2016: Butadiene and styrene rise while other feedstocks point down / Polymer prices firm / ABS and PC rise slightly / Consumption in line with expectations / Processors gearing down for Chinese New Year holidays

North America January 2016: PE continues to slide / PP proceeds to climb / PVC and PS stuck / Engineering thermoplastics pointing down

China Standard Thermoplastics January 2016: C2 and C3 point down, while styrene rises / Polymers mostly firm / Local producers manage to lift some notations slightly ahead of Chinese New Year holidays / Imports trending up / Demand normal for the season

Russia January 2016: Notations mostly roll over amid little activity / Volatile exchange rate drives up PVC and PET / Respective trends expected to continue into February / PS catching its breath before renewed uptrend?

North America December 2015: PE holds stable / PP continues to rise / PVC crumbling / PS prices roll over / Engineering thermoplastics notations stable to down

China Engineering Thermoplastics December 2015: Feedstocks rise / Only benzene and PX point down / Polymer notations recede / Only PC firms / Demand slightly higher than in November / Processors could stock up in January ahead of Chinese New Year holidays

Russia December 2015: PE and PVC notations cave in across a broad front / PET firms / PP and PS trending sideways / Prices expected to stabilise in January

China Standard Thermoplastics December 2015: Feedstock notations firm / Domestic producers fail to lift polymer prices / Cost of imports continues to slide / National polymer inventory trending slightly long amid flat demand

China Engineering Thermoplastics November 2015: Feedstock costs trending down / Polymer notations continue to drop / PA sees largest fall / Consumption at normal levels / Little change expected in December

North America November 2015: PE moves sideways as expected / PP edges up another notch / PVC continues to soften / PS bottoms out / ABS recovers / PC and polyamide still under pressure

Russia November 2015: Second month of declines / PS once again the exception / Underlying market dynamics unchanged / Price fall largely the result of end-of-year slowdown / December predictions range from stability to further decreases

China Standard Thermoplastics November 2015: Ethylene rises while propylene and styrene trend soft / Domestic polymer notations slump / Imports also recede / Demand mostly flat / PE inventory down as PP rises

China Engineering Thermoplastics October 2015: Aside from butadiene, all feedstocks post modest gains / Low consumption levels keep polymer notations down / Decline in PA 6.6 particularly steep / No significant changes expected in November

North America October 2015: Polyethylene trends stable / Polypropylene rising / PVC continues to erode / Polystyrene at rock bottom following earlier decline / Engineering thermoplastics point down

Russia October 2015: Notations down across the board / Only PS prices rise slightly / HDPE extrusion grades see steepest fall / Further declines in the cards for November

China Standard Thermoplastics October 2015: Feedstock costs up / Domestic polymer prices remain depressed / PE import notations recover slightly / Demand down following National Day Holidays / High PE and PP inventories

North America September 2015: Notations cave in across a broad front / PS down by triple digits / Benzene fall takes engineering thermoplastics along with it

Russia September 2015: Prices continue to rise even as rouble stabilises / Domestic producers in dire straits / HDPE extremely tight / Processors under immense pressure

China Engineering Thermoplastics September 2015: Feedstock prices firm or pointing slightly up / Polymers remain soft / Strong demand / Domestic ABS producers lift output to meet orders / Outlook for October positive

China Standard Thermoplastics September 2015: Feedstocks develop differently / Ethylene recovers while propylene falls / Polymer notations continue to soften / Demand up markedly ahead of National Day holiday

China Engineering Thermoplastics August 2015: Feedstock notations fall to new lows / Polymers also pointing down / Low consumption levels / Outlook for September more upbeat

North America August 2015: Standard thermoplastics notations drop across the board / Global downtrend also drives engineering thermoplastics lower / September expected to see further declines

China Standard Thermoplastics August 2015: Feedstock prices at new annual low / Polymers down across the board / Consumption slows / Tianjin disaster has limited immediate impact on petrochemical logistics

Russia August 2015: Rise in rouble-based notations / Prohibitive costs lead several converters to shut down their operations / Producers seek refuge in export channel / Volatile exchange rate drives prices down in euro-terms / No relief in sight