Polymer Prices World Regions

China Engineering Thermoplastics April 2015: Feedstock prices continue rising / Domestic ABS and PC increase / PA trending soft while PMMA declines / Good demand situation / Little change expected in May

Russia April 2015: Maintenance and high export activity take LDPE notations through the roof / PP follows at a less steeper pace / High feedstock costs and few import alternatives drive up PS / PVC rolls over / PET with slight losses

North America April 2015: PP takes another plunge / PE and PVC tread water / PS rises considerably / Export options improve / PE likely to rise in May / Engineering thermoplastics oscillate

China Standard Thermoplastics April 2015: Rising feedstock costs pull polymer prices up across the board / Demand normal / Processors reluctant to accept higher prices / Little change expected in May

China Engineering Thermoplastics March 2015: Upstream maintenance turnarounds boost feedstock prices / Domestic polymer prices soft while import quotes remain firm / Normal consumption levels / Little change expected for April

North America March 2015: PE and PS bottom out / PP oscillates amid good C3 availability / PVC in unsustainable upwards trend / ABS and PC price erosion largely stopped / PA remains under pressure

Russia March 2015: Large export shipments and technical problems drive up LDPE prices / PVC producers take advantage of lack of imports to hike notations / Stavrolen to resume HDPE production in April / Further predictions remain difficult

China Standard Thermoplastics March 2015: Ethylene, SM rise sharply / C3 increase comparatively moderate / Prices rise across the board / Demand back to normal following Chinese New Year holidays

China Engineering Thermoplastics February 2015: Feedstock costs rebound / Chinese New Year holidays throughout most of February / Polymer prices trending up / Processors resume normal operations in late February

North America February 2015: Polyethylene takes another huge plunge / Other standard thermoplastics bottom out / Still some downward potential for engineering thermoplastics

Russia February 2015: Little market activity / Slight rises for most polymers / Only HDPE blow moulding, EPS and homo PP pointing down / Volatile exchange rate could lead to additional increases in March

China Standard Thermoplastics February 2015: Feedstock prices rebound / Following pre-holiday dip, polymer notations rise as processors return to work / Little activity as a result of Chinese New Year holidays / Yuan continues to strengthen

China Engineering Thermoplastics January 2015: Feedstock costs continue their downward slide / Import prices remain depressed / Polymer prices mostly down / Processors preparing for Chinese New Year holidays

North America January 2015: Notations continue to slide / Feedstock declines impact developments across the entire chain / PP and PS plummet / Engineering thermoplastics follow benzene's downtrend

China Standard Thermoplastics January 2015: C2, SM import quotes continue to slide / C3 import prices rebound / Domestic polymer notations tumble amid rising inventories / February business overshadowed by Chinese New Year mass transit

Russia January 2015: Slow month sees slight rises in most polymer notations / Many plants idled during national holidays / Currency exchange rate continues to wreak havoc / February likely to see further increases

Global oil price slide takes petrochemical chains down with it / Polymer notations plummet across the world / Decline picking up speed / Weak euro brakes downturn somewhat

China Engineering Thermoplastics December 2014: Feedstock costs remain low / Import prices fall / Polymers trending down / January demand expected to be in line with expectations

North America December 2014: Polyethylene recedes again / Polypropylene in free fall / PS and PVC still weak / Engineering thermoplastics continue to crumble / Downward trend in January, too

Russia December 2014: Economic crisis drives up polymer notations / Volatile exchange rate propels cost of imported materials to unaffordable heights / PET rises by almost 20% / Future outlook uncertain

China Standard Thermoplastics December 2014: Feedstock import quotes plunge / C2, C3, SM at new lows / Polymer decline continues / Domestic players attempt to raise prices / Processors mull inventory build-up ahead of lunar new year

China Engineering Thermoplastics November 2014: All feedstock costs down / Some starter materials hit lows not seen in years / Import prices soft / PC stabilises following BPA turnaround / MMA declines put a brake on PMMA hikes

North America November 2014: Notations erode across a broad front / Declining feedstock costs take polymers down / Additional significant corrections expected in December and January

Russia November 2014: Currency effect drives euro notations down / Rouble prices a mixed bag / HDPE injection moulding grades tight and expensive / PP and PET firmer / PVC flagging

China Standard Thermoplastics November 2014: Feedstock import quotes continue in free fall / C2, C3, SM at lows not seen in years / Polymer producers worried about unabated price declines / Processors in holding pattern and keeping inventories low