Polymer Prices World Regions

China Standard Thermoplastics June/July 2013: Feedstock prices rise considerably / Domestic market entering slow season / Pricing steady to trending soft / LDPE outperforms other grades

North America June 2013: Polyolefins point slightly upward / PC and PS weak but stable / Engineering thermoplastics still sluggish / Little momentum in the market

Russia June 2013: Market on a downward trend / Little demand in July / Weak ruble works against exports

China Engineering Thermoplastics May/June 2013: Feedstock prices remain generally soft / Butadiene retreats / Pricing stable to slight drop

Russia May 2013: Weak demand puts pressure on prices / June business also expected to be dull

China Standard Thermoplastics May/June 2013: Feedstock pricing strengthens / Commodity business picks up / Prices lift on renewed optimism

North America May 2013: PE market caught in a rollover / Rate of decline for PP and PVC slows / PS bounces back / Engineering thermoplastics still weak

China Engineering Thermoplastics April/May 2013: Feedstock prices generally soft / Butadiene finally wakes up / Pricing stable to slight drop

China Standard Thermoplastics April/May 2013: Mixed bag of perspectives / Ethylene pricing continues depressed / Largely stable pricing / Some slight upward movements / Downstream processing capacity utilisation 70%

Russia April 2013: Notations for LDPE climb due to production-related narrow markets / Subdued demand leads to downward pressure on prices for all other standard thermoplastics / PP continues to be at overcapacity

North America April 2013: PE sideways after March rise / PP follows steep monomer dive / PVC sideways / PS crumbles on slight pressure / Engineering still subdued

China Engineering Thermoplastics March/April 2013: Feedstock prices continue to slide / ABS, PC tending soft / Little movement for PA, POM and PMMA

China Standard Thermoplastics March/April 2013: Market mostly stable / Feedstock prices soft / Local manufacturers cut polymer notations to move volumes / No signs of an imminent revival

Russia March 2013: Notations mostly point down in final month of Q1 / LDPE proves the exception as film season gets underway / PVC and PET treading water / Mixed start to Q2

North America March 2013: Producers manage to hike PE notations / January price escapade cripples PE sales as notations continue to fall / PVC drive starts to slow / PS still stable / Engineering thermoplastics continue to tread water

China Engineering Thermoplastics February/March 2013: Feedstock prices down post-Chinese new year / Plans to hike ABS prices / PC also rising / Little movement for polyamides, PBT and POM

China Standard Thermoplastics February/March 2013: Production slowly returns to normal following New Year holidays / Feedstock and polymer notations weak / Widely expected post-holiday run fails to materialise / Highly dependent on styrene imports

Russia February 2013: All grades aside from HDPE and PP post slight gains / GPPS sees largest increase / Processing season slowly gets underway / March could see additional hikes

North America February 2013: PE moving sideways / PP contracts continue to rise despite spot market turnaround / PVC pointing upwards / PS receding again / Engineering thermoplastics mostly subdued despite cost pressure

China Engineering Thermoplastics January/February 2013: Feedstock prices see moderate rises ahead of lunar new year break / PC largely stable / ABS slightly up / Introducing PIE's latest China price report

China Standard Thermoplastics January/February 2013: Sector at standstill as country celebrates lunar new year / C2 and C3 notations rising / Calls for higher prices once holiday period ends / Consumption expected to rebound in Year of the Snake

Russia January 2013: Holiday season puts brake on polymer markets / Very little movement in either direction / Only HIPS, PVC and PET up slightly / Calls for February hikes could be quashed by poor demand

North America January 2013: Polyethylene prices rise considerably / Polypropylene notations explode / Benzene drives styrenics higher / PVC firm / Polycarbonate prices start to wobble / All quiet on the polyamide front

North America: Propylene contract notations rising rapidly / PP spot prices follow the upward trend

China December 2012 / January 2013: Twin hikes for feedstocks and thermoplastics / PS notations set new record / Last push before two-week Chinese New Year hiatus / Petrochemical sector's pre-tax profit down 8% year-on-year over first 10 months of 2011