Base petrochemicals, aromatics and feedstocks: March/April 2020

Polyethylene March 2020: Injection moulding grades under pressure / Film grades manage to hold ground / Demand for blow moulding material runs wild / Many stocks overflowing / C2 crash will drive polymer notations down

Polypropylene March 2020: C3 setback pressures PP / Compounds unchanged / Converters lack common strategy / Sharp downswing likely in April

PVC March 2020: C2 price fall keeps demands for an increase in check / Only slight changes in notations in most cases / Pastes feel somewhat more pressure / Larger reductions foreseeable in April

Styrenics March 2020: Prices in free fall after styrene reference crash / Processors securing stocks to weather the coronavirus pandemic / Massive turbulence in April is in the cards

PET March 2020: Oil market crash generates momentum for reductions / Panic buying during virus outbreak cushions the fall / Further price decreases expected in April / Covid-19 raises a big question mark

Engineering thermoplastics March 2020: Most grades roll over / Only polyamides on the decline / Benzene crash to overshadow April / E&E sector could stabilise prices for POM and PBT

Plans to start building EUR 12m polyamide compounds plant in China

Acquisition of US plastic compounds manufacturer PCTNA / First manufacturing base in North America

Acquisition of LyondellBasell's site in Texas

Covid-19 slows work on Texas PO/TBA plant / Group remains “committed” to project completion

Work on Pennsylvania shale complex suspended / Authorities fear coronoavirus risk to workers

Plants operating with skeleton staff due to coronavirus pandemic / Full-year outlook revised

Economic consequences of Covid-19 to peak in next six weeks / Advice to converters – continue production at full speed, then stop / Germany's ArGeZ sees technical parts manufacturing halting between end of March and end of April

Significant downside anticipated from coronavirus in coming months / Packaging companies see rise in demand / BPF survey

Will the coronavirus pandemic turn the tide back to disposables? / US moves away from plastic bans / Industry will face “major challenges” in the aftermath

European and US vehicle production shutting down due to Covid-19 / Car giants dealing with supply disruptions and plummeting demand

ContiTech declares force majeure at its sites in all countries affected by Covid-19 / Akwel halts or reduces production

Production in Europe and North America at a standstill / Plants in China operating at 50%

Government introduces Covid-19 measures to help out businesses / Pagev sees lack of including plastics sector as major deficiency / Polyolefin spot prices trending sharply downward

EU commission postpones MDR application / Shortages in getting devices certified "not an option right now" with Covid-19

Cecimo calls on additive manufacturers to aid hospitals / Need for critical equipment during Covid-19 outbreak

Semperit has gloves flown in from Malaysia to support coronavirus work / Plastics companies launch mask collaboration with local partners

Chemicals and plastics producers help with hand sanitiser supply / Ineos building new plants for ethanol and isopropanol / North Sea Forties pipeline planned shutdown delayed