Martin Bäcker

POLYMER PRICES PVC December: Rollover for end of year / Talks focused on 2026	05.01.2026
PETROCHEMICAL MARKETS ABS: Fire at Elix in Spain causes plant shutdown / Possible force majeure	22.12.2025
YEAR-ENDER 2025: POLYMER PRICES Imported PTA boosts PET volumes, not profitability / EU mandates support virgin PET as market shrinks / Global PE, PP oversupply caps prices / Packaging, construction, automotive demand subdued	17.12.2025
POLYMER PRICES PVC: Compound formulations defined / Indices to be recalculated from January	17.12.2025
LOGISTICS Heavy shipping traffic on world's oceans causes freight rates to tumble / Intra-Asia routes the exception	05.12.2025
HUNTSMAN Shutdown of major MDI line in Netherlands / No impact on availability expected	03.12.2025
POLYMER PRICES PVC November: Quotations give way / Important price adjustment at turn of year: NMA	01.12.2025
LOGISTICS Opposing trends in container freight rates: US routes down, Europe more expensive / Port strikes in Belgium, Portugal	28.11.2025
PLASTICS RECYCLING EUROPE Downturn deepens in 2024 as structural pressures drag on / Data shows first-ever drop in input and output – PRE report	17.11.2025
LOGISTICS Maersk cautions on freight rates after strong Q3 / Hapag-Lloyd puts 12th container giant into service / Freight rates facing a turnaround?	07.11.2025
POLYMER PRICES PVC: Non-market adjustment amount set from January 2026 onwards / PVC compound formula to be revised / Two new types of recyclate added	04.11.2025
POLYMER PRICES PVC October: Prices move sideways / Downward pressure expected in November / PVC compound formulations to be updated in 2026	03.11.2025
POLYMER PRICES PVC September: Prices persist at rollover level / Weak demand from construction, automotive thwarts producers' ambitions for price hikes	01.10.2025
LOGISTICS Artificial capacity shortages lend breath of fresh air to freight rates	12.09.2025
POLYMER PRICES PVC: Non-market adjustment essential for quotations from January 2026 onwards / PVC compound formulation to be revised / Two types of rPVC to be included in future	03.09.2025
POLYMER PRICES PVC August: Virtually no movement despite falling ethylene costs / Demand from construction and automotive still weak / Exports offer glimmer of hope as India could provide new momentum	01.09.2025
POLYMER PRICES PVC July: Price stability at start of holidays / Little change with supply and demand / Smaller decline likely in August	01.08.2025
PETROCHEMICAL MARKETS PU: Covestro declares force majeure on TDI and polyols from Germany	17.07.2025
PETROCHEMICAL MARKETS Ducor declares force majeure for polypropylene from Netherlands	08.07.2025
POLYMER PRICES PX June: Contract delayed again / Experts expect an increase	07.07.2025
POLYMER PRICES PVC June: Prices stable despite a weak order situation / Waiting for movement – will July lack direction too?	01.07.2025
PLASTIC RECYCLING 27th International Waste Plastics Day set to take place on 24-25 June in Germany / PIE market expert Martin Bäcker to give presentation	19.06.2025
LOGISTICS Trade war truce between US and China pushes freight rates up	16.05.2025
US-CHINA TARIFFS De-escalation: Both nations agree to significantly slash tariffs / Positive reactions on the oil market	12.05.2025
PETROCHEMICAL MARKETS PET: Spain's Novapet reportedly faces problems after blackout	30.04.2025