Base Petrochemicals, Aromatics and Feedstocks: March / April 2019

Polyethylene March 2019: Price hikes largely confined to passing on of costs / Supply and demand generally balanced / Uptrend will increase in April due to maintenance work

Polypropylene March 2019: Weak demand curbs price momentum / Cost movement remains yardstick / Moderate rises likely in April

PVC March 2019: Rather subdued demand hinders producers' margin wishes / Signs pointing to a rise in April

Styrenics March 2019: Prices continue uptrend / Hikes often below cost increases / Processors increasingly fall back to inventories / Further price increases likely

PET March 2019: Slight firming of notations / Sluggish demand stops costs from being passed on / Latent upward pressure in April

Engineering Thermoplastics March 2019: Polyamide notations slide / Otherwise prices remain stable in final month of quarter / Demand still weak / Price cuts to be expected in April

US Gulf: Transport disruptions in Houston following fire at tank farm / Ships queuing up

Saudi Aramco's purchase of 70% stake formally sealed / Sovereign wealth fund to receive proceeds / Benefits for two industry players

Takeover by LyondellBasell delayed / World's largest polyolefins producer still waiting in the wings

Jury remains out on EU's carcinogen classification / German plastics industry sees “no reason” for stricter rules / Conversio study

Additives to be supplied to PureCycle's rPP plant in US / Collaboration includes P&G's technology and Nestlé's packaging

Distributor extends portfolio / Full masterbatch range from Tosaf

Masterbatches from post-consumer recycled PP / First customer projects in packaging sector

Plastic additives group believes Brexit will not impact its business / Little concern over EU draft directive that could restrict oxo-degradables / EU pilot plant planned with Eranova

Restructuring costs push UK titanium dioxide producer into the red

ECHA publishes results of additives assessment project / EuMBC and other supply chain players key to project development

Change in packaging could impact US flexible plastics sector / Environmental concerns drive transition / Partnership with P&G on laundry detergent packaging

Partnership with Nestlé to develop recycling schemes in and outside of Europe / Emphasis on flexible plastic packaging

Name change for Danish packaging manufacturer

Sixth production line for Rapak's "Bag-in-Box" packaging at Bulgarian facility / Demand in Eastern Europe is rising

Recycled plastic packaging to grow at 5.2% per year to 2023 / Growth spurred by sustainability shift / Smithers Pira report

European Parliament votes overwhelmingly to ban single-use plastics by 2021 / EU "paving the way for the rest of the world" / EuPC and PlasticsEurope criticise outcome

VAT reduction expected to increase profits for polyolefins market players / LLDPE futures notations dropped in March on expectations of lower import prices

New organisation aims to progress chemical recycling of plastics waste / First conference in June 2019

Valipac coordinates European collaboration on closed-loop recycling of construction films / Partners include Morssinkhof, Oerlemans, Total and Wienerberger

Coca-Cola and other major brands disclose plastic packaging production figures / Businesses across value chain commit to reducing plastics waste / Ellen MacArthur Foundation and UNEP report