Base Petrochemicals, Aromatics and Feedstocks: November / December 2018

Polyethylene November 2018: Falling ethylene reference sets trend / Most notations show moderate decline / Following ethylene crash, December should see substantial price cuts

Polypropylene November 2018: Production outages trigger rollover / C3 fall factored in for homo injection moulding / Prices will sink noticeably in December

PVC November 2018: Prices roll over or slightly fall / C2 reduction cannot be factored in across the market / Availability still limited / Large cut in the ethylene reference for December leads to expectations of price cuts

Styrenics November 2018: Large discounts after SM reference nosedives / Cost reduction only partly transferred for PS and EPS / Occasional bottlenecks / Slump will continue in December

PET November 2018: Downward thrust in notations gaining pace / Asian imports flowing back onto the market / Further corrections of the exceptional highs expected in December

Engineering Thermoplastics November 2018: Falling automotive demand leads to price erosion / Tight supply stabilises PA 6.6, PBT and POM / Downtrend could gain momentum in December

New CEO Brudermüller presents his strategy / Organic growth / Leaner organisation / Chemical recycling project for plastics waste

Plans to expand PP and ethylene capacity in South Korea by end-2020 / USD 500m project complements ongoing ethylene and PE expansion

Toll rates for trucks to increase in Germany from January 2019 / Low river levels add to freight transport problems

PVC producer considers capacity expansion in Poland

Compounds and resins capacity to double in the Netherlands

Global market forecast at nearly USD 69 bn in 2022 / Growth spurred by rising plastics demand / BCC Research report

PA 6.6: BASF lifts force majeure for compounds / Situation remains tense / French and Italian plastics processors under a lot of strain

Additives producer has new warehouse in Italy

Israeli firm takes over US masterbatch producer Polyfil

Masterbatch producer builds bigger plant in France

Dutch masterbatch manufacturer expanding production and logistics capacities

Three more acquisitions for Canadian label manufacturer / Companies based in Europe and Asia

Partnership with Veolia to improve recyclability of beverage cartons in EU / PolyAl to be converted into plastic recyclate

US packaging group to take over Italian closures manufacturer Plastic Srl

New manufacturing plant for packaging films in Croatia

Production of containers for household applications moves to France and Spain

Report recommends levy on virgin packaging to boost recyclate demand / Establishment of single producer responsibility organisation proposed / Eunomia report

Recycling slightly down in 2017 / New law sets higher recycling rates in the new year / Plastics target of 63% in 2022

Plastics industry reports good figures / Shortage of skilled workers / Sales gradually approaching record level of 2014 / Proportion of optimists doubles

Currency crisis stifles polymer imports / Prices soar as lira falls / Markets in calmer waters since September

Fastest-growing source of oil consumption is petrochemicals / Plastics demand as key driver / Recycling could help cut carbon dioxide emissions and reduce marine litter