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Polypropylene (PP) contract prices edged higher in Europe, with homopolymer injection grade at €810/tonne FD Northwest Europe, and copolymer prices rising to €850/tonne FD Northwest Europe, according to Polymerupdate. PP producers across Europe targeted price hikes on the back of strength in upstream crude, naphtha, and propylene feedstock, as well as reports of gains in prices elsewhere in the world, including Asia.

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Polymerupdate European resin pricing, May 11-15: PP and PS up, PE flat

Polypropylene (PP) contract prices edged higher in Europe, with homopolymer injection grade at €810/tonne FD Northwest Europe, and copolymer prices rising to €850/tonne FD Northwest Europe, according to Polymerupdate. PP producers across Europe targeted price hikes on the back of strength in upstream crude, naphtha, and propylene feedstock, as well as reports of gains in prices elsewhere in the world, including Asia. In the spot market, PP prices were flat, with homopolymer PP at €720/tonne FD Northwest Europe and copolymer PP at €770/tonne FD Northwest Europe. The arbitrage window to Asia remains open and a few sellers polled by Polymerupdate confirmed that they were sealing PP deals with buyers in Asia last week. In plant news, LyondellBasell has restarted its Brindisi, Italy PP unit. Although they’re running at reduced rates, sources confirmed that both PP lines, with a combined capacity of 420,000 tonnes/yr, were operational.


Linear low-density polyethylene (LLDPE) contract prices were flat in Europe last week at €890 to €900/tonne FD Northwest Europe. In the contract market, LLDPE prices were marginally down at €780/tonne FD Northwest Europe. Polymerupdate says there have been conflicting reports on European LLDPE demand, with one faction of sellers citing good local demand while others insist buying remains slow. LLDPE producers remain pressed to push price increases given their squeezed margins, and many are reportedly preparing for steep hikes in June, citing gains in LLDPE rates in the U.S. and Asia.


Low-density polyethylene (LDPE) general-purpose prices were lower on the back of soft domestic buying, with the spot market slipping despite reports of robust buying interest for European product in Asia. LDPE exports to markets like India were said to be good, with buying interest from other markets like Turkey, Egypt, and Jordan reportedly active. Spot LDPE prices were assessed at €760 to €770/tonne FD Northwest Europe, while in the contract market, FD Germany prices of LDPE were assessed at €910/tonne, with FD Italy at €905/tonne and FD France settling at €890/tonne.


Polystyrene (PS) prices firmed thanks in part to a climb in styrene monomer (SM), hitting $850/tonne FOB Rotterdam. For June, SM was assessed above $860/tonne FOB. In the contract market, general purpose polystyrene (GPPS) rose to €995/tonne FD Northwest Europe, with high-impact polystyrene (HIPS) hitting €1045/tonne FD Northwest Europe. Although May contracts settled above April, the increases were mostly at €40/tonne compared to the initial producer targets of €65 to €70/tonne. In the spot market, GPPS was assessed at €800/tonne FD Northwest Europe, with HIPS at €850/tonne FD Northwest Europe.


Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) prices were higher, with general-purpose and natural-grade ABS contracts at €1195 to €1205/tonne FD Northwest Europe. Producers are attributing the hikes to rising upstream prices. ABS spot prices also firmed last week, as general-purpose and natural-grade prices reached €1095 to €1100/tonne FD Northwest Europe.


Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) was described as being in a pricing tug-of-war between buyers and sellers, according to Polymerupdate. PVC suspension-grade contracts were assessed at €715/tonne FD Northwest Europe, with PVC producers targeting hikes from €50 to €75/tonne in May contracts on the back of gains in upstream ethylene contracts. Buyers were largely resistant, but a few PVC producers confirmed settling May contracts with a €40/tonne increase from April, while others claimed an increase of €50/tonne. Buyers reported settling business at rollover prices or at levels that were €10 to €30/tonne above April. In the spot market, PVC prices were unchanged at €570/tonne FD Northwest Europe. In Turkey, Petkim reportedly announced an increase of $25/tonne last week, citing improved demand and tight availability. In plant news, Solvin reportedly shut down its 165,000 tonnes/yr PVC plant in Rheinberg, Germany, with the production interruption expected to last for about five weeks.


Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottle-grade contract prices were assessed at €1080 to €1100/tonne FD Northwest Europe. After key feedstocks paraxylene and monoethylene glycol rose €90/tonne to €795/tonne and €28/tonne at €530/tonne, respectively, producers sought hikes of up to €60/tonne in PET contracts to maintain margins. In the spot market, PET bottle-grade prices rose to between €940 to €980/tonne FD Northwest Europe. With beverage consumption expected to spike in Europe as temperatures climb, PET bottle-grade demand is expected to remain robust. [email protected]

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