Polymerupdate global plastics pricing briefs 2767

Spot regional prices for linear low-density polyethylene (LLDPE) across Asia firmed by between $10/tonne to $20/tonne, according to Polymerupdate.com. In acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), Asian prices had also firmed, with the lowest offers between $1800/tonne to $1820/tonne while some sellers pegged offers at $1850/tonne CFR Asia. General-purpose grades of low-density polyethylene (LDPE) are also up in Asia with contracts at $1800/tonne CFR China, with LDPE sales to South East Asia at $1820/tonne CFR.

Polymerupdate also believes polypropylene (PP) prices could be moving up, with one producer telling them it plans to lift PP by between $10/tonne to $30/tonne, with April prices at the $1550/tonne CFR China Main Port basis. PP block copolymer, which has been sold to China at $1570/tonne, will be hiked by at least $30/tonne. Bottle-grade polyethylene terephthalate (PET) producers defended recent increases, with FOB Korea prices at $1450/tonne for May.

In Asian and Middle East plant news, Oman Polypropylene is likely to commence operations in the first week of May, with a capacity of 340,000 tonnes/yr. The new site was affected by disruptions in propylene feedstock, including an unplanned outage at a residual fluid catalytic cracker (RFCC) at Oman’s Sohar refinery.

Also in Oman, Octal Holding and Co. plans to expand PET production capacity by 500,000 tonnes/yr, from the current output capacity of 300,000 tonnes/yr. Integrated with an APET sheet facility, the operation is located in Salalah, with production introduced in two stages: the first 250,000 tonnes/yr expansion completed by March 2010 while the second-phase expansion of 250,000 tonnes/yr completed by May of 2010.

Japan’s V-Tech Corp. will shutter one of its three polyvinyl chloride (PVC) plants. The 115,000 tonnes/yr PVC facility in Mizushima, Japan will be demolished at a later date.

In European plant news, Italy’s Polimeri was forced to take an LDPE plant in Ragusa, Italy offstream. Since then, normal production runs have commenced at Polimeri sites in Ragusa and Gela, Italy. The Gela plant has production capacity of nearly 165,000 tonnes/yr, with 160,000 tonnes/yr at Ragusa.

In European pricing news, April contract prices for suspension-grade PVC were flat at euro 1035/tonne FD North West Europe. In ABS, general-purpose and natural-grade prices were firmer at euro 1710/tonne FD North West Europe.

PP prices were lower in contract and spot markets, with homopolymer PP at euro 1100/tonne FD North West Europe, while PP copolymer spot prices were assessed at euro 1140/tonne FD North West Europe. Polystyrene (PS) contract prices also dipped, with general purpose at euro 1405/tonne FD North West Europe, down euro 10/tonne. High-impact polystyrene (HIPS) contract prices were at euro 1460/tonne FD North West Europe while expandable polystyrene (EPS) contract prices were assessed at euro 1435/tonne FD North West Europe.

High-density polyethylene (HDPE) contract prices were also lower, with HD injection molding grade contract rates at euro 1290/tonne FD North West Europe, while blowmolding grades were priced at euro 1370/tonne FD North West Europe. Film grades were down to euro 1340/tonne FD North West Europe.

In LLDPE, spot prices were assessed up at euro 1205/tonne FD North West Europe. Butene-grade LLDPE contract prices were at euro 1285/tonne FD, with producers interested in a euro 15/tonne to euro 20 /tonne increase. General-purpose LDPE grades were assessed at euro 1240/tonne FD North West Europe.