Resin Pricing

The highly resilient North American resin market continued on tightly supplied, but with a very cautious tone, reports the PlasticsExchange.

Spot demand was off the first week of March as buyers remained cautious, caught between the need to procure material for ongoing business and growing economic concern due to the spread of the coronavirus.

Another wave of coronavirus news sent many commodity markets into a tailspin. Prices for commodity-grade resins in North America held up amazingly well, however, according to the PlasticsExchange.

Upward pricing momentum persists, but some caution that the spread of coronavirus could bring a significant economic headwind and damage demand, reports the PlasticsExchange (Chicago) in its Market Update.

There is good momentum for prices to continue to move higher, as long as there is no new market shock or major acceleration in the spread of the coronavirus, according to the PlasticsExchange (Chicago).

So far in this young year, spot PE prices have already tacked on $0.015 to 0.04/lb, reports the PlasticsExchange (Chicago).

Prices were up, down and flat, depending on grade, reports the PlasticsExchange (Chicago) in its weekly Market Update.

Continued strong demand for low-density (LD) and linear-low-density (LLD) polyethylene (PE) resins raised prices by $0.01 to 0.02/lb last week, reports the PlasticsExchange (Chicago). High-density PE prices held flat.

Select grades of polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP) resins were challenging to source last week. Most low-density PE film grades have been outright scarce, commanding a healthy premium, especially for immediate availability.

Prices gained a cent and then gave it back as tensions subsided, but the proverbial bloom was off the rose, which highlighted the very real geopolitical risks that can affect our energy-derived resin markets.