Standard Thermoplastics Trend May 2013: Naphtha increase not enough to trigger a run / Plastics demand continues to remain modest / Ongoing battle for share in cost relief/ No turnaround yet in sight

摘要

In the first third of May, there were still no signs of a turnaround on the European market for standard thermoplastics. Pricing continued to be dominated by the decline upstream, where ethylene was down EUR 100/t, propylene down EUR 80/t and styrene down EUR 11/t. There has been no change in the balance of bargaining power. Converters who had to buy at the start of the month were generally paying EUR 70/t less for PE, EUR 50/t less for PP and as much as EUR 30/t less for PVC, while agreeing to rollover for PS. The threat of rising oil and naphtha notations has encouraged very few to open their wallets. Most are insisting on the full cost reduction.