CAUSES AND CONSEQUENCES OF THE CURRENT SAP CRISIS

摘要

During the past 20 years, superab-sorbent polymer (SAP) prices have continually decreased. That is, until recently. The supply also was widely available, except for a few brief periods of tight capacities, but even then the price, at worst, held its level. When the occasional short supply developed, companies were assured that the shortage was short-lived and mostly regional in scope. So there was usually another supply easily found at a competitive price, because global supplies were readily available. In fact historically, SAP has been so available that spot prices were often found to be lower than contract prices. This led many companies to base their supply strategies on spot price negotiations with no concern about availability issues. South America and Southeast Asia were prime examples of this practice, with some of the lowest prices seen globally.