Engineering Thermoplastics in February 2009: PP bottoms out / ABS and PC in aftershock / PA begins to slide / PBT, POM and PMMA also down / Automotive crisis dominates / Little light on the horizon for March

摘要

The two bottom levels of the engineering plastics pyramid in western Europe had already fallen victim to the "economic earthquake" in January. In February, PP compounds evidently hit rock bottom, while ABS and PC were still feeling the quake's aftershocks, and higher up in the pyramid the polya-mides were shaken by the first tremors. Until now, thanks to longer-term agreements and the many non-specified products, this market had managed to hold up under the pressure, but the continued rumbling led prices to fall by as much as EUR 150/t. The downward tendency for PBT also gathered momentum, while POM appeared to have gone into a controlled descent. The last bastion, PMMA, also was breached, but the deterioration relatively moderate.