Standard Thermoplastics Trend September 2011: Polyethylene in a strong rollover / PVC struggles to stabilise / Trend to improved margins for PP, PS and EPS / Euro crisis raises production costs / Export window opens

摘要

In the first third of September, western European buyers of standard thermoplastics were not always able to win the full cost reductions for the respective feedstocks. Ignoring the minor decrease of EUR S/t in the September ethylene contract, producers pushed through a strong rollover in the first orders for PE from smaller accounts. For PP, producers refused to pass on the full cost reduction of EUR 37/t, and granted maximum concessions of around EUR 25/t. Despite initial plans to hike prices, PVC producers were fighting to hang on to a rollover. Styrenics producers' attempts to pocket the full cost reduction for PS and EPS failed, and up to now they have had to pass on about half the decrease to their customers.