Engineering Thermoplastics May 2016: Upturn increasingly palpable / Initial rises already implemented / Quarterly negotiations looming / Cost increases force producers' hands in calling for additional hikes

摘要

The firming of oil and petrochemical prices that first began in April started to impact the European engineering thermoplastics market in May, in the shape of a number of initial increases. For nearly all types, the higher cost of base materials and additives forced producers' hands. In the case of flame-retardant grades especially, the switch to halogen-free additives is driving prices up. By contrast, it has become much calmer on the commodity-related materials front. ABS prices rose only slightly and in the case of PP compounds, what minor corrections were made were limited to the lower-priced types.