Butadiene tight worldwide on plant outages; prices higher in Asia, US

摘要

Butadiene has tightened worldwide, the result of continued plant outages in Asia, stronger demand in the United States, and in Europe solid demand growth combined with heavy arbitrage exports. Prices remain relatively flat in Europe. In Asia and the United States, however, they have increased sharply. Analysts at IHS Chemical expect butadiene to fall in the United States back toward balance later this year and say it may do so in Western Europe too, but in Asia the product is likely to remain tight.