Ethylene: Latin America

摘要

Ethylene trading in the region remained subdued this week, with no export volumes heard out of Mexico or Brazil, Latin America’s top producers. While Brazil’s Braskem is prone to exporting olefins on a more regular basis, state-owned Pemex Petroquimica in Mexico only does so only when surplus volumes are available. Pricing in Mexico was expected to remain stable after contracts in neighboring US settled for February at a rollover at 48 cents/lb ($1,058/mt). Spot ethane and ethylene on a US Gulf Coast basis has been steady to start March. The Mexican market closely monitors the US Gulf Coast price, which is used as a basis for domestic pricing.