United States Low Density Polyethylene

摘要

US low-density polyethylene export activity was heard slow Wednesday as sources said producer volumes were limited to open the year, and asking prices for material made transactions difficult. The LDPE export price was assessed at $1,135-$1,157/mt (51.5-52.5 cents/lb) FAS Houston, down $11/mt from December 16. Pricing has moved higher since dipping in late December, sources said. “None of the traders want to take anything right now,” a trader source said, noting that current US pricing levels would make deals to Latin America or other export destinations difficult. The slowdown in export activity is likely due to producers being content with current inventory levels and the expectation of strong domestic sales in Q1, which would put them in a position to be more selective on exports, particularly with lower oil prices and weaker Asian demand putting pressure on global pricing. There also continues to be tightness in the export market, sources said.