polyethylene
Aug 6th, 2010
Key Benefit of Expanded Polystyrene Is Its Recyclablity
The expandable polystyrene (EPS) market has seen strong growth globally, driven by the construction sector where it is one of the top choices for insulation. Global demand grew at an average of 5.5%/year in the 2000-2007 period.
In western Europe, the new building insulation requirements boosted demand, offsetting the decline in packaging applications. The European insulation...
Jul 5th, 2010
Nowadays Linear Low Density Polyethylene (LLDPE) Widely Replaces LDPE
Linear Low Density Polyethylene (LLDPE) established itself as the third major member of the polyethylene business along with LDPE and HDPE.
The LLDPE share of total consumption on the global polyethylene market varies by geographic area based on production capabilities and end-use consumption patterns. The major LLDPE producing regions are the Middle East, the United States,...
Jul 2nd, 2010
Modern Polypropylene Packages Have High Technical Characteristics and Maximal Convenience in Use
With the global economy starting to recover in the second half of 2009, the polypropylene (PP) usage level will reach 2007 usage levels sometime in 2010. Global polypropylene usage growth will average 3.7% per year for the next five years.
Polypropylene industry is witnessing emergence of new PP companies, and the change of roles on the...
Apr 30th, 2010
Price trends of oil, polymer feedstock and commodity polymers in Asia
CRUDE OIL
Oil prices have risen in the week of April 26, 2010. At the end of the week, June Brent crude stood at US$87.5 while US light, sweet crude settled at US$85.4. Prices gained on Friday after US new home sales were reported to have unexpectedly jumped 27% in March along with gains in Asian...
Apr 30th, 2010
Asian PE producers unlikely to achieve price hike targets for May
Finding support from higher ethylene feedstock costs, Asian regional producers have announced significant increases on May PE offers to both China and Southeast Asia, as per Chemorbis. However, these new offers have met buyer’s resistance, who anticipate the impact of new capacities very shortly, pushing prices lower by the beginning of the summer. Hence buyers...
Apr 23rd, 2010
Price trends of oil, polymer feedstock and commodity polymers in Asia
CRUDE OIL
The week of April 19, 2010 saw crude oil slightly down from 18 month high levels of US$87 a barrel all week. However, oil prices plunged by almost 3% on Friday on news that US securities regulators charged Goldman Sachs Group with fraud. After the Goldman Sachs fraud, disappointing earnings by some top companies...
Apr 20th, 2010
PE, PP buyers in Asia await impact of supplies from new capacities
Trading is lackluster in Asia’s PP and PE markets as buyers await the onslaught of supplies from new capacities coming on stream. As per Chemorbis, buyers are waiting on the sidelines, refusing to buy beyond their needs on expectations that a new wave of capacities in Asia and Middle East will begin to weigh down...
Apr 16th, 2010
Price trends of oil, polymer feedstock and commodity polymers in Asia
CRUDE OIL
Oil prices spiked to an 18 month intraday high of US$87 at the beginning of the week, rising after reports showed growth in US jobs and service sectors. Prices then dipped to levels close to last weeks’ on speculation that US stockpiles will surge as refineries augment rates, crude oil prices have settled at...
Apr 9th, 2010
Price trends of oil, polymer feedstock and commodity polymers in Asia
CRUDE OIL
Oil prices have risen in the week of April 5, 2010, racing towards US$86 as demand gets optimistic amid signs of a global economic upswing. New York’s light sweet crude for delivery in May rose past US$85.2 while Brent North Sea crude for May rose to US$84.2. The optimism was triggered by upbeat economic...
Apr 6th, 2010
Robust demand for LDPE, LLDPE reported in India
Distributors in India report that they are actively on the lookout for import LDPE and LLDPE film cargoes owing to good demand in the local market, as per CHemorbis. Distributors attribute the relatively good demand seen for these products to limited availability for domestic materials. For the first few trading days of April, import offers...
Apr 5th, 2010
Middle Eastern producer reduces HDPE and LLDPE film offers to China for April
A major Middle Eastern producer has announced April offers for HDPE and LLDPE film to the Chinese market this week with price decreases of US$120/ton for HDPE film and US$100-110/ton for LLDPE film vs March offer levels. As per Chemorbis, the producer cited softer demand and lower prices from other regional producers as the reasons...
Mar 31st, 2010
Price trends of oil, polymer feedstock and commodity polymers in Asia
CRUDE OIL
Crude prices for May delivery fell to US$80 a barrel on Friday, amid volatile trading, as investors scout for clear signals that the global economic recovery will continue. Prices ended the week 3.8% below a 2010 peak of roughly US$83.18 a barrel. Crude oil for May delivery rose in the week of March 29,...
Mar 29th, 2010
38% of 6 mln tons of ethylene capacity coming onstream in China: China to reduce imports
Asia will add record naphtha cracking capacities in 2010 at a time when new Middle East plants are boosting output. 6 mln tons of capacity is expected to come onstream in this year, out of which 38% will come up in China alone. China, South Korea, Thailand, Singapore and India will add 6.3 mln tons...
Mar 26th, 2010
A repeat of extraordinary polymer import volumes of 2008 into China by Western companies unlikely in 2010
The US and China are currently unable to reach a compromise on the dispute over the Yuan’s strength against the US dollar. The US President could succumb to domestic political pressure and introduce measures to protect jobs, resulting in increased tariffs on Chinese imports.
As per ICIS, in 1971, as Paul Krugman pointed out that emergency...
Mar 24th, 2010
Price trends of oil, polymer feedstock and commodity polymers in Asia
CRUDE OIL
Crude oil prices ended the week of March 22, 2010 at a weaker note. Towards the end of the week, oil prices fell by over US$1.50- its largest one-day dip in three weeks, as the US dollar firmed against foreign currencies, negatively impacting investment flows into oil and other commodities. Oil prices dipped to...
Mar 24th, 2010
Initial PP, PE offers for April by SE Asian producers significantly reduced
Several producers in Southeast Asia have announced their initial April offers for both PP and PE to the regional market, with significant decreases. As per Chemorbis, in the PP market, a Thai producer announced initial April offers with decreases of US$50-60/ton from March to US$1340-1350/ton for homo-PP injection and raffia, US$1360/ton for PP film, all...
Mar 23rd, 2010
Terephthalic Acid (TPA): 2010 World Market Outlook and Forecast Been Recently Released by MarketPublishers.com
LONDON – Global production and consumption of terephthalic acid (TPA) were approximately 39 million metric tons in 2008. Global capacity utilization was 89% in 2008, down from 90% in 2007. TPA consumption is expected to grow at an average 5.4% per year to 2013, and around 3.9% per year from 2013 to 2015. The...
Mar 22nd, 2010
Indian producers reduce domestic PP, PE offers
According to distributors in India, domestic producers in the country announced price significant reductions on their PP and PE offers to the local market as per Chemorbis. Domestic producers lowered their offers for all PE grades by INR5000/ton (US$110/ton) while offers for all PP grades were reduced by INR3000/ton (US$66/ton). Distributors reported that major international...
Mar 18th, 2010
Monoethylene Glycol (MEG): 2010 World Market Outlook and Forecast Been Recently Released by MarketPublishers.com
LONDON – Global monoethylene glycol (MEG) production and consumption in 2008 were estimated at 18 million metric tons. MEG consumption is forecast to grow an average 4.5% per year to 2013, slowing to around 3.4% from 2013. Global MEG capacity utilization made 84% in 2008, a slight increase from 2007. Average global utilization rates...
Mar 18th, 2010
Local PE prices move lower in China
In China, local PE markets are facing downward pressure as a result of poorer than expected demand and weakening ethylene markets. A major producer in the East reduced their offers for LLDPE film by CNY300/ton ($44/ton) while also cutting their offers for HDPE film by CNY200/ton ($29/ton), citing poor demand and rising stock levels...