News
The European spot polystyrene (PS) and acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) markets opened the new year with increased bids from manufacturers. The main factor driving the market is the increase in upstream costs. Previously, both PS and ABS prices fluctuated in tight ranges throughout November and December due to production gl...
ABS prices across China and Southeast Asia have been following a downward trend since early February mainly due to subdued demand amid the rapid spread of COVID-19 outbreak.
Houston-based Westlake Chemical Corp. will acquire the parent company of Dimex LLC, a Marietta, Ohio-based manufacturer of recycled compounds and products with approximately $100 million in annual sales.
According to data from ChemOrbis Import Statistics, China’s overall PP imports jumped 43.5% on a monthly basis in May to reach 617,255 tons. This indicates the highest monthly volume ever since ChemOrbis started compiling data in 2001.
An agent of a major Saudi Arabian producer reported that their supplier announced its April PE offers to China with significant decreases from March while keeping PP offers steady.
Global economies have been hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic, which rattled each and every sector all around the world and tampered with market dynamics in an unprecedented way.
As environmental groups, governments and the plastics industry work to ramp up more consumer recycling, they face a common problem: People tossing items in curbside recycling bins that simply can't be easily recycled.
The pace of gains in Asian ABS markets accelerated over the last week after the uptrend kicked off as of early August. Short supplies, robust demand in China and supportive costs pushed prices to new highs.
Tightness propped up LDPE and HDPE film prices despite waning demand in Asian markets, while LLDPE yielded to weak demand. In Turkey, ample supplies were also blamed for the weakness of LLDPE.