Resin Prices Bottom Out
The free fall in resin prices appeared to end with a thump last month.
The free fall in resin prices appeared to end with a thump last month. Makers of PE, PP, and PVC resins were posting price increases, at least part of which are likely to go through. Only PS prices have yet to find a bottom.
PE PRICES REBOUNDING?
Polyethylene prices apparently bottomed out by the end of December after dropping another 10¢/lb, bringing the total decline in 2008 to 43¢/lb. At least part of suppliers’ 7¢ price hike for Jan. 1 appears to have a good chance of taking effect this month. Meanwhile, resin producers have also called for an additional 5¢ hike for Feb.1. The uptick was supported by the direction of the London Metal Exchange (LME) short-term futures contract in blown-film butene LLDPE for February. It rose to 39¢/lb from an all-time low of 19.7¢ in January, but was still far below December’s 58.7¢.
Contributing factors: Reduced ethylene monomer production is putting upward pressure on PE resin prices. Monomer spot prices rose from December’s low of 16¢/lb to 23¢ by mid-January. Although December’s ethylene contract price dropped to 28¢/lb—a whopping 35¢ reduction from the September level—the rise in spot prices last month was expected to result in higher contract prices for January.
Mike Burns, global business director for PE at resin purchasing consultant Resin Technology, Inc. (RTI) in Fort Worth, Texas, sees pressure to increase PE prices from shrinking monomer and polymer profit margins. He thinks this year’s first hike is apt to split into 4¢ this month and 3¢ in March.
PP PRICES RISING, TOO?
Another 10¢/lb fall in December meant that polypropylene prices dropped a total of 68¢ to 70¢ last year. About half of PP suppliers’ 6¢ January hike appeared to have a chance of getting through by this month. Mirroring this trend was the rise in LME’s February North American short-term futures contract in g-p injection-grade homopolymer to 39.2¢/lb from January’s 29.8¢. “Expect at least 2¢ to 3¢ of this new price increase to go through initially, and possibly 4¢ to 6¢ total over the next two months,” says Scott Newell, RTI’s director of client services for PP.
Contributing Factors: Although not settled at press time, January contract prices for propylene monomer, which had dropped to around 20¢/lb in December, were projected to settle 2¢ to 3¢ higher for January.
Says Newell, “Sensing that the bottom was near, some processors ended up with good resin price deals in November and December. Even now, in mid-January, there are still some attractively low numbers, in the 30¢ range, particularly in the spot market. However, demand is poor. Even exports are off significantly from what we saw in the last couple of years.”
PP capacity utilization is said to be well under 70%. This is evidenced by plant shutdowns totaling close to 800 million lb/yr from Ineos Olefins and Polymers (520 million lb), Flint Hills Resources (120 million lb), and ChevronPhillips (140 million lb). The latest announcement came from Sunoco, which intends to shut its 400-million-lb plant in Bayport, Texas, by Apr. 30.
PVC PRICES STAGNATE
After sliding roughly 20¢/lb in the fourth quarter, PVC prices in January appeared to be flat. Resin producers all supported a 5¢ increase for Feb. 1. Formosa’s initial 5¢ hike from Jan. 1 was pushed ahead one month, while Shintech’s initial hike of 7¢ for Feb. 1 was trimmed to 5¢ with 2¢ more due March 1.
Contributing factors: PVC demand continues to be very weak. Domestic pipe, window, and siding processors say resin prices may edge up in February, but only by 2¢, not 5¢, and then only if ethylene monomer goes up, too. Ethylene represents 43% of the cost of PVC. Spot ethylene in mid January was 25¢/lb. Contracts were expected to settle at around the same level.
PS STILL DROPPING
After plunging 12¢/lb in December, polystyrene resin prices were expected to fall 8¢ for crystal and 9¢ for HIPS in January.
Contributing factors: There is a slight increase in demand in packaging sectors, but construction and durable goods are still very weak.
Benzene contracts settled at $1.01/gal last month, though they should have been around $2, given other feedstock costs. Spot benzene was a little higher at $1.11.
Market Prices Effective Mid-Jan A | |||
RESIN GRADEb | ¢/LB | ¢/CU INc |
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KEY: Colored areas indicate pricing activity. An arrow () indicates direction of price change. aTruckload, unless otherwise specified. bUnfilled, natural color, unless otherwise specified. cBased on typical or average density. dNot applicable. eNovolac and anhydride grades for coils, bushings, transformers. fNovolac and anhydride grades for resisitors, capacitors, diodes. gIn quantities of 20,000 lb. h19,800-lb load. jLME 30-day futures contract for lots of 54,564 lb.. |
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