The margin between paraxylene (PX) and naphtha has been rising as of late. This comes as PX inventories – which had been piling up over the April–June period – began...
Market
Synthetic Rubber Prices Poised to Continue Upward Trend
Synthetic rubber prices in Japan are continuing to rise, driven largely by an across-the-board increase in raw material costs. This has included naphtha, butadiene, styrene monomer and acrylonitrile (AN), each...
Supply and Demand Remains Tight for Methyl Methacrylate
The global supply–demand balance for methyl methacrylate (MMA) monomer appears unlikely to ease up in the near future. Lucite International Inc., a U.S.-based subsidiary of Mitsubishi Chemical Holdings Corp. (TYO:4188),...
Southeast Asia Becomes New Hotbed for Japanese Exports of Plastic Waste
Japanese plastic waste exports into Southeast Asia are on the rise. Export volume into Vietnam, Thailand and Malaysia is rising at a staggering pace, coming in place of volume that...
Asian Caprolactam Prices Hinge on Chinese Operations
The Asian market for caprolactam has somewhat stabilized. While export prices for the chemical recently entered a temporary adjustment period following a continued rise, a returned upward trend from mid-May...
Domestic Supply–Demand Balance Tightens for PG, DPG
Propylene glycol (PG) supply and demand within Japan is tightening, with demand remaining solid while a clutch of plant shutdowns for periodic maintenance has limited the supply of raw material...
POM Prices Set to Continue Upward
Polyacetal (POM) prices are on the rise. Amid opaque short-term prospects for remedying the overwhelming shortage of capacity to supply global demand, the feeling runs deep among industry watchers that...
Acetic Acid Prices Reach New High in Asia
Acetic acid prices have hit a new high in the Asian market. Coming in at $850 per ton, current prices are approximately 15 percent higher than those in early April....
Asian Market Grows Anxious Over Increasingly Tight Hydroquinone Supplies
An increasing sense of tightness is developing in Asia around the supply and demand of hydroquinone. Prices have increased by as much as 20 percent over last year, and the...
Styrene Monomer Prices Soar in Asia
The price of styrene monomers (SM) has risen above $1,500 per ton. Factors behind the increase include steeply higher crude oil and naphtha prices, delayed starts to routine maintenance and...
Titanium Dioxide Prices Continue to Rise in Asia
Titanium dioxide prices are on the rise in Asia. Current prices are around $3,000 per ton, representing an increase of more than 10 percent since March. Since the beginning of...
Acetic Acid Supply and Demand Remains Tight in Japan
Supply and demend of acetic acid remains tight in Japan. Despite Kyodo Sakusan Co. Ltd. operating at nearly full capacity and the country’s imports increasing since last year, solid demand...
Ethylene Production Volume Slips 12% in April Due to Routine Maintenance
Japan’s ethylene production volume for April 2018 dropped 11.8 percent year-on-year to 484,300 tons, according to a May 24 report from the Japan Petrochemical Industry Association. Two ethylene facilities in...
Needle Coke Prices Continue to Rise
International market prices for needle coke are maintaining an upward trend. This is being driven by strong demand for graphite electrodes – which are used to make electric furnace steel...
Tightrope Dance Continues for Asian Supply and Demand of Caustic Soda
The supply–demand balance for caustic soda is standing tight in Asia. Demand in Southeast Asia came in at an estimated 2.7 million tons for 2017. By application, demand was particularly...
Acrylic Acid Maintains High Price Point in Asia
Asian market prices for acrylic acid continue to sit at a high point, with the chemical currently trading for around $1,300–1,400 per ton. Privately owned Chinese firms have been reducing...
Ethylene Demand Appears Set to Outpace Slew of New Production Facilities
Petrochemical insiders around the globe are coming to the conclusion that the tight supply–demand balance for ethylene, a base ingredient for petrochemical products, will continue through into the first half...
Signs of Change Appear for Urethane Raw Material Prices
International market prices for urethane raw materials are beginning to show signs of change after staying high in recent times. This is largely because of alleviation in the tight supply–demand...
Global Polycarbonate Prices Continue Upward
The international market for polycarbonate (PC) is continuing its upward trend. Prices for general grade PC in the Asian market have reached about $3,800–$3,900 per ton. Compared with two months...
Asian Polyethylene Prices Fall, Potentially Signaling Arrival of US Shale
With the U.S. seeing a wave of new shale gas-derived petrochemical projects as of late, the effects of this may now be starting to influence the Asian market. Asian prices...
