Prices in the Asian butadiene market have continued to decline as of late. This has seen prices trend downward from a recent peak of around $1,750 per ton in late...
Market
Soaring Crude Oil Prices Push Naphtha Price Higher
Naphtha prices have been ratcheting up in the Asian market as of late, with prices here now sitting in the $700 per ton range for the first time in four...
Japanese Chloroprene Rubber Prices Continue to Shoot Upward
Chloroprene rubber (CR) is gaining upward price momentum in Japan. With tight global supplies still the case, one purpose behind the higher prices is the desire of sellers to close...
Asian MMA Market Experiences Supply-Side Issues
The market for methyl methacrylate (MMA) monomers in Asia is experiencing setbacks. In addition to robust sales for use in LCD light guide plates, MMA monomers have found more widespread...
Propylene Remains at High Price Point in Asian Market
Asian market prices for propylene have stabilized around the lower half of the $1,100 range, coming off a gradual rise that began in mid-July. One major factor here has been...
US-China Trade War Weakens Yuan, Delivering Blow to Polycarbonate Resin Market
The supply–demand balance for chemical products has started to bear the effects of the ongoing trade war between China and the U.S., with shifting exchange rates exerting an influence on...
ABS Resin Sees Shrinking Price Spread With Raw Materials
The price spread between acrylonitrile–butadiene–styrene (ABS) resin and its raw materials has been shrinking as of late, driven in part by trends in the Chinese market. Cost, insurance and freight...
PTA Supply–Demand Balance Stable in Asia
Purified terephthalic acid (PTA) is showing a stable balance of supply and demand in the Asian market. This comes as a return to form after China’s aggressive pursuit of domestic...
Global Demand for MMA Monomer Poised to Hit 3.6M Tons for 2018
Global demand for methyl methacrylate (MMA) monomer looks likely to grow to a scale of 3.6 million tons for 2018. This is due in part to continuing firm demand for...
Fuji Keizai: Global Markets to Grow Significantly for TPE, Synthetic Rubber, Natural Rubber
The next five years are forecast to bring significant growth in the global markets for natural rubber, synthetic rubber and thermoplastic elastomer (TPE). According to research from Fuji Keizai Co....
Price Spread Widens for Paraxylene and Naphtha
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...
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...
