Petrochemical Industry Market Highlights

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VCM & PVC
(View a sample of the VCM & PVC Chemical Business Focus)
31 August 2010 Issue Number 360

• Concerns over the state of the US economy fuelled by very weak house sales
• Volume spot EDC sales continue in Europe, price stable at $440-460/ton fob
• EDC prices advance in Northeast Asia to $470/ton cfr on limited availability
• Spot VCM export prices improve to $660-670/ton fob US Gulf, sales limited
• NE Asia, August VCM settlements to $755-760/ton cfr on rising PVC prices
• PVC contract prices assessed higher by Euro10/ton in August in NW Europe

Phthalates • Oxo Alcohols
(View a sample of the Phthalates • Oxo alcohols Chemical Business Focus)  
27 August 2010 Issue Number 344

• US August phthalates pricing holds at roll-over from July
• European phthalates remain particularly tight in a quiet August market
• Asian phthalates prices rise on the back of limitations in alcohols supply
• US 2-EH producers post 3 c/lb price hike for September
• European 2-EH prices hold through August despite lower propylene costs
• Reduced availability of propylene pushes 2-EH prices up in Asia

Polyamide & Intermediates
(View a sample of the Polyamide & Intermediates Chemical Business Focus) 
23 August 2010 Issue Number 364

• European and US central banks again agree to hold interest rates steady
• US benzene contract settles down 3 c/gal, Europe also down Euro12/ton
• August Tampa ammonia settles up $25/ton on strong US market demand
• Asian caprolactam prices rally as downstream demand recovers
• Nylon BCF shipments in the US improve substantially
• Polyamide polymer demand remains globally strong; prices stable

Ethylene Glycol
(View a sample of the Ethylene Glycol Chemical Business Focus)
19 August 2010 Issue Number 267

• August European ethylene contract price settles down Euro18/ton at Euro940/ton
• September MEG Asia contracts: SABIC: $880/ton; MEGlobal: $870/ton; up $30/ton
• European MEG price settles at Euro755/ton for August, down Euro25/ton
• September glycols price increases announced for North America
• North American ethanolamines producers announce TEA price increase of 5c/lb
• Huntsman to buy Laffans Petrochemicals in India

Polyester & Intermediates
(View a sample of the Polyester & Intermediates Chemical Business Focus)
19 August 2010  Issue Number 364

• Good demand for polyester and lower stocks give firmer MEG pricing in Asia
• Strong demand and margins for asia PTA as polyester remains strong
• Some improvement in margin for european PTA producers in Q3
• Polyester fibre demand in asia better than expected for the season
• Strong domestic demand and improved exports drive PET plant utilisation rates in US
• PET supply and demand improves in Europe

PET Packaging Resin
(View a sample of the PET Packaging Resin Chemical Business Focus)
19 August 2010 Issue Number 166

• North American PX disconnects from Asian price movements
• Northern Hemisphere PET demand strong
• US PET plant utilisation rates high
• PET supply and demand improves in Europe
• Asian August PET prices higher due to spot ingredient prices
• Japan’s PET producers continue restructuring

Phenol • Acetone • Cumene
(View a sample of the Phenol • Acetone • Cumene Chemical Business Focus)
19 August 2010 Issue Number 188

• Exceptional global demand for phenol driven by BPA and china
• Asian spot phenol surged by 25% in August to $1750/ton
• Acetone surplus grew in spite of good demand in BPA and MMA
• Spot levels fell except in china where demand surged still
• Another good month for phenolic resins but phenol supply problematic
• BPA prices remained generally strong throughout the world

Paraxylene
(View a sample of the Paraxylene Chemical Business Focus) 
18 August 2010 Issue Number 380

• North American August MX 5211 settled down 2.0 c/lb at $2.47/gal
• North American PX disconnects from Asian price; producers seek margin
• PX ACP for August down $10/ton at $890/ton following lower July spot prices
• strong demand and margins for Asia PTA as polyester remains strong
• August European PX settlement maintains same differential with Asia
• Some improvement in margin for European PTA producers in Q3

Orthoxylene • Phthalic Anhydride
(View a sample of the OX•PA Chemical Business Focus)
16 August 2010 Issue Number 380

• US spot Mx price moves higher than contract level through earlier August
• Partial settlement reached for august US OX contract at 43.5 c/lb
• European August contract comes off Euro30/ton
• US phthalic prices take a further 2.5 c/lb orthoxylene-related decrease
• Some slight orthoxylene linked readjustment noted in European phthalic pricing
• Both domestic and import phthalic prices in China show August recovery

Soda • Chlorine
(View a sample of the Soda Chlorine Chemical Business Focus) 
13 August 2010  Issue Number 354

• Dow/Aaramco joint venture project will now be located in Jubail Industrial City
• INEOS is planning new one million tpa ethylene terminal in Belgium by 2012
• US & European caustic soda sellers announce another round of price increases
• Domestic caustic soda consumption in Brazil increased by 11% in H1 2010
• Asia sees some disruption from floods and will remain quiet through Ramadan
• Diary Reminder: Chlor-Aalkali Business Seminar, France, 19-22 Ooctober 2010

Urethane Chemicals
(View a sample of the Urethane Chemicals Chemical Business Focus)
13 August 2010 Issue Number 177

• Propylene becomes tight in asia on major unplanned outage
• European isocyanates prices roll over from July into August
• Asian TDI prices rebound, but buying interest remains slow
• Asian propylene oxide tightens and prices start rebounding
• US MPG, polyether polyols producers seeking price increases
• Eurozone industrial output falls in June following China, US

Acrylonitrile • Acrylic Fibre
(View a sample of the Acrylonitrile • Acrylic Fibre Chemical Business Focus)
12 August 2010 Issue Number 364

• European and US central banks again agree to hold interest rates steady
• Asian propylene supply tightens following explosions at Mailiao refinery
• August Tampa ammonia settles up $25/ton on strong US market demand
• Global inventories and spot availability for acrylonitrile are very limited
• ABS demand remains strong in uS and europe; clearly recovering in Asia
• Acrylic fibre demand in Asia remains very depressed

Methanol
(View a sample of the Methanol Chemical Business Focus)
9 August 2010 Issue Number 342

• M5000 (1.89 million tpa) resumes normal operations in July
• Producers nominate august north america CP at 105 c/gal
• Northwest Europe spot market prices stable in late July, August
• Asia spot prices increase following Petronas, KMi outages
• New plants in Venezuela, Oman, Brunei operating normally
• Global turnaround schedule to remain busy late Q3/early Q4

Synthetic Fibres
(View a sample of the Synthetic Fibres Chemical Business Focus)
9 August 2010 Issue Number 312

• European and US central banks hold interest rates steady
• Acrylic demand remains very depressed in Asia
• Caprolactam pricing has begun to increase in Asia
• Nylon BCF shipments improve in the US
• Polyester fibre demand in Asia better than expected for the season
• Polypropylene fibre shipments in the US strong for a holiday month

Engineering Thermoplastics
(View a sample of the Engineering Thermoplastics Chemical Business Focus)
5 August 2010 Issue Number 025

• POLYAMIDE 6 & 66
  US availability for polyamide 6 and 66 remains very tight.
• POLYCARBONATE
  In the US, polycarbonate resin demand has been seasonally slow through July and is unlikely to pick up before September.
• POLYACETAL
  The US polyacetal resin market was stable in late July and early August.
• PBT
  Shipments of PBT in the North American market remained strong during July.
• ABS & SAN
  US ABS demand remains very strong, with SAN rather less so.

Acetic Acid • Vinyl Acetate
(View a sample of the Acetic Acid • VAM Chemical Business Focus)
4 August 2010 Issue Number 275

• BP YPC begins testing of 500,000 ktpa Nanjing acetic acid plant
• Acetic acid prices remain below $400/ton cfr China in early August
• Methanol prices resilient in Q3 as plant outage tighten supplies
• Ineos lifts VAM force majeure in July; supplies tight in Europe
• Russia acetic acid exports curtailed by government mandates
• Sipchem, Rhodia ink deal for 100 ktpa ethyl acetate plant at Jubail

Maleic Anhydride • Acrylic Acid
(View a sample of the Maleic Anhydride • Acrylic Acid Chemical Business Focus)
4 August 2010 Issue Number 232

• Asian MAn prices continue to fall under pressure from oversupply
• European MAn turnarounds get under way, market finely balanced
• North American MAn market is stable, prices roll over into August
• Acrylate monomer availability gradually improving in US, Europe
• China’s acrylates prices rally, as feedstocks rise, supplies tighten
• Tight MMA supplies are likely to continue until the end of the year