NTMA
Published

Hikes on the Way

Prices of PP, PVC, and PET moved up last month and new price hikes were under way for PE, PP, PS, PVC, and PET. PE prices up 3¢Polyethylene prices moved up 3¢/lb in March, bringing the total increase this year to 6¢/lb.

Share

Prices of PP, PVC, and PET moved up last month and new price hikes were under way for PE, PP, PS, PVC, and PET.

 

PE prices up 3¢

Polyethylene prices moved up 3¢/lb in March, bringing the total increase this year to 6¢/lb. Suppliers pushed back their announced 7¢ hike again, this time to May 1. Moreover, the price increase has been modified: Suppliers now want a 7¢/lb increase only for hexene-grade LLDPE, due to tight supplies, and 4¢/lb on all other PE resins.

The London Metal Exchange (LME) short-term futures contract for May in g-p blown film butene LLDPE sold at 53.1¢/lb, up from April’s 52.2¢.

Contributing factors: Ethylene monomer contract prices moved up 1.5¢/lb in March, after remaining flat the previous month. Further price increases are not anticipated soon, as monomer supplies are plentiful.

Meanwhile, domestic PE demand is still relatively lackluster, despite a slight seasonal uptick in the last two months. Exports also appear to have slowed, particularly to Asia. Still, resin capacity utilization is a little above 90%.

Director of market research Cindy Bryan at resin purchasing consultant Resin Technology, Inc. (RTI), Fort Worth, Texas, says current market factors don’t support higher prices. “Processors are still buying as needed, due to the expectation that the price increases won’t go through—or if they do, they will be short-lived,” says Bryan.

 

PP prices on the way up

Polypropylene prices were slated to move up last month, as suppliers aimed to implement the 4¢/lb hike announced for April 1. It would bring the total increase this year to 9¢/lb. A new price hike of 3¢ was announced for May 1. Meanwhile, LME’s May futures contract for g-p injection-grade homopolymer sold at 58.4¢/lb, up from April’s 52.2¢.

Contributing factors: The major driving force is higher monomer prices. April contract prices rose 4¢/lb and there was talk of possible 1¢ to 2¢ increases for May.

PP demand in the first quarter averaged about 6% higher than the same period last year, with growth of 4% in January and February and a 10% jump in March. But these numbers include exports. Says RTI managing partner Scott Newell, “Minus those exports, domestic demand has been flat at best, if not down a bit.” Resin makers’ capacity utilization is a little above 90%, but that could change, as China has drastically curtailed U.S. resin purchases of as much as 120 million lb/month, according to Newell.

Meanwhile, a mechanical breakdown at Sunoco’s 700-million-lb PP plant in Neal, W.Va., led the company to declare force majeure in mid-April. At press time it was unknown how long it would take to restart operations or what effect this might have on tightening resin supply.

 

PVC: another 2¢ hike

The March price increase of 3¢/lb for PVC took effect, large processors say. A 3¢ increase announced for April is expected to go through, too, if pipe producers succeed in raising their prices. OxyChem, Georgia Gulf, and Formosa announced a further 3¢ hike for May 1, though Shintech reportedly trimmed that back to 2¢.

Contributing factors: Pipe demand has risen as distributors restock. Window and siding demand hasn’t picked up appreciably. The American Plastics Council’s preliminary figure for PVC resin capacity utilization for March was 88%, up from 86% in February.

 

PS hike pushed to May

Polystyrene producers got a 4¢/lb increase in March as expected, but pushed a 3¢ hike back from April 1 to May 1. Ineos and Total upsized their May 1 hike to 5¢/lb from 3¢.

Contributing factors: Feedstock prices are again squeezing PS producers. Ethylene monomer went up from 39.5¢ to 41¢/lb in March and ethylene producers asked for 3¢ to 4¢ more in April. Spot benzene was very high—in the $4/gal range in mid-April. PS producers say resin demand is improving, though current hikes are purely feedstock driven.

 

PET prices move up

PET prices rose 3¢/lb in March and 2¢ in April as suppliers were able to partially implement their 5¢ and 4¢ increases, respectively. A new 3¢/lb increase was announced for May 1 by all major players.

Contributing factors: Suppliers continue to aim for margin recovery and to regain some of the loss late last year of earlier resin price gains totaling 12¢ to 15¢/lb. Producers also hope to catch up with continued price increases in feedstocks, particularly paraxylene. They are trying to do this before the expected overcapacity situation arrives as new capacity expansions come on stream. 

 

Market Prices Effective Mid-Apr A
 
 RESIN GRADEb¢/LB¢/CU INc 

 ABS 

  

  
 
 MED IMPACT   84 - 90     3.1 - 3.4    
 HI IMPACT   89 - 125     3.3 - 4.7    
 X-HI IMPACT   99 - 140     3.7 - 5.3    
 HI HEAT   89 - 110     3.3 - 3.8    
 PIPE   89 - 100     3.7 - 3.8    
 SHEET   94 - 110     3.5 - 4.2    
 TRANSPARENT   129 - 200     5.6 - 8.8    
 FITTINGS   89 - 110     3.5 - 4.3    
 PLATING   100 - 130     3.9 - 5.1    
 FLAME RET   124 - 140     4.6 - 5.9    
 STRUCT FM   87 - 97     3.2 - 4.3    
 10% GLASS   129 - 140     4.8 - 5.6    
 30% GLASS   124 - 136     4.6 - 6.3    
 ABS/PC ALLOY   149 - 180     5.5 - 6.8    
 ABS/PVC ALLOY   134 - 139     5.0 - 5.2    
 ABS/NYLON ALLOY   194 - 350     9.0 - 16    


 ACETAL 

  

  
 
 HOMOPOL   151 - 172     7.7 - 8.7    
 20% GLASS   171 - 235     8.7 - 11.9    
 COPOLYMER   144 - 160     7.3 - 8.1    
 25% GLASS   171 - 245     8.7 - 12.4    


 ACRYLIC 

  

  
 
 G-P   117     5.0    
 IMPACT   192     8.2    


 ACRYLONITRILE COPOL 

  

  
 
 EXTRUSION   101 - 116     4.0 - 4.6    
 INJECTION   120 - 135     4.8 - 5.4    


 ALKYD 

65 - 74   

4.9 - 5.5   
 


 CELLULOSICS 

  

  
 
 ACETATE   187     8.6    
 CAB   189     8.2    
 CAP   189     8.2    


 DAP (G-P) 

251 - 497   

16.7 - 34.7   
 


 EPOXY 

  

  
 
 G-P RESIN   116 - 126     NAd    
 COMPOUNDS          
 C/B/Te   123 - 166     9.4 - 12.9    
 R/C/Df   208 - 271     15.3 - 20.1    
 SEMICONDUCTOR          
 NOVOLAC   193 - 228     13.1 - 15.9    
 ANHYDRIDE   188 - 268     13.9 - 19.2    


 EVA 

  

  
 
 INJECTION   46 - 52     1.5 - 1.7    
 FILM EXTRU   42 - 49     1.4 - 1.6    


 EVOH 

315   

13.4   
 


 FLUORO-POLYMER 

  

  
 
 CTFE   5000 - 6000    385 - 462    
 ECTFE   1470 - 1680    93.1 - 107.7   
 ETFE   1155 - 1680    70.7 - 102.8   
 FEP   971 - 1470     74.8 - 113.2   
 PFA   1785 - 2520    134.9 - 190.5    
 PTFE   450 - 900     34.8 - 69.7    
 PVDF   680 - 900     43.3 - 57.3    


 IONOMER 

  

  
 
 PACKAGING   127 - 166     4.3 - 6.0    
 INDUSTRIAL   150 - 244     5.0 - 8.3    


 LIQUID-CRYSTAL POLYMERS 

  

  
 
 INJECTION MIN FILLED   690 - 1035     44.2 - 72.1    
 GLASS FILLED   695 - 895     40 - 52    
 CARBON FILLED   1700 - 2000    83.2 - 138.6   
 UNFILLED   1000 - 1200    58 - 70    
 EXTRUSION UNFILLED   1200 - 2200    60.5 - 110.9   


 MELAMINE COMPOUND 

90 - 94   

5.5 - 5.6   
 


 MELAMINE/PHENOLIC COMPOUND 

75 - 83   

4.5 - 5.0   
 


 NYLON 

  

  
 
 TYPE 6   139 - 159     5.7 - 6.5    
 MIN FILLED   131 - 144     5.4 - 5.9    
 30% GLASS   148 - 173     6.0 - 7.0    
 TYPE 66   153 - 168     6.3 - 6.9    
 MIN FILLED   151 - 159     6.2 - 6.5    
 30% GLASS   142 - 192     5.8 - 7.9    
 TYPE 69   250 - 276     9.7 - 10.7    
 TYPE 6/10   286 - 313     12.4 - 13.6    
 TYPE 612   400     15.3    
 30% GLASS   309 - 311     14.7    
 40% GLASS   309     14.7    
 TYPE 46   295     12.6    
 TYPE 11   329 - 341     13.6 - 14.1    
 30% GLASS   331 - 350     15.0 - 15.8    
 40% GLASS   347 - 360     17.7 - 18.5    
 TYPE 12   318 - 341     12.1 - 13.0    
 30% GLASS   327 - 350     14.7 - 15.8    
 50% GLASS   299 - 340     15.6 - 17.8    
 TRANSPARENT AMORPHOUS   247 - 360     10.3 - 15.0    


 PHENOLIC MOLD COMP 

75   

3.8   
 
 REINFORCED GRADES   105 - 268     6.1 - 16    


 POLYAMIDE-IMIDEg 

  

  
 
 UNFILLED   2750     148.5    
 30% GLASS   2500     135    
 30% CARBON FIB.   3500     185    


 POLYARYLATE 

200 - 280   

8.8 - 12.3   
 


 POLYARYL SULFONE 

440   

21.8   
 


 POLYBUTYLENE 

  

  
 
 G-P   94 - 96     3.1    
 FILM   88 - 91     2.9    
 PIPE          
 COLD WATER   116 - 120     3.9 - 4.0    
 HOT WATER   162 - 166     5.5 - 5.6    


 POLYCARBONATE 

  

  
 
 INJECTION   138 - 165     5.9 - 7.0    
 20% GLASS   177 - 190     7.6 - 8.2    
 30% GLASS   178 - 217     7.6 - 9.3    
 EXTRUSION   145 - 180     6.3 - 7.8    
 BLOW MOLD   155 - 190     6.7 - 8.2    
 STRUCT FOAM   149 - 181     6.4 - 7.8    
 20% GLASS   235 - 255     10.1 - 11.0    
 FR   166 - 197     7.1 - 8.5    
 CD   140 - 200     6.0 - 8.6    


 POLYESTER (TP) PBT TYPE 

  

  
 
 UNFILLED   145 - 150     6.8 - 7.0    
 HI-IMP   160 - 165     8.4 - 8.6    
 30% GLASS, FR   190 - 210     11.2 - 12.5    
 STRUCT FOAM   159 - 165     NAd    


 PET 

  

  
 
 BOTTLE (RAILCAR)   76 - 78 Prices Went Up  
  3.9 Prices Went Up  
 
 MOD PET          
 30% GLASS   132 - 143     7.4    
 55% GLASS   148 - 155     9.8    
 30% GLASS FLAME RET   147 - 157     9.2    
 PETG COPOL   114 - 124     5.2 - 5.6    
 RESIN GRADEb¢/LB¢/CU INc 


 POLYESTER THERMOSET 

  

  
 
 G-P ORTHO   140 - 145     NAd    
 ISOPHTHALIC   165 - 175     NAd    
 BIS-A   210 - 215     NAd    


 PEEK 

4400   

231   
 
 30% GLASS   3300     173    


 POLYETHERIMIDE 

641 - 646   

29.3 - 29.5   
 
 30% GLASS   526 - 531     24.0 - 24.2    


 POLYETHERKETONE (PEK) 

2950   

130.1   
 
 30% GLASS   2600     153    


 POLYETHERSULFONE 

350 - 400   

17.2 - 19.7   
 
 30% GLASS   425 - 525     21 - 25.9    


 POLYETHYLENE (RAILCAR) LDPE 

  

  
 
 G-P MOLDING & EXTRU   80 - 82 Prices Went Up  
  2.6 - 2.7 Prices Went Up  
 
 INJECTION   82 - 84 Prices Went Up  
  2.7 Prices Went Up  
 
 LID RESIN   84 - 86 Prices Went Up  
  2.7 - 2.8 Prices Went Up  
 
 LINER   79 - 81 Prices Went Up  
  2.6 - 2.7 Prices Went Up  
 
 CLARITY   78 - 80 Prices Went Up  
  2.5 - 2.6 Prices Went Up  
 
 EXTRU COATG   83 - 85 Prices Went Up  
  2.7 Prices Went Up  
 
 BLOW MOLD   85 - 87 Prices Went Up  
  2.8 Prices Went Up  
 


 LLDPE, BUTENE BASED 

  

  
 
 G-P MOLDING   67 - 69 Prices Went Up  
  2.3 - 2.4 Prices Went Up  
 
 LME 30-DAYj   69 - 71 Prices Went Up  
  2.4 Prices Went Up  
 
 FILM   53.1 Prices Went Up  
  1.8 Prices Went Up  
 
 ROTOMOLD   69 - 71 Prices Went Up  
  2.3 - 2.4 Prices Went Up  
 


 LLDPE, HAO-BASED 

  

  
 
 G-P MOLDING   72 - 74 Prices Went Up  
  2.4 - 2.5 Prices Went Up  
 
 LID RESIN   83 - 85 Prices Went Up  
  2.7 - 2.8 Prices Went Up  
 
 LINER FILM   76 - 78 Prices Went Up  
  2.6 Prices Went Up  
 


 HDPE 

  

  
 
 G-P INJ MOLD   69 - 71 Prices Went Up  
  2.4 Prices Went Up  
 
 FILM   78 - 80 Prices Went Up  
  2.6 - 2.7 Prices Went Up  
 
 BLOW MOLD   72 - 74 Prices Went Up  
  2.4 - 2.5 Prices Went Up  
 

 HMW-HDPE 

  

  
 
 BLOW MOLDING   76 - 78 Prices Went Up  
  2.6 Prices Went Up  
 
 FILM   77 - 79 Prices Went Up  
  2.6 Prices Went Up  
 
 PIPE   84 - 86 Prices Went Up  
  2.8 Prices Went Up  
 


 UHMW-PE 

100 - 125   

3.6 - 3.7   
 


 PPE/PPO BASED RESIN 

  

  
 
 INJECTION   180     6.8    
 20% GLASSh   283     12.3    
 30% GLASSh   291     13.3    
 EXTRUSIONh   242     9.2    
 STRUCT FM   231     NAd    


 PPS 

  

  
 
 40% GLASS   450 - 520     27.0 - 31.2    
 55% GLASS/MINERAL   345 - 420     22.7 - 27.7    
 65% GLASS/MINERAL   270 - 315     18.9 - 22.1    


 POLYPROPYLENE (RAILCAR) 

  

  
 
 G-P HOMOPOL INJECTION   80 - 81 Prices Went Up  
  2.6 Prices Went Up  
 
 LME 30-DAYj   58.4 Prices Went Up  
  2.0 Prices Went Up  
 
 EXTRUSION FIBER   78 - 80 Prices Went Up  
  .5 - 2.6 Prices Went Up  
 
 PROFILES   84 - 86 Prices Went Up  
  2.7 Prices Went Up  
 
 RANDOM COPOL          
 BLOW MOLDING   82 - 84 Prices Went Up  
  2.6 - 2.7 Prices Went Up  
 
 FILM   83 - 85 Prices Went Up  
  2.6 - 2.7 Prices Went Up  
 
 INJECTION   85 - 88 Prices Went Up  
  2.7 - 2.8 Prices Went Up  
 
 IMPACT COPOL       Prices Went Up  
 
 MED IMP   93 - 95 Prices Went Up  
  3.1 - 3.2 Prices Went Up  
 
 HI IMP   96 - 98 Prices Went Up  
  3.2 Prices Went Up  
 


 POLYSTYRENE (RAILCAR) 

  

  
 
 G-P CRYSTAL   79 - 85     3.0 - 3.3    
 HI HEAT   82 - 88     3.1 - 3.3    
 HIPS   80 - 85     3.0 - 3.3    
 SUPER HI IMP   90 - 94     3.2 - 3.5    
 FR   98 - 106     3.7 - 4.0    
 STRUCT FM (FR)   105 - 108     NA    


 EPS 

  

  
 
 UNMODIFIED   85 - 88     NAd    
 MODIFIED   86 - 90     NAd    


 POLYSULFONE 

569 - 622   

25 - 28   
 
 10% GLASS 430 20.6   749 - 799     36 - 39    
 30% GLASS 372 20.01   659 - 699     32 - 34    


 POLYURETHANE (TP) 

  

  
 
 ESTER TYPE   185 - 255     8 - 11    
 ETHER TYPE   245 - 295     10.6 - 13    


 PU ISOCYANATES 

  

  
 
 POLYMERIC MDI   125 - 145     NAd    
 80/20 TDI   135 - 145     NAd    


 PVC RESIN (RAILCAR) 

  

  
 
 G-P HOMOPOL   50 - 52 Prices Went Up  
  NAd    
 PIPE   49 Prices Went Up  
  NAd    
 FILM   55 - 58     NAd    
 COPOLYMER FLOORING   68 - 70     NAd    
 DISPERSION HOMOPOLY   81 - 87     NAd    
 COPOLYMER   86 - 90     NAd    
 CPVC PIPE COMPOUND   119     NAd    


 PVDC 

  

  
 
 EXTRUDABLE   162     NAd    


 SILICONES 

  

  
 
 MOLD. COMP.   581 - 640     38.1 - 39.3    
 SPECIALTY GR.   891 - 3148    NAd    
 SILICONE/EPOXY   339 - 343     22.5 - 22.8    


 STYRENEACRYLIC 

108 - 112   

3.7 - 4.0   
 


 SAN (G-P) 

66 - 74   

2.5 - 2.8   
 


 STYRENE MALEIC ANHYDRIDE 

  

  
 
 G-P   110 - 115     4.2 - 4.3    
 HI IMP   130 - 140     4.2 - 4.5    
 FR   175 - 183     6.7 - 7.0    


 TP ELASTOMERS 

  

  
 
 OLEFINIC   70 - 76     2.4    
 POLYAMIDE   300 - 350     10.9 - 12.7    
 POLYESTER   200 - 310     8.8 - 13.6    
 STYRENIC   82 - 237     2.9 - 8.3    


 UREA MOLDING COMPOUND 

  

  
 
 BLACK & BROWN   76     3.8    
 WHITE & IVORY   81     4.0    


 VINYL ESTER 

  

  
 
 COR RES   218 - 230     NAd    
 HEAT & COR RES   243     NAd    

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..

MMS Online Apr-2021
Become a NTMA member today!
IMTS+
NTMA
NTMA
Best of the Best
large tonnage injection molding productivity
New CM-17d

Related Content

best practices

Fundamentals of Polyethylene – Part 6: PE Performance

Don’t assume you know everything there is to know about PE because it’s been around so long. Here is yet another example of how the performance of PE is influenced by molecular weight and density.

Read More
best practices

Fundamentals of Polyethylene – Part 3: Field Failures

Polyethylene parts can fail when an inappropriate density is selected. Let’s look at some examples and examine what happened and why.

Read More

The Fundamentals of Polyethylene – Part 1: The Basics

You would think we’d know all there is to know about a material that was commercialized 80 years ago. Not so for polyethylene. Let’s start by brushing up on the basics.

Read More
resin pricing

Prices of PE, PP, PS, PVC Drop

Generally, a bottoming-out appears to be the projected pricing trajectory.

Read More

Read Next

sustainability

See Recyclers Close the Loop on Trade Show Production Scrap at NPE2024

A collaboration between show organizer PLASTICS, recycler CPR and size reduction experts WEIMA and Conair recovered and recycled all production scrap at NPE2024.

Read More
NPE

Making the Circular Economy a Reality

Driven by brand owner demands and new worldwide legislation, the entire supply chain is working toward the shift to circularity, with some evidence the circular economy has already begun.

Read More
NPE

Beyond Prototypes: 8 Ways the Plastics Industry Is Using 3D Printing

Plastics processors are finding applications for 3D printing around the plant and across the supply chain. Here are 8 examples to look for at NPE2024.

Read More
MMS ad