Skip to main content
Sister Publication Links
  • Plastics News
  • Plastics News China
SustainablePlasticsFINAL
Subscribe
  • Login
  • SUBSCRIBE
  • News
    • Recycling
    • Sustainability
    • Bioplastics
    • Technology & Materials
    • Nylon sorting made easy
      Plastic pallet recycling scheme celebrates second anniversary
      Milliken expands presence in recycling markets with Zebra-chem deal
      ExxonMobil joins Agilyx feedstock partnership
    • Value chain collaboration yields new circular packaging solution
      Circa Group successfully completes NOK 575 million private placement
      Arburg publishes its first Sustainability Report online
      Wikipedia Foam Takeout-main_i.jpg
      Virginia lawmakers reach 'great polystyrene compromise,' pass EPS ban, chemical recycling law
    • Assets Bio-on S.p.A. up for auction
      Bio-Fed and Febo S.p.A. expand distribution agreement
      RenCom launches production of new lignin-based biomaterial
      SP Group, Nurel Biopolymers develop food-contact approved compostable barrier film structures
    • Injection Moulding
    • Blow Moulding
    • Extrusion
    • Thermoforming
    • 3D printing
    • Technology
    • Materials
    • Machinery
  • Opinion
    • View Point
    • PHA: As green as it gets
      Opinion: The future of sustainable plastic
      A year to remember
      Opinion: California introduces world’s toughest plastic bottle recycling legislature – will other markets follow?
  • Events
    • Our Exhibitions
    • Plastics Industry Awards (PIA)
    • Ask the Expert
    • Sustainable Plastics Live
    • Reifenhäuser Technologies Livestreams
    • Plastics News Europe Live Archives
    • Plastics Recycling Show Europe
  • Prices & Resources
    • Polymer Prices
    • Data Reports
    • White Papers
  • Contact
    • Advertise
    • Media Pack
  • Subscribe
  • Digital magazine
    • Digital Magazine
  • Multimedia
MENU
Breadcrumb
  1. Home
  2. Prices & Data
April 27, 2009 07:00 AM

PC / ABS price slide may be bottoming

David K Platt
  • Tweet
  • Share
  • Share
  • Email
  • More
    Print

    Polycarbonate prices drop 10%

    Polycarbonate prices continued on their downward path during Q1 but sellers managed to limit the price decline to well below the drop in feedstock costs.

    Polycarbonate prices have fallen by less than 10% since Q4 last year compared with a drop of more than 30% for phenol and bisphenol A.

    Polycarbonate supply is good despite the production cutbacks and cuts in capacity. Bayer MaterialScience has temporarily closed six PC lines in Germany, Belgium and the US, but plants still on stream are operating at near capacity.

    Demand for polycarbonate remained very weak over the past three months, with volume sales down by around 25% compared with the same period last year. The automotive sector saw the steepest sales reduction.

    For Q2, there is unlikely to be any further dramatic price decline because imports are diminishing and the cost of benzene has increased sharply in recent months.

    ABS prices fall with butadiene and styrene costs

    ABS prices fell dramatically in the first two months of the year as the cost of butadiene and styrene plummeted. Price reductions were much smaller in March as styrene monomer costs increased and butadiene costs fell only slightly.

    In Q1, industry sources estimate that ABS demand fell by close to one-third compared with the same period last year. Sales to the automotive and building products sectors showed the biggest fall, while the domestic appliances sector held up reasonably well.

    Supply was good with plenty of imported Asian material available. Producers are cautiously optimistic that the downward slide in ABS prices could be coming to an end. Feedstock costs are rising again, and Asian ABS prices are moving upward, which should lead to lower import volumes.

    Get our newsletters

    Staying current is easy with Sustainable Plastics' news delivered straight to your inbox, free of charge.

    Subscribe

    Subscriptions to Sustainable Plastics, the leading Pan-European magazine for the circular plastics industry are coming soon.

    Subscribe now
    Connect with Us
    • LinkedIn
    • Twitter

    "In a changing world, Sustainable Plastics is a constant: a platform the plastics industry can rely on to deliver the news and knowhow impacting the industry going forward”

    SustainablePlasticsFINAL
    Contact Us

    11 Ironmonger Lane, EC2V 8EY
    United Kingdom 
     

    Customer Service:
    1-313-446-0450

    [email protected]

     

    Resources
    • Advertise
    • Sitemap
    • Careers
    • Subscribe
    Affiliates
    • Plastics News
    • Plastics News China
    • LSR World
    • Urethanes Technology
    • Tire Business
    • Rubber & Plastics News
    • Automotive News
    • Automotive News Europe
    • Crain Publications
    Legal
    • Terms and Conditions
    • Privacy Policy
    • Privacy Request
    Copyright © 1996-2021. Crain Communications, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
    • News
      • Recycling
      • Sustainability
      • Bioplastics
      • Technology & Materials
        • Injection Moulding
        • Blow Moulding
        • Extrusion
        • Thermoforming
        • 3D printing
        • Technology
        • Materials
        • Machinery
    • Opinion
      • View Point
    • Events
      • Our Exhibitions
        • Plastics Recycling Show Europe
      • Plastics Industry Awards (PIA)
      • Ask the Expert
      • Sustainable Plastics Live
      • Reifenhäuser Technologies Livestreams
      • Plastics News Europe Live Archives
    • Prices & Resources
      • Polymer Prices
      • Data Reports
      • White Papers
    • Contact
      • Advertise
      • Media Pack
    • Subscribe
    • Digital magazine
      • Digital Magazine
    • Multimedia