PS Prices and News

Revised: US tariffs exempt key petchems; can PE exports survive the retaliation? by Esra Ersöz
Certain grades of PE, PP, and PET are among the list of exemptions for reciprocal tariffs. Considering the net-exporter status of the US in PE, the US government seems to be aiming to avoid retaliatory tariffs, while it is yet to be seen whether partner countries will accept this move - apparently China won’t - as broader tariffs on other goods will still disrupt trade flows, increase production costs for downstream industries, and strain global supply chains... 07-04-2025

Stats: China’s Jan polymer imports and exports decline, marking multi-month lows by Merve Sezgün
According to data from ChemOrbis Stats Wizard PRO, China’s polymer trade witnessed a slowdown in January 2025, with both imports and exports falling from December levels. The declines also extended on a year-on-year basis for several key polymers, reflecting weaker market demand... 24-03-2025

Stats: Türkiye’s overall polymer imports snap five-year growth in 2024 by Merve Madakbaşı
Cumulative polymer imports of Türkiye fell short of the 2023 record, data from ChemOrbis Stats Wizard PRO revealed. The overall volume dropped slightly below the 6-million-ton threshold in 2024 after reaching a record 6.3 million tons the previous year. This also marked the end of a long uptrend that had been ongoing since 2019. Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia and the US faced fierce competition for the top spot among Türkiye’s suppliers last year, followed by South Korea, Russia, and Egypt... 04-02-2025

Europe’s PS and ABS markets brace for further hikes in February by Manolya Tufan
As regional PS and ABS markets conclude January on a marginally stronger note, projections for February are beginning to take shape. The overall outlook is shaped by a combination of rising feedstock costs, firm supplier expectations, and subdued demand... 30-01-2025

Different pricing policies emerge in Europe’s PS, ABS markets in Dec by Adriana Camacho
After the stable to slightly firmer trend seen in November, styrenics markets are seeing small up and down variations in December. Regional producers, indeed, announced divergent pricing policies after the styrene contract was agreed €7/ton lower following the €49/ton decline in benzene contracts. As for ABS, the butadiene contract settled €50/ton down, while the ACN settlement indicated a tiny increase, leading to a small drop in raw materials... 10-12-2024
Polystyrene (PS) is formed by the polymerization of styrene feedstock. As styrene is formed by adding ethylene into the benzene feedstock, benzene and ethylene prices are also taken into consideration, in addition to styrene while examining the production costs of PS.
There are two types of PS, namely GPPS and HIPS. These are divided into subgroups as injection and extrusion. While plastic hangers, protective foam, disposable cutlery, CD boxes are made of GPPS, HIPS is used in white goods and electronics.
The world's largest PS buyer is again China by a long way. As of 2020, China alone carries out 35% of global imports. It was followed by Malaysia and Germany, with 6% and 5% shares, respectively. Taiwan ranks first among the top PS importers list, followed by Belgium and France.
ChemOrbis Polystyrene (PS) prices and Plastics News section contain information on the market trends, as well as supply-demand factors and production costs that determine the pricing, statistics on imports and exports, along with maintenance shutdowns, restarts, and new capacities related to PS facilities.
Products:
GPPS injection, GPPS extrusion, HIPS injection, HIPS extrusion, EPS black/grey (inflammable), EPS white (inflammable), EPS white (regular)