LLDPE loses premium over HDPE in SE Asia

In Southeast Asia, import LLDPE film prices have been posting decreases for the last three weeks due to the ongoing flow of re-export materials from China, softer ethylene prices as well as weak demand across the regional markets while import HDPE film prices did not witness major changes within the same period as supplies were tight for this grade.

According to weekly average prices on ChemOrbis Price Index, import HDPE film prices in Southeast Asia moved below import LLDPE prices for the first time in mid-May 2016 and LLDPE traded with a premium of more than $50/ton over HDPE film until early January, 2017. After that, the gap between LLDPE film and HDPE film started to narrow while LLDPE film prices have gone below HDPE film prices recently by $5/ton for the first time in almost a year.



Source: ChemOrbis Price Wizard

A Philippine converter commented, “Nowadays, HDPE prices are exposed to the recent downturn to a lesser extent due to the supply tightness of this grade in the first quarter.”