Premium News

Asia PS extends multi-week rally as crude and styrene ignite cost pressure
by Elif Sevde Yalçın
PS markets extended their multi-week uptrend across China and Southeast Asia, supported by surging styrene and elevated crude oil costs despite weak underlying demand. Buyers remained cautious and largely focused on immediate needs, leaving the rally driven primarily by feedstock costs rather than a meaningful improvement in market fundamentals…
2026-09-04

Asian PET bottle markets kick off Sep with sharp gains after quiet August
by Merve Sezgün
Asian PET bottle markets opened September with sizable gains after a largely stagnant August, led by surging crude and monomer costs as well as tighter spot availability in China. Brent’s return above $95/bbl, multi-month highs for MEG and PTA, and renewed typhoon-related logistics risks have reinforced the bullish shift, although downstream demand remains relatively subdued…
2026-09-04

Cheap Chinese imports put Dutch chemical capacity at risk, Rabobank warns
by ChemOrbis Editorial Team
Cheap Chinese chemical imports may offer short-term cost advantages, but growing competition could leave the Netherlands more vulnerable to future supply disruptions if domestic production capacity is permanently lost, according to a recent RaboResearch study....
2026-09-04

Chinese PP loses competitiveness in SE Asia amid tight prompt supply, higher freights
by Thi Huong Nguyen
Chinese homo-PP has lost much of its competitive edge in Southeast Asia, with some offers even moving above Middle Eastern levels amid tighter Chinese supply, firm costs and rising intra-Asia freight rates. Despite persistently weak regional demand, current market conditions have left Chinese sellers with limited room to compete aggressively on price…
2026-09-04

China’s domestic LDPE, LLDPE film prices climb to just $15/ton below first war-rally peaks
by Merve Sezgün
China’s local LDPE and LLDPE film prices have climbed to within just $15/ton of their first war-rally peaks, propelled by surging crude and ethylene costs as well as a $105/ton weekly jump in Dalian LLDPE futures. However, sluggish Golden September demand, squeezed converter margins and a nearly 16% weekly rise in major producers’ polyolefin inventories are increasingly testing the sustainability of the price gains…
2026-09-04

Feedstock spike fuels Asian ABS gains despite elusive peak-season demand
by Merve Sezgün
Asian ABS prices rose sharply as surging crude and simultaneous gains in styrene, butadiene and acrylonitrile intensified producers’ cost pressure, with China’s domestic market recording a particularly steep weekly jump. However, persistently weak demand, ample supply and Chinese competition continue to restrict sellers’ pricing power…
2026-09-04

Oil rallies above $95 as US-Iran escalation revives supply fears
by ChemOrbis Editorial Team
Oil prices rallied back above the $95/bbl threshold in early September, as renewed military clashes between the US and Iran revived concerns over Middle Eastern supplies and shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. Tightening inventories and threats to regional energy infrastructure added to the bullish momentum, while increased Iraqi exports and prospects for a Russia-Ukraine peace deal provided some counterweight...
2026-09-04

Asia ethylene: Prices breach $1100/ton as crude surges, supply tightens
by Jennifer Lee
Asian ethylene prices extended sharp gains into a fourth week, breaching the $1100/ton threshold as surging crude and naphtha costs compounded an increasingly severe regional supply squeeze. Reduced cracker rates, upcoming turnarounds and delayed deep-sea cargoes kept buyers chasing scarce spot volumes…
2026-09-03

Asia propylene: Gains accelerate on higher propane, strong demand
by Jennifer Lee
Asian propylene prices extended gains across Northeast and Southeast Asia as tight spot supply, active trader buying and surging propane costs reinforced bullish sentiment. While upcoming cracker turnarounds and reduced operating rates are expected to keep regional availability constrained, rapidly rising propylene costs are increasingly testing downstream affordability and could eventually curb demand…
2026-09-03