The US–Iran conflict that erupted in the Middle East at the end of February has not only shaken global commodity markets and fuelled price inflation, but also severely disrupted regional supply chains. Significant production losses across crude oil, energy, and petrochemicals, together with bottlenecks linked to the near paralysis of the Strait of Hormuz, continue to weigh on trade flows...
After surging to record or near-record highs in the wake of the Middle East supply shock, US-origin polyethylene prices have started to show downward corrections across multiple regions. The shift comes as buyer resistance intensifies following weeks of aggressive increases, while the reopening of arbitrage—led by China’s return to export markets—begins to reshape global trade flows...
Eight weeks into the Middle East war, polymer markets across Asia, Türkiye and Europe have surged back to — and in some cases beyond — historical extremes at an unprecedented pace. What took nearly nine months - even longer in some products/markets - during the pandemic and Russia-Ukraine war in 2021-2022 has unfolded in just six to seven weeks this time, as severe supply disruptions from the Middle East and mounting logistics constraints pushed prices sharply higher across the board...
Global polymer markets have surged to their highest levels since the pandemic across most regions and products, with several grades particularly in the PE group already exceeding those peaks, according to ChemOrbis Price Index. Yet what makes the current rally remarkable is not just the level reached — but the speed at which it has unfolded...
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