Polyethylene producers have pressed their persistent pricing power to implement contract increase after increase, in fact $.24/lb is intact since June and the current average nickel nomination is imminent to secure in Jan while another $.07/lb already looms for Feb. US Polyethylene buyers are behind the 8 ball: between their generally light on-hand resin stocks, recovering domestic demand and justifiable cost-push pressures supporting the prices ... [More]

With PP demand outstripping supply, spot prices shot up well beyond the change in PGP monomer costs, inspiring producers to nominate a series of margin enhancing price increases, some of which have already been successful, including $.03/lb in Oct/Nov and $.04/lb in Dec. Spot PGP prices have been plagued with their own supply challenges due to weaker refinery runs, a generally light cracker feed slate and PDH outages, each reducing Propylene prod... [More]