Most US oxo-alcohols contract prices fall in August

05 August 2011 22:46  [Source: ICIS news]

HOUSTON (ICIS)--US prices for oxo-alcohols dropped for August as buyers held back purchases because of market uncertainty, sources said on Friday.

US contract prices for n-butanol for August fell to 108–110 cents/lb ($2,381–2,425/tonne, €1,691–1,722/tonne) DEL (delivered) as assessed by ICIS, down about 10% from prices in early July.

Soft demand for plasticisers resulted in prices for 2-EH drifting down 2 cents/lb to a range of 135–140 cents/lb.

With little US demand, and no sales reported yet for August, dioctyl phthalate (DOP) prices were off a penny to 128–133 cents/lb.

Iso-butanol was the lone oxo-alcohol to hold its value in August and remain steady in a range of 128–132 cents/lb.

Lower prices in the US tracked downward price trends in Europe and Asia. Buyers in those regions share the strategy of holding back on material purchases until a clearer economic path emerges, a source said.

Meanwhile, producers have not publicly announced any price increases for oxo-alcohols since early May.

($1 = €0.71)

By: Frank Zaworski
+1 713 525 2653

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