The ICIS Epoxy Resin reports are published in Asia, Europe and the US on a weekly basis. In Asia and the US, the price assessments focus on liquid spot.
In Europe and the US, contract prices are for liquid and solid grades. These reliable and unbiased prices are collated by our locally based reporters and the news and analysis about production issues, upstream and downstream movements, plus supporting graphs all go towards making this an essential resource if you are buying or selling in the market.
Updated to Q4 2020
Asia
Epoxy resins supply in Asia tightened significantly during the quarter, after operations at a 160,000 tonne/year plant in China were suspended from end-October, following a fire. There were also other scheduled plant maintenance shutdowns in the region, which squeezed regional supplies further.
Demand for epoxy resins was supported in the quarter by the wind sector requirements in China, as well as by steady offtake from traditional downstream industries like construction, coatings and automotives, many of which recovered gradually from the coronavirus pandemic in first-half 2020.
Europe
Supply tightened significantly during Q4, due to production issues in Europe and Asia, which limited domestic and import availability. Asian volume was also prioritised to a strong China market. Stronger-than-expected demand in Europe in Q4, amid downstream recovery and supply concerns and upstream BPA constraints compounded the epoxy market tightness.
Demand increased in Q4, driven by downstream recovery and supply security concerns. Asian import constraints and delays triggered more domestic demand and production issues in Europe and Asia led to more short-covering needs. Brexit stock-build provisions and pre-buying due to the bullish and tight sentiment also boosted demand in Q4.
US
US epoxy faced significant upward pressure as sentiment shifted abruptly due to a tighter supply picture. The global markets were in turmoil after a major outage in China, a cracker fire in South Korea, a force majeure in Europe and turnaround activity. Availability of product was much tighter amid reduced imports and volume allocations. Suppliers held firm, providing minimum volumes in some cases.
Conversations primarily focused on supply, rather than demand or prices. There appeared to be less leverage regarding prices as getting surety of volumes became a high priority. Players turned to multiple sourcing options, including domestic and non-traditional ones, as they looked to fill the void from volume allocations and reduced imports. As downstream consumption continued to recover, some buyers scrambled to secure supply, with some panic buying taking place.
We offer the following regional Epoxy resins analysis and news coverage to keep you informed of factors and developments affecting prices in the Epoxy resins marketplace.
Price reporting
Price history
News & analysis
Regional price assessments, published daily or weekly, enabling you to keep track of trading prices, understand price drivers/fluctuations and set a benchmark for contract price settl ements. ICIS offers reports on over 180 commodities across the global petrochemical, energy and fertilizer markets. Information covered in our price reports includes:
Information is accessed online, via the ICIS dashboard service and is configurable to suit your preferences.
Produced by the ICIS Consulting team, these reports give a robust rolling 12-month price forecast, trade balances and in-depth analysis into where markets are heading – providing a valuable tool to support your short- to medium-term plans.
ICIS pricing intelligence is delivered to you online via the ICIS dashboard. Here you can view your reports and also access other useful services including related news, analysis, historical data and market alerts.
ICIS dashboard also makes it easy for you to create pricing charts, download price history and export data to create tailored analytical models.
ICIS weekly margin reports deliver the detail you need to understand how production costs and prices are affecting margins, enabling you to judge the likely impact on your business and optimise your upstream and downstream business decisions.
Find out more about ICIS margin reports >>
The Supply and Demand Window on the ICIS Dashboard provides a snapshot view of historical and forecast information for supply and demand, production capacity and trade flows – a key tool to help safeguard future investments within the chemicals market.
24-hour global coverage of breaking news in the petrochemical industry, including updates on production, shutdowns and key transacted deals, keeping you informed of market developments as they happen. The ICIS news service allows you to customise the market alerts delivered to your email inbox, providing the business-critical information you need straightaway.
If you want to keep updated on the factors driving price movements in the global chemical markets, ICIS Chemical Business provides a summary of the information you need to support your business decisions. Every week, our global team of experts digests and summarises the key issues and their potential impact on the market – all in one magazine.
An expert view of supply and demand comprising four fully-reconciled databases, giving you access to extensive data for more than 100 markets. Information is included on global and regional trade flows, production, capacity and sources of demand in the short-, medium- and long-term. Data can be downloaded, customised and queried to support your planning requirements and your strategic decisions.
ICIS provides specialist training courses across the global petrochemicals, base oils and fertilizers industries. Our training team of industry experts can help you increase your knowledge of the industry and gain the insight and know-how needed to operate and trade effectively.
Find out more about ICIS training courses >>
ICIS produces a series of highly informative and timely conferences. Extensive research is carried out to ensure that each programme delivers the information you need and addresses current industry issues. We source speakers who have the appropriate expertise and experience to deliver excellent quality papers.
Find out more about ICIS conferences >>
Working closely with you to understand your strategies, challenges and ambitions, the ICIS consulting team deliver tailored advice and solutions to suit your unique requirements. With many years’ experience of guiding business leadership teams, we show you how market conditions can make a positive or negative impact on your long-term plans.
ICIS expert consultants can provide your organisation with the insight, intelligence and data needed to build and grow your business in China. We can help you to gain a clear view on the short and long-term supply and demand picture in the chemicals, energy, iron and steel, non-ferrous metals and paper and pulp markets in China.
ICIS price assessments are based on information gathered from a wide cross-section of the market, comprising consumers, producers, traders and distributors from more than 250 reporters world-wide. Confirmed deals, verified by both buyer and seller, provide the foundation of our price assessments.
Our in-depth market knowledge drives our specialist focus, as we recognise the importance of individual market dynamics and not a one-size-fits-all approach.
Over 25 years of reporting on key chemicals markets, including Epoxy resins, has brought global recognition of our methodology as being unbiased, authoritative and rigorous in preserving our editorial integrity. Our global network of reporters in Houston, London, Singapore, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Mumbai, Perth and Moscow ensures unrivalled coverage of established and emerging markets.
Epoxy resins are versatile polymers used in the manufacture of adhesives, coatings (such as industrial and maintenance coatings in oil and gas pipelines), paints and structural parts needed by the automotive, aerospace and aircraft industries.
Epoxy resins are high-performance thermosetting resins that are most commonly produced by reaction of epichlorohydrin and bisphenol-A (BPA). They have excellent adhesion, chemical and heat resistance, and very good electrical insulating properties.
The main applications for epoxy resins are high-performance coatings, electrical/electronic laminates and adhesives, flooring and paving applications with uses in the automotive, construction and aerospace industries.
Coating applications include powder coatings, marine and protective coatings, can and coil coatings, ultra violet (UV) curable coatings and automotive coatings. The construction industry uses epoxy resins because of their excellent adhesion to steel and concrete. In the electronics sector, they can be used to encapsulate electronic components. A growth area is high-performance composites in the aerospace industry.
Safeguard your future with the opportunity to discuss your expectations and learn from industry experts at The ICIS 2020 World Phenol-Acetone Conference, a biennial event in the calendar of professionals across the globe. You can get face-to-face time with existing suppliers or explore new business opportunities to initiate future connections.
As a global event, a worldwide perspective is reflected throughout agenda topics, speakers and attendees. With content covering regional trends and their impact globally, you can expect to gain insight on a variety of relevant topics