Asia top stories – weekly summary
ICIS Editorial
19-Feb-2018
Asia top stories – weekly summary
SINGAPORE (ICIS)–Here are some of the top stories from ICIS Asia and the Middle East for the week ended 16 February 2018.
Asia C2 falls to 26-week low; supply to remain
ample but demand limited
Ethylene
import prices in northeast Asia are at a
26-week low due to an ample supply of February
shipments from the region and the Middle East,
while demand is limited during the
holiday-shortened week.
China acetic acid low inventory may moderate
price correction in Asia
Asia’s acetic
acid price correction may be moderated as
several key suppliers in China were unable to
commit cargoes for export due to their
prevailing low inventories following the recent
spate of plant outages.
China urea prices stabilise; market enters
holiday mode
China’s urea prices have
been largely flat since early February and the
quiet market may be sustained during the
week-long Lunar New Year holiday because of
muted downstream demand.
China’s acetic acid may rebound post holiday on
firm demand
China’s domestic acetic
acid prices are likely to rebound after an
upcoming week-long holiday with stable supply
but larger downstream demand to replenish
depleted stocks.
China MMA supply may tighten in March on plant
turnarounds
China’s methyl
methacrylate (MMA) supply is likely to tighten
in March as producers will build up inventory
for contract customers ahead of the scheduled
turnarounds at domestic and overseas plants.
China NBA market subdued in pre-holiday trade
as demand weakens
China’s domestic
n-butanol (NBA) market is seeing very few deals
as downstream n-butyl acetate plants have
started shutting down for the week-long Lunar
New Year holiday in the country.
China DEG faces downward pressure in muted
trading
China’s domestic diethylene
glycol (DEG) prices are likely to come under
pressure during the second half of February due
to weakened downstream demand and a pileup in
port inventories.
China BPA seen under pressure in Feb, slight
rebound likely in March
China’s
bisphenol A (BPA) prices are likely to continue
their downtrend this month but there may be
slight recovery in March when business resumes
in full swing in the country after Lunar New
Year holidays.
China toluene prices expected to rebound after
Lunar New Year
China toluene prices
are expected to rebound after the Lunar New
Year holiday on increased demand from
downstream markets, according to sources.
China ACN gains on tight supply; downstream
market bearish
China’s domestic
acrylonitrile (ACN) prices have been rising
ahead of the week-long Lunar New Year holiday,
bucking the trend of other chemical fibre
products, as supply of the chemical has
tightened amid the government’s strict
environmental protection campaign.
Propylene at 3-year high, outlook different for
east China and Shandong
China’s spot
propylene (C3) is on a three-year high on the
back of low inventories and some unplanned
shutdowns, with firming trend expected to
continue in east China but a slight softening
is expected in Shandong, ahead and after the
Lunar New Year holiday.
Global News + ICIS Chemical Business (ICB)
See the full picture, with unlimited access to ICIS chemicals news across all markets and regions, plus ICB, the industry-leading magazine for the chemicals industry.
Contact us
Partnering with ICIS unlocks a vision of a future you can trust and achieve. We leverage our unrivalled network of industry experts to deliver a comprehensive market view based on independent and reliable data, insight and analytics.
Contact us to learn how we can support you as you transact today and plan for tomorrow.