INTERACTIVE: Global IPEX for June up 1.70% on rising US and northwest Europe C3 and C4 prices

LONDON (ICIS)–Here are the June IPEX values and details of the major commodity petrochemical and polymer contract and average spot price movements for the month.

IPEX	IPEX value	Month to month change
Global	281.64	1.70%
US	273.50	2.68%
Northwest Europe	321.23	3.48%
Northeast Asia	270.02	0.38%

Major price rises this month
Commodity	Region	Month on month rise
Propylene	US	+15.68%
Butadiene	Northwest Europe	+12.32%
Polypropylene	US	+11.11%

Major price falls this month
Commodity	Region	Month on month fall
Toluene	US	-3.4%
Polyethylene	Northeast Asia	-2.96%
Toluene	Northeast Asia	-2.95%

Rising olefins prices helped push the global ICIS Petrochemical Index (IPEX) higher in June. Ethylene prices climbed in northeast Asia on supply-driven tightness while the June ethylene contract in Europe had firmed. June contracts for ethylene in the US settled up after falling for four months on long supply.

Meanwhile, US propylene was markedly higher for the month with propylene up strongly in northwest Europe also. Butadiene prices were again volatile with a sharp price increase in northwest Europe set against a more modest but still five per cent plus increase for the C4 olefin in the US but only a marginal increase in northeast Asia.

Benzene, toluene and paraxylene June contract prices were higher month to month in northwest Europe. Toluene prices were down in the US and in northeast Asia

Polymer prices moved only marginally in the month apart from polypropylene in the US, which was sharply higher, and polyethylene in northeast Asia, which was somewhat lower than in May.

The index values are subject to change as contract prices settle. The following monthly contract prices for June are yet to settle – US: paraxylene and styrene; northeast Asia: paraxylene.

Global and regional IPEX data are available here
The ICIS Petrochemical Index methodology is available here

The ICIS petrochemical index tracks the movement of 12 major petrochemicals and polymers: ethylene, propylene, butadiene, benzene, toluene, paraxylene (PX), polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), styrene, polystyrene (PS), methanol and polyvinyl chloride (PVC) with the regional indexes weighted by capacity.