Europe PE January prices for CIS markets fall

MOSCOW (MRC)–Despite the €40/tonne drop in the European ethylene contract price for January, regional producers did not cut proportionally their polyethylene (PE) prices for CIS markets, according to a MRC Price report.

European producers reduced their prices of some PE grades by a greater amount than the reduction in the price of monomer.

However, the price reduction for other PE grades was less than the monomer price decrease and, in general, prices fell by €30-50/tonne, depending on the grade.

Deals for January shipments of high density polyethylene (HDPE) were done in the range of €1,050-1,075/tonne FCA (free carrier) for blow moulding.

Injection moulding PE was down by an average of €30/tonne from December.

Prices of injection moulding HDPE dropped to €1,000-1,030/tonne FCA.

Prices of black pipe grade HDPE of PE 100 grade were in the range of €1,220-1,260/tonne FCA, down by an average of €30/tonne from December.

Deals for January shipments of European low density polyethylene (LDPE) were done in the range €930-985/tonne FCA, whereas last month’s deals were done in the range of €980-1,035/tonne FCA.

MRC, a partner of ICIS, produces polymers news and pricing reports from Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan.