Asia top stories – weekly summary

SINGAPORE (ICIS)–Here are the top stories from ICIS News Asia and the Middle East for the week ended 7 May 2021.

NE Asia C2 sentiment mixed on limited supply, weak downstream outlook
Sentiment in the northeast Asian spot ethylene (C2) market is expected to be mixed in May, as supply curtailments could be tempered by the bearish outlook for certain downstream sectors.

Global R-PET feedstock post-consumer bottle supply snug to very tight
Global supply of post-consumer bottle (PCB) – the feedstock for the recycled polyethylene terephthalate (R-PET) market – was snug to extremely tight particularly in the West.

Asia May BDO contracts retreat from peak; spot market expected to soften
Asia’s butanediol (BDO) monthly contracts for the domestic market in South Korea and Taiwan were settled lower from April, retreating from their peaks, with the spot market also expected to soften ahead.

Asian melamine prices at 11-year high; trend may not be sustainable
Melamine prices in the Chinese export market have climbed to an 11-year high recently on the back of snug supply and healthy demand from outside of Asia.

Asia manufacturing continues recovery in Apr amid improved external demand
Asia’s manufacturing sector continued to recover in April on improved operating conditions with foreign demand expected to support near-term growth in new orders.