Asia top stories – weekly summary
ICIS Editorial
23-Apr-2018
SINGAPORE (ICIS)–Here are some of the top stories from ICIS Asia and the Middle East for the week ended 20 April 2018.
Mideast PVC under pressure from influx of US
cargoes, weak demand
Spot polyvinyl
chloride (PVC) prices in the Middle East are
under downward pressure from an influx of
deep-sea cargoes amid threats of a trade war
between China and the US.
China acetone import sentiment to stay firm on
tight supply
China acetone import
prices are likely to stay firm on the back of
limited supplies in the region, market
participants said.
China paraffin wax uptrend may be reaching a
tipping point
Chinese paraffin wax
uptrend – which has continued throughout the
first quarter – may now be coming to an end as
market players feel that prices have peaked.
Asia SBR may rise on feedstock BD gains, firm
demand
Asia’s styrene butadiene rubber
(SBR) prices look set to increase on the back
of rising feedstock butadiene (BD) cost and
expectations of firm demand.
India IPA import prices poised to rise on firm
demand, tight supply
Indian
Isopropanol (IPA) import prices look set to
rise further on the back of firm demand and
tight supply, market participants said.
Asia MEG spikes on prompt cargo shortage; price
spreads widen
Spot monoethylene glycol
(MEG) prices in Asia have continued to increase
due to a shortage of prompt cargoes amid strong
demand, which further widened price spreads
between readily available supply and H2
April/May shipments.
China to allocate more MEK cargoes for export
amid weak demand
Chinese suppliers
will be allocating more methyl ethyl ketone
(MEK) cargoes for export this year amid weak
domestic demand.
China domestic MMA prices to stay firm on tight
supply
China’s domestic methyl
methacrylate (MMA) prices are trading at their
record highs and may remain supported by tight
supply in both the local and import markets
amid plant turnarounds.
Iran rial slump unlikely to boost petrochemical
exports
Iran’s petrochemical exports
may not get a major boost from the recent
plunge of the rial – triggered by speculations
of further sanctions from the US – as most
cargoes are shipped out under term contracts,
particularly to its key market – China.
Asia BD set to rise in near term as US
arbitrage window opens
Asia butadiene
(BD) spot prices look set to rise in the near
term on tighter-than-expected supplies and as
the arbitrage window to the US opens.
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