Asia top stories – weekly summary
ICIS Editorial
03-Sep-2018
SINGAPORE (ICIS)–Here are some of the top stories from ICIS Asia and the Middle East for the week ended 31 August 2018.
SE Asia NBR may soften in September on sluggish
demand
Acrylonitrile butadiene rubber (NBR) prices in
southeast Asia are expected to soften in
September due to sluggish demand.
Asia spot naphtha premiums flip to discounts on
supply overhang
Asia’s naphtha spot premiums have flipped to
discounts on the back of a well-supplied market
which is poised to see greater western
arbitrage flows.
Chinese PMDI import prices to remain under
pressure on weak demand
China’s polymeric methyl di-p-phenylene
isocyanate (PMDI) import prices plummeted by
more than $200/tonne within a week, to fresh
two year-low levels, and the downtrend looks
set to extend further, if downstream demand
fails to pick up soon.
China’s plastics waste ban to inevitably boost
polyester feedstocks demand, concerns
growing
China’s ban on imported plastics waste could
not only boost demand for virgin material
significantly but also polyester feedstocks
paraxylene (PX), purified terephthalate acid
(PTA) and monoethylene glycol (MEG).
NE Asia LER slides to eight-month low; recovery
expected
Northeast Asia’s liquid epoxy resins (LER) spot
prices have softened to an eight-month low,
with near-term recovery expected as demand
improves.
South Asia PP market bullish on China gains,
tighter supply
South Asia’s polypropylene (PP) market remains
bullish, propped up by recent recovery in
China’s import prices and limited spot supply.
Asia IPA outlook mixed in the near term on
differing opinions
Asian isopropanol (IPA) market in the near term
is looking mixed amid a slight fall in Chinese
domestic prices even though supply is tight in
the local market.
Asia ABS falls amid trade war jitters;
producers’ margins shrink
Asia’s acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS)
market weakened further this week with demand
from end-users and traders staying lacklustre.
Asia naphtha premiums tumble on plentiful
supply
Asia’s naphtha spot premiums have plummeted on
the back of ample supplies, with greater
surplus arbitrage cargoes expected to land in
the region next month.
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