Polymer exports from Thailand slowed by flooding-related port congestion, production problems; HDPE film fetching a premium of US$141/tonne over LLDPE, settling at US$1,339/tonne CFR Far East Asia

Alison Gallant

LOS ANGELES , November 18, 2011 (Industry Intelligence) – Polymer exports from Thailand have been slowed due to port congestion related to the recent floods coinciding with production problems, Platts reported Nov. 18.

The catastrophic flooding has shut down the country’s largest port, Platts noted.

Sources from PTT plc and SCG Co. Ltd. told Platts that part of the problem has been the bottlenecking of imports at the ports that can't be offloaded because of factory closures and infrastructure damage in the Southeast Asian country.

Adding to the industry’s woes has been production problems at PTT Chemicals’ 300,000-tonne per year high-density polyethylene plant in Map Ta Phut, Thailand, which had to be taken offline for most of October due to undisclosed technical issues.

HDPE-film has been fetching a premium of US$141/tonne over linear low-density polyethylene, Platts reported, settling at $1,339/tonne cost and freight Far East Asia.

The primary source of this article is Platts, New York, New York, Nov. 18, 2011.

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