January contract prices for PE in US remained stationary due to high feedstock prices, record December 2013 exports that lowered inventory levels

Elyse Blye

SURREY, England , February 12, 2014 (ICIS Chemical Business (CBNB Abstracts)) – On 24 Jan 2014, US polyethylene (PE) Jan contract prices remained stationary as it faced high feedstock prices and record Dec exports (900 M lbs; 408,000 tonnes) that lowered inventory levels. Relative to Jan 2013 levels, prices remain more than 10% higher as price reductions were never reported throughout the previous year. A 4 cents/lb price hike announced by producers for the month of Feb may be offset by substantial margins and balanced supply. The price increases demanded by producers have been influenced mainly by rising export prices, at 2-3 cents/lb. A graph entitled, US HDPE prices, shows DEL prices (cents/lb) for PE (blow moulding) from Jan 2013 to Jan 2014.

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