“BASF” increases prices of additives for plastics applications: On Dec. 1 2017, BASF of Germany sent the following news from Ludwigshafen, the company’s base:
Effective immediately, or as contracts allow, BASF is increasing the prices by 15 percent globally for a majority of products in its additives portfolio for plastic applications. Price increases will apply to the following product classes:
Antioxidants, Light stabilizers, flame retardants and other plastic additives.
Another news confirms that the prices of some other commodities that are already faced with price increases at the north American market will also increase in next few months. The news says:
While regional prices for Polyamide 6 and 6/6 resins and some recycled grades of PET bottle materials have increased in recent months, North American polypropylene material prices ticked up another 2.2 cents per Kilogram.
The 2.2 cents/Kg. increase for PP materials, marked the second straight month that market prices had moved up by that amount. Prices had jumped 14.45 cents per Kg. in September as the American markets reacted to temporary shortages caused by Hurricane Harvey.
According to the American Chemistry Council, regarding trade volumes, North American PP sales grew just over 1 percent in the first 10 months of 2017, according to the American Chemistry Council. Also domestic sales grew 2.5 percent in that period, though were softened by a 32.5 percent plunge in exports.
North American domestic sales of PP into injection molded housewares surged almost 5 percent for that 10-month stretch. Though PP sales converted into sheet jumped almost 9 percent.
Polyamide prices rise
Higher feedstock costs and strong demand from the automotive market sent PA 6 prices up an average of 13.25 cents per Kg. and nylon 6/6 prices up an average of 17.66 cents per Kg. since Sept. 1st. At the North American markets, nylon 6 and 6/6 prices already had surged a total of 39.73 cents per Kg. this year.
For recycled PET, a 6.62 cents increase for clear pellets was fueled, in part, by higher demand and concerns surrounding an anti-dumping petition filed against U.S. PET imports, according to the PetroChemWire LLC consulting firm in Houston.
Strong demand partially has resulted from end users meeting end-of-year production quotas for bottles and packaging with recycled content, the report added.
