Blinded By The Light – US HDPE Premium Rises Relative To Asia; Several ESG Items Take Flight

Daily Chemical Reaction

Blinded By The Light – US HDPE Premium Rises Relative To Asia; Several ESG Items Take Flight

Key Points:

• Asia High-Density Polyethylene (HDPE) hit a five-year low relative to US spot levels last week. We discuss Asia HDPE values relative US ethane values and other factors that suggest a regional price rebalancing ahead in 2021.      
• We highlight multiple corporate items (e.g., BASF, AkzoNobel, Arkema, Avient, PPG, Lenzing, Sabic & CPC Corp. strategic initiatives; Celanese & OQ Chemicals price hikes; WR Grace & Mitsubishi Chemical updates)  
• Other relevant items within this report include the recent uptick in Brent Crude relative to US Natural gas; mounting Oil & Gas producer initiatives to go green; and shipping issues remaining a hindrance to product movements.  

See PDF below for all charts, tables and diagrams