Resin To Riches: Weekly Plastic Market Insights

Polymer Global Analysis

Resin To Riches: Weekly Plastic Market Insights

• General Thoughts: Another US PE non-market adjustment may become more likely by year-end if spot weakness challenges contract benchmarks, reinforcing C-MACC’s value in pricing, procurement, and working capital planning.
• Polyethylene (PE): Global PE buyers are testing which grades, routes, and suppliers can clear profitable demand as Chinese cargoes, Saudi availability, US price pressure, and converter margins shift spot-market leverage toward buyers.
• Polypropylene (PP): Global PP markets are turning into a propylene-spread contest as China’s export buildout limits upside while North American outages preserve seller leverage amid cautious buying.
• Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC): Global PVC buyers are testing chlor-vinyl reliability outside low-cost markets as China carbide exports, India’s premium reset, US inventory tightness, and construction softness are splitting regional economics.
• Other Sector Developments: Naphtha stress, NGL depth, olefin gaps, foreign shutdowns, and Middle East supply shocks are making North American value-chain integration a cost, supply, and customer-confidence advantage.

Exhibit 1 – Chart of the Day: Are US PE Contract Prices Pointing Toward a Non-Market Adjustment by Year-End?

Source: Bloomberg, C-MACC Estimates, Weekly Spot Price Estimates – January 2018-2026 YTD