Livestreams
The U.S. plastics industry has been in a recession, impacted by high interest rates, a strong dollar and high oil prices, Economics Editor Bill Wood says.
Despite the economic slowdown, many resin buyers are seeing higher prices. PET is the latest commodity resin to post an increase, joining polyethylene, polystyrene and PVC. In Polymer Points Live, Frank Esposito discusses those resins and explains the factors — including exports, supply outages and feedstock price increases — that enabled sellers to push through increases in August.
What’s in the “zero draft” of the United Nations Plastics Treaty, and is it going to be binding or voluntary? Steve Toloken covers those questions in the September Plastics in Politics Live.
Higher interest rates haven’t gotten inflation under control yet, but they are having an impact on the plastics sector. Bill Wood analyzes the situation In the August Numbers That Matter Live.
Frank Esposito offered opinions on near-term pricing trends for polyethylene, polypropylene, polystyrene, PET, PVC, polycarbonate and other resins in the Aug. 15 Polymer Points Live. But he noted that buying trends, the sluggish economy and feedstock pricing made predictions difficult.
In the August Plastics in Politics Live, Steve Toloken looked at opportunities for recycled plastics in infrastructure, including a recent National Academy of Sciences report.
In the August Sustainable Plastics Live, Karen Laird talks about how plastics recyclers are suffering because some brand owners are buying inexpensive virgin resins, and some regulators are delaying extended producer responsibility efforts.
Plastics production and capacity utilization data point to a recession in that’s being caused by higher interest rates and a slowing economy, Plastics News Economics Editor Bill Wood said in the July Numbers that Matter Live.
Plastics M&A activity may be down, but some buyers are still paying healthy multiples – although there’s a wide variance in selling prices. In our July PN Live, Senior Reporter Frank Esposito looked at M&A trends and recapped the biggest deals so far this year.
North American buyers of commodity resins could see more price decreases in July, as a result of lower feedstock costs and a slumping economy, senior teporter Frank Esposito said in the July Polymer Points Live.
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