Material Insights
Details on more North American resin price increases, Senior Reporter Frank Esposito explains how the Ukraine war is impacting global feedstock prices, and FRX Polymers is going public through an SPAC deal.
Shell Polymers’ massive plastics and petrochemical facility near Pittsburgh is now 95 percent complete, and Mitsubishi Chemical America Inc. has closed a compounding plant in Warren, Mich.
North American polypropylene resin pricing fell in April, but Senior Reporter Frank Esposito explains that they could be headed the other direction in May. Also, supply chain issues may convince Congress to ease tariffs between the U.S. and China, which has been a priority for the U.S. resin sector.
Commodity resin prices rise in April, thanks to solid demand and high feedstock prices. Also, California Attorney General Rob Bonta talks about why he opened an investigation of the plastics industry.
Material supplier Avient Corp. is continuing its focus on composites, and plans to sell its legacy resin distribution business; Dow Inc. officials remain bullish on the outlook for plastics, despite inflation and supply chain worries.
Two April 6 letters from the Environmental Protection Agency could have an impact on Formosa Plastics’ proposed $9.4 billion Sunshine Project, which would produce polyethylene, polypropylene and other chemicals in Louisiana. In Material Insights, Assistant Managing Editor Steve Toloken talks about the issue, plus we have M&A news in the compounding sector.
Resin prices in North America moved up again in March, the result of strong demand, supply chain issues, higher feedstock costs and the war in Ukraine.
Strong demand, higher feedstock prices and supply chain problems — all exacerbated by the Ukraine crisis — are driving up North American polypropylene, polyethylene and polystyrene resin pricing.
Resin supply chain issues have been an “extreme challenge” and may take several months to improve, according to Howard Rappaport of StoneX Group Inc. We spoke with Rappaport on March 22 at the Plastics News Executive Forum in Naples, Fla.
Resin prices increased in February for several resin types, but more are likely on the way as unrest in Ukraine pushes feedstock and energy prices higher as well.