Polish converters are actively enquiring about the prices and availability of polyolefins, but they are slow to buy the material, Chem-Courier found our last week. "Customers often wait until the second week of the month to make purchasing decisions. They want to have a complete picture of the market" - a supplier has commented. At the very beginning of the month, it is difficult to determine whether there any material shortages, but it is already known that many producers are holding off large spot sales. Interestingly, some of them are reporting low monomer availability and expressing concern about a potential lack of feedstock for polyolefin production. LDPE and LLDPE availability may stay unchanged from last month. It may be inadequate for the needs of all customers.
After increases in monomers prices were announced in the first days of October, polyolefin producers also implemented price increases. However, Chem-Courier has left the assessed market value unrevised in the absence of confirmed transactions. Converters may still succeed in beating suppliers down.
It will become obvious next week how much polyolefin prices will gain. "There will definitely be a price increase, but perhaps not to the level that producers want" - a market player remarked. Chem-Courier expects PP and PE demand to stay the same as last month and the market to get slower seasonally next one. However, the predicted increase in oil value will most probably keep polyolefin prices at the October levels. They may also go up again even if demand is low.
