(ICIS) -- US acrylic acid and acrylate esters contract prices for May rose by 5 cents/lb (USD 110/tonne, EUR 78/tonne) on snug supply and upstream pressure from feedstock chemical-grade propylene (CGP), sources said on Wednesday. The increase took glacial acrylic acid (GAA) to a range of USD 1.50-1.55/tonne, as assessed by ICIS. May acrylates contract prices had been proposed up by 5-8 cents/lb. Individual increases for butyl acrylate (butyl-A) were heard as low as 3 cents/lb and as high as 8 cents/lb, but posted gains of 5 cents/lb reflected market consensus.
Supply was still snug, some sources said, while others said supply was ample, partly because large volumes of GAA are available from Asia.
Most sources said the market would be balanced within the next few months.
Besides additional Asian material, weaker-than-expected demand was another reason cited for longer supply. ⌠I don't see demand as much different than last year, another buyer said.
Several sources noted that downstream demand had weakened because of a late start in the US spring coatings season. Also, severe supply constraints on methyl methacrylate (MMA) have diminished demand for butyl-A and 2-ethylhexyl acrylate (2-EHA), buyers and sellers said.