(ICIS) -- Spot butadiene rubber (BR) prices in Asia may continue to nosedive after shedding about $1,000/tonne (┬740/tonne) from early October, tracking the decline in values of natural rubber (NR) and feedstock butadiene (BD), industry sources said on Friday. BR prices fell below $3,000/tonne this week, and were assessed at $2,800-3,000/tonne CFR (cost and freight) northeast (NE) Asia on 10 November, according to ICIS data.
On Thursday, NR prices slumped by more than $600/tonne from the start of the month, falling below $3,200/tonne, according to the Malaysian Rubber Board. Asian prices of BD, the feedstock for BR production, meanwhile, plummeted by about $900/tonne from early October to around $1,550/tonne CFR NE Asia on 4 November, according to ICIS data.
In the domestic Chinese market, spot BR values fell by more than yuan (CNY) 9,000 over the past month to around CNY 22,000 this week, market sources said. Weak demand given worries over the ongoing eurozone debt crisis and the floodings in Thailand also contributes to the slumping BR prices, market sources said.
Perspectives of development of polymer markets, pricing issues and other important aspects will be discussed at The Polymers Summit-2011, which will be held in Moscow on November 30, 2011 at the Ritz Carlton Hotel. The Summit will be organized by MRC with the support of ICIS. The main idea of the Summit is to find a "the golden mean" between producers and converters. When producers receive exactly such margin of production, which helps them to invest in production expansion in order to substitute polymers imports, and the converters receive such price of feedstock that helps them to compete imported finished products. The Summit site gives an access to the live video of the Summit, speakers" presentations, as well as opportunities to ask questions or make appointments to any Summit partcipant.