SBR prices in Asia ended a three-month slump

(ICIS) -- Styrene butadiene rubber (SBR) prices in Asia ended a three-month slump on restocking activities by traders/end-users, and backed by rising values of feedstock butadiene (BD), industry sources said on Thursday.

Average spot prices of non-oil grade 1502 SBR rebounded $50/tonne week on week to $2,725/tonne (┬2,017/tonne) CIF (cost and freight) China on 23 November, after shedding 45% since early August, ICIS data showed.

The Lunar New Year, which falls on 23 January 2012, is celebrated across Asia. Traders and downstream tyre makers are looking to book January deliveries ahead of the festive season. A rebound in BD prices also led to expectations that SBR values will increase further, market sources said.

Perspectives of development of the polymers 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 is 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.

MRC

(ICIS) -- The global styrene market will see improved stability in the coming years as operating rates increase, but still faces crucial challenges in light of ongoing macroeconomic volatility, a senior executive from Germany-based styrenics producer Styrolution said on Tuesday.

Speaking at the 10th European Aromatics & Derivatives Conference in Amsterdam, Europe president Martin Pugh said that demand growth will start to overtake capacity additions in the next three years, which will lead to operating rates gradually moving back closer to 90%, from the 80% level seen since the downturn in late 2008.

While Pugh added that global styrene demand growth forecasts have been reduced to 3.3% from previous expectations closer to 4%, growth levels varied between the different downstream sectors.
The polystyrene (PS) market, which has struggled with oversupply despite a 25% capacity reduction over the past five to six years, is forecast to grow by only 3%, while other derivative markets such as expandable polystyrene (EPS) and acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS) may expect to see growth rates of up to 5-6% from now until 2014.

The low volume of recycled PS also poses a challenge, with Pugh arguing that the industry needs to find bigger markets in order to cultivate additional growth for the polymer. For the European ABS market, increasing capacities in the Middle East and Asia as well as the EU/South Korea free trade agreement both present challenges for future growth.

Perspectives of development of the polymers 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 is 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.

MRC

(ICIS) -- Spot acrylonitrile (ACN) prices in Asia look set to rise further, after rebounding from six months of steady decline, as supply has tightened and buying interest from China has emerged, industry sources said on Wednesday.

ACN prices have gained about 5% over the past two weeks to $1,650-1,700/tonne (┬1,221-1,258/tonne) CFR (cost and freight) NE (northeast Asia), recovering from a 45% slump between late April to early November, according to ICIS.

Prices bottomed out on 4 November at $1,550-1,650/tonne CFR NE Asia, the data showed.
With regional producers having limited cargoes to sell to the spot market because of a spate of production cutbacks and plant turnarounds since October, ACN prices are likely to continue rising.
ACN is used in the production of acrylic fibres, which go into clothing and home furnishings such as carpets, upholstery and cushions.

Major ACN producers in Asia, including Japan's Asahi Kasei, South Korea's Taekwang Industrial, China's Shanghai SECCO Petrochemical and Taiwan's Formosa Plastics Corp (FPC) have been running their plants at reduced rates of 80% of capacities in the past month because of weak demand and poor economics.

Other ACN producers, including China's Jilin Petrochemical shut down two of its four lines in early October because of weak economics. Each of the two lines has a capacity of 106,000 tonnes/year.
Jilin's two other ACN lines, each with a capacity of 120,000 tonnes/year, are running normally, said a company source.

Perspectives of development of the polymers 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 is 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.

MRC

(ICIS) -- Stronger demand for electronics during the holiday shopping season should bode well for the US chemical industry, an analyst said on Tuesday. According to the National Retail Federation, 32% of consumers plan to buy electronics this year, the highest level since 2008, when the number was 30%. Last year, only 28% planned to buy electronics. Chemicals are a key component in electronics.

For example, chemicals make up about 33% of the value of inputs used to make semiconductors, which are widely used in cell phones, computers and MP3 players, the American Chemistry Council (ACC) said. Additionally, chemicals make up 38% of the value of inputs used to make CDs and DVDs.

Analysts say those items will once again be on shoppers' wish lists, especially on the day after the US Thanksgiving holiday, traditionally called Black Friday. Retailers usually hold sales, offering deep discounts on several items on that day. However, several buyers and sellers in the polymers and resins markets said that although demand is healthier year on year, it is well below the peak demand seen before the recession of 2008.

Perspectives of development of the polymers 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 is 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.

MRC

(BASF) -- In recognition of the significant growth opportunity associated with the global battery marketplace, BASF is creating a new global business unit that will bring together its current and future battery-related electromobility activities. As part of this transition, a new global business unit ⌠Battery Materials will be formed, effective January 1, 2012. This business unit will integrate the existing battery activities of BASF's Catalysts division, which is focused on cathode materials development; its Intermediates division, which is focused on electrolyte formulations, and BASF Future Business GmbH, which is focused on next-generation lithium battery opportunities. This operating consolidation will take place throughout the first half of 2012, leveraging the collaborative efforts of each of these business teams to ensure a seamless migration for BASF and its market constituents.


Perspectives of development of the polymers 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 is 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.

MRC