MOSCOW (MRC) -- Epsilyte (The Woodlands, Texas) says it will raise its prices for all grades of expandable polystyrene (EPS) by an additional 12 cents/pound (cts/lb) as of 1 March 2021, or as contracts allow, due to continued increases in feedstock costs, said Chemweek.
The price hike is in addition to a previously announced increase, also due to be implemented on 1 March, of 5 cts/lb. The EPS producer says the total increase of 17 cts/lb “is necessary to keep pace with rapidly escalating feedstock costs.” It also implemented price rises in January and February for the same reasons.
EPS demand has remained strong in recent months amid strong demand from construction and foam food packaging applications.
EPS is a rigid form of polystyrene (PS) used in insulation foams for the construction industry as well as for packaging.
As per MRC, Epsilyte (Woodlands, Texas) increased prices by 4 cents per pound (USD88 per tonne) from February 1 on all PSV-S grades in North America. In January, the company raised PSV-S prices by 6 cents per pound.
According to MRC's ScanPlast, in Russia, the estimated consumption of PS and styrene plastics for the eleven months of 2020 amounted to 454.990 tonnes, which corresponds to the consumption indicator for the same period last year. The estimated consumption of PS and styrene plastics in the country in November increased by 4% compared to the same month of 2019 and amounted to 45,830 tonnes.
Major North American producers of EPS include Styropek, EPSilyte, Styrochem, Nexkemia and Dart Polymers.
MRC