(ICIS) -- The cost of acetone in Europe is
set to firm again because of tightness in supply and another increase in the
cost of feedstock propylene, market sources said on Tuesday. In relation
to the "high" and "unexpected" ?80/tonne ($111/tonne) increase in the March
propylene contract price, a European producer described it as "a disaster for
our customers”.
“This is a disaster for our customers. They are going to kill us. In just
one or two hours the cost of propylene increased by ?40/tonne. We were expecting
it (the propylene contract) to increase by ?20-40/tonne,” the producer said.
On the back of another hike in feedstock costs, the producer said its
target for spot acetone was now in the low ?900s/tonne for the solvents market
and the high ?900s/tonne for the pharmaceutical sector.
Tightness in the European market was also fuelling the intention of
acetone producers to raise spot and contract prices in March. A number of
suppliers said they were totally sold out of material.
While the March propylene contract increased by ?80/tonne, the March
benzene contact price rolled over at ?1,001/tonne.
mrcplast.com
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