Chemical Updates

Asian polyethylene: Prices rise on feedstock costs amid weak demand / PE offers increase on feedstock cost surge / Ethylene prices up $130-$170/mt since July 1

Aug 03, 2026

The Asian polyethylene market saw a rise in offer levels in the week ending July 29, driven by soaring feedstock naphtha and ethylene costs, though buying interest waned as downstream players grew cautious amid crude price volatility. The upward price revisions followed a surge in upstream naphtha and ethylene prices over the previous weeks, several sources said. Since the start of July, key feedstock ethylene prices have risen $170/metric ton on a CFR Northeast Asia basis to $980/ mt and 130/mt on a CFR SE Asia basis to $920/mt. Persistently pressured production margins prompted Asian producers to raise offer prices, while offers for Middle East-origin material were higher given myriad factors, including domestic trucking costs, higher freight rates into Asia, and an overall volatile crude complex. However, a slump in...

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