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Buy-Sell Indications Unchanged on Week / Low production margins make buyers and sellers cautious

Buy-Sell Indications Unchanged on Week / Low production margins make buyers and sellers cautious

May 22, 2024

The May 21 spot Asian ethylene market was quiet due to the lack of urgency in buying ethylene amid abundant supply. The buying and selling indicators were mostly unchanged from week to week. According to several participants, narrow production spreads for ethylene and derivatives kept buyers on the defensive. Some sellers have expressed concern over the low ethylene/naphtha margins. Others believe that poor profitability may lead steam crackers using naphtha to reduce their operating rates. The benchmark C+F Japan Naphtha was down $9.75/mt for the day, to $676/mt at the Asian close on May 21. The ethylene-naphtha differential was calculated at $179/mt. This is a decrease from the usual spreads of $250/mt and $300-$350/mt between integrated producers and non-integrated.