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Buyers wary of eroding margins / Producers facing pressure over poor profitability

Buyers wary of eroding margins / Producers facing pressure over poor profitability

May 08, 2024

On the Asian ethylene markets, there were very few firm discussions on May 7 as buyers remained cautious due to the eroded margins downstream. Few buyers were in a hurry to buy more cargoes, citing that they had enough stock for the short term. A market source stated that the lower operating rates of downstream products like styrene and polyvinylchloride, were contributing factors, since demand projections were negative for the next month. The demand for SM will continue to be weak, so operating rates at the SM plant are expected to remain low. "We are not in a hurry to commit more ethylene cargoes, as we already have enough stock for us to operate at current rates," said a buyer based in China. The weak ethylene/naphtha margins were putting pressure...

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