- Packaging heard about substituting PS- Higher production costs drive
up prices





As demand continued to stagnate, the
European polystyrene industry saw an increase in availability over the week
ending July 13. While the downturn in PS has been
less pronounced than that for acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene, demand has
nevertheless softened in July. Although traditional seasonality and
the beginning of the summer holidays are two factors that contributed to the
decline in demand, many market participants stated that July saw a weaker
demand than usual. Buyer uncertainty about whether the costs will
be passed onto consumers, as well as some buyers taking a wait-and-see stance
and not buying feedstock, have contributed to the additional weakness in demand. There were
concerns about the substitution of PS with lower-priced plastics, particularly
polypropylene, in the packaging industry. Although
demand for...