- The refusal of gasoline blenders to pay producer prices- Arbitrage towards the US closed



The weak demand caused the European spot
mixed xylene premiums to fall $75/mt each week to $195/mt Dec. 2. Multiple sources claim
that blenders are reluctant to pay the higher prices producers are offering,
which leads to low demand. Sources said
that arbitrage opportunities to the US were closed and there was little chance
for producers to make a profit. According
to a source close by the company, material was available throughout the week
due to maintenance at a key manufacturer that extended until the middle
December. Market participants anticipate
that supply will decrease in the weeks following mid-December. MX saw little demand for paraxylene and solvent conversion
applications. The slow demand from
Europe's downstream polyethylene-terephthalate market caused the European spot...