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Negative margins on derivatives impact buying sentiment / Naphtha drops for the second day in a row

Negative margins on derivatives impact buying sentiment / Naphtha drops for the second day in a row

May 04, 2024

The Asian ethylene market fell during the week ending May 3. Several participants blamed weak downstream fundamentals. Buyers remained sensitive to the ethylene price as their profitability was threatened by negative production margins for key derivatives like polyethylene, styrene monmer, and polyvinylchloride. The market was limited by a second consecutive fall in naphtha. A producer said that production margins for ethylene were eroded because the spread between naphtha and ethylene remained below $200/mt. The ethylene price has also fallen. "Yes, naphtha is cheaper, but the spread between ethylene and naphtha remains below $200/mt. "The spread between ethylene naphtha and ethylene is still very low and profitability is low. However, cargo is still readily available and sellers have little choice", said a producer from Northeast Asia. The early week deal at...

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