Covestro announces price increases on PC in Europe, Middle East and Africa, according to a letter sent to clients. In the note, Covestro said it will increase polycarbonate (PC) prices by €500 per metric ton from 1 May.
As seen in other polymers markets, PC is tight and the situation is not improving. The polymer industry continues to face many disruptions along the value chain, from shipping to intermediate products.
For PC for example, there is a global shortage of bisphenol A (BPA) which is particularly acute in Asia. Because of the shortages, BPA prices have increased, now at $3,500 pet metric ton in Asia.
In addition, disruptions upstream pushed up prices of base chemicals, such as benzene, a vital raw material in the PC value chain. And the upside is showing no sign of abating.
Other PC producers have also announced increases. For example, Trinseo in early April announced increases of €400 per metric ton on PC. And recently, market participants noted that Sabic was seeking high prices of approximately the same magnitude in Europe and even higher in the US.
It seems the ongoing pandemic continues to distort markets, creating shortages and pushing up prices of many intermediate products. Buyers were hoping for slightly better market conditions in the second quarter after a difficult first quarter.
But it seems the PC market is set to get worse in the next few months. And this worsening turn of events is happening across the entire polymer industry, on products such as PA6/PA66, PBT, PP, and ABS.