PC prices decrease €60-80/mt in May versus April as conditions become worse for sellers, according to GC Intelligence assessments.
With prices rising until recently, demand has gradually fallen and has led to an increase in availability.
The expectations that the increase in inflation across Europe would eventually start to reduce demand appears to be playing out.
The lockdowns in China and the war in the Ukraine added more fuel to the downside.
Both geopolitical events were disrupting supply chains and causing a reduction in activity downstream.
However, the lockdown in China was at the same time also lowering supply in Europe.
One major supplier has apparently become short again, most probably because it is supporting the loss of production in Asia because of the lockdowns in China.
Nevertheless, the European polycarbonate (PC) market is gradually becoming a buyer’s market. With expectation of sesonal slowdowns, the outlook in in the short-term sees more decreases in the next few months.