Prime ABS, Polystyrene (PS), and Polycarbonate (PC) prices are going up in March 2010

Please be aware of the price increases that have been announced for ABS, Polycarbonate (PC), and Polystyrene (PS) for March 2010. I am not sure what these price increases are based on, because the spot price of Benzene has started moving down in price in late February. The North American (NA) contract price of Benzene is up about $.14/lb. in the month of February, but is forecasted to start its downward movement in price in the month of March. All major Benzene markets have seen price decreases in late February, except for the NA contract price for the product. Be careful in what excess inventory of ABS, PS, and PC, your purchase this month, because Benzene feedstock prices should start softening in March 2010. Do not be surprised is if the announced price increases in March for the three resins listed above is not just a ploy to try to keep the price of material up. The major polymer manufacturers want to tie their announced price increases to the price of Benzene, but now what are they going to do to stop price softening since Benzene prices appear to heading south.

I find it amazing that some ABS / PS suppliers don’t have any material available to fill orders in February, but they are more than happy to take your order for March delivery at the March increased prices. The NA ABS and PS polymer producers must be trying out some of the new “Obamanomics”, so be careful with your late February and early March purchases of ABS, PS, and PC. Prices may start going back down by late March 2010 if the price of Benzene continues to soften.

Here are the other material price increases that we are getting letters on at this time.
Dow – Polycarbonate March 1st PC announced price increase $.14/lb. for Calibre / Emerge Resins
BASF – ABS Feb. 15th ABS announced price increase $.07/lb.
Americas Styrenics – PS Feb. 1st PS announced price increase of $.05/lb. on all PS Resins.
IneosNova – PS Feb. 1st PS announced price increase of $.05/lb. an all PS Grades.
Ineos – ABS / SAN Feb 1st ABS / SAN announced price increase of $.07/lb. Lustran brand resins.

Dualloy sells the following types of plastic resin / polymers.
Acrylic PMMA - Clear / White (segregated) lumps / chunks for crackback
Acrylic PMMA - Q1 / Q2 Clear / White / Green Extruded Sheet
Acrylic PMMA - Clear / White extruded sheet trim scrap

Dualloy Sells the following types of plastic resins and polymers.
Nylon 66 – PA 66 Wide Specification Pellets, Baled Fibers, Regrinds
Nylon 6 – PA6 Prime Pellets, wide specification pellets, plant scrap
ABS, SAN, GPPS Wide Specification Pellets, GPPS / SAN Devol Pellets
SBS, SEBS, SIBS Second Quality Pellets, Aged/Obsolete Inventory
TPU, TPR, TPE

Dualloy purchases/sells plastic resin and polymers in the following forms.
Aged/Obsolete Virgin Pellets
Wide-Specification Pellets
Clean uniform Plastic Regrinds
Reactor Lumps/Chunks/Patties
Nylon Fiber Bales

Dualloy has the following Nylon 66 materials available for sale:
Nylon 66 Semi Dull Wide Spec Pellets
Nylon 66 Dull Second Quality Pellets
Nylon 66 Textile Bright Pellets
Nylon 66 Pellets w/ up to 0.02% TiO2
Nylon 66 Mixed Color Regrind
Nylon 66 Bright / Semi Dull / Dull Baled Fibers
Prime Nylon 6 Pellets 2.7 RV - Natural
Packaged in 1,500# boxes

Nylon 6 Wide Spec Chips – High Residual Monomer
Mixed Grades / Mixed RV’s 2.4 – 5.0
May have up to 10% residual monomer
Will contain pellets with TiO2
May have blue/green HS pellets present

Nylon 6 Unpelletized Chopped Strands – High Residual Monomer
Mixed Grades / Mixed RV’s 2.4 – 5.0
May have up to 10%-12% residual monomer
Will contain pellets with TiO2

Prime ABS Natural Pellets
3.5 Melt / 4 Izod - Low Gloss

ABS Natural Wide Specification Pellets
4 Melt / 7 Izod - High Gloss

ABS Black Pellets
5 Melt / 4 Izod

Prime SAN Pellets
8 Melt Crystone

SAN Devol Pellets
Blue Color

GPPS Devol Pellets
Mixed Color for Black

Please feel free to contact me at: JamesGubera@dualloy.com