Bright conventional spinning nylon-6 offers in Asia surged US$240 a ton in the second week of December. Offers for semi-dull high-speed spinning chip were up US$270 a ton on the week.
Taiwan‐origin high-speed chip offers were hiked by another US$200 a ton. High-end engineering plastics grade chip prices moved up US$260 a ton on the week.
Nylon yarn prices declined further during the first week of August as operating cost pressure reduced on lower prices of caprolactum and nylon chips. However, demand was also weak as downstream converters could hardly find fresh order intakes amid dull season, restraining demand for nylon yarn and in turn weighing down yarn prices.
Nylon filament yarn prices fell further during the last week of July as operating cost pressure eased on lower caprolactum and nylon chips prices. Meanwhile textile yarn makers continued to cut run rates on poor confidence and some others with tight liquidity or incurring losses operated at low rates. Demand was off season for textiles amid lackluster economy situation.
Benzene prices have gained 14-16 per cent across regions in March, pushed by an uptick in demand and stronger crude as players in US wanting to open the arbitrage window from Europe amid tighter supply expectations. However, benzene prices were seen easing end March as upstream toluene cooled down while arbitrage window to US remained closed. The week also witnessed a rare reverse arbitrage move. An estimated 20,000 ton cargo was set to arrive in China from the US in March-end.
