The IEA sharply lowered its 2026 global oil demand outlook, citing the escalating Mideast conflict and elevated energy prices. The agency now projects a significantly steeper year-on-year decline in consumption than previously forecast, warning that market tightening and demand destruction are accelerating.
The IEA expects world oil demand to decline year-on-year for the first time since 2020, driven by the Iran war and Strait of Hormuz closure. Prices have eased on prospects of a surplus late in 2026, but renewed hostilities threaten supplies and introduce volatility.
Globally, copolymer prices followed a fluctuating trend throughout 2025, closely mirroring movements in upstream feedstock costs. Prices opened the year at relatively elevated levels before entering a downward phase as raw material costs softened progressively.
Crude oil prices, which serve as a primary cost driver for petrochemical-derived copolymers, exhibited considerable instability across the year. After an early peak, values declined before staging a partial mid-year recovery, then resumed a downward path through the latter months, closing the year at lower levels. Copolymer prices broadly tracked this pattern, with upstream cost reductions feeding through to downstream pricing with some lag. Demand from key copolymer-consuming industries, including packaging, automotive components, consumer goods, and construction materials, remained mixed throughout the year. While certain segments maintained steady offtake, overall consumption growth was insufficient to provide meaningful price support against the backdrop of softening input costs and adequate supply availability. Producer margins fluctuated in line with the spread between feedstock costs and finished product prices. Overall, copolymer prices
Analyst Insight
According to Procurement Resource, copolymer prices are expected to remain subdued in the near term, reflecting continued weakness in upstream energy markets and tempered demand from key industrial end user sectors.
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In the latter half of 2024, the copolymer market experienced divergent regional dynamics, characterized by complex price movements and fluctuating market forces. North America witnessed an upward pricing trend, driven by steady demand from packaging, automotive, and consumer goods sectors. The market maintained resilience despite macroeconomic challenges, with manufacturers responding to strong consumption patterns.
Conversely, the Asian region encountered significant downward pressure on copolymer prices. Reduced demand from construction and automotive industries, coupled with global raw material cost fluctuations, contributed to a consistently bearish market sentiment. Seasonal slowdowns and economic uncertainties further compounded the pricing challenges.
European markets displayed a more balanced pricing environment, with fluctuating yet relatively stable copolymer prices. Manufacturers navigated complex market conditions by optimizing inventory management and focusing on operational efficiency. Steady demand from key sectors like automotive and consumer goods helped maintain market equilibrium.
The overall copolymer market in H2’24 was marked by regional variations, supply chain complexities, and cautious market adaptations, reflecting the broader economic uncertainties and sector-specific challenges.
Analyst Insight
According to Procurement Resource, the Copolymer market is likely to remain sensitive to global economic recovery, industrial demand shifts, and raw material price volatility.
Copolymer refers to a polymer that is composed of two or more monomer species, unlike homopolymers, which contain only one type of monomer unit. Several polymers of commercial importance are copolymers, for example, polyethylene-vinyl acetate (PEVA), nitrile rubber, styrene/butadiene co-polymer (SBR), acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), and others.
Copolymers are further categorised based on their structures. into linear copolymers and branched copolymers. Copolymer obtained via copolymerisation demonstrates the many benefits of hybrid materials and offers enhanced properties to the product to meet the specific needs, for example, to reduce crystallinity, limit wetting properties or to improve solubility.
Thermoplastic elastomers, Construction Materials, Paints and Adhesives, Automotive
LyondellBasell Industries N.V, China Petroleum & Chemical Corporation (Sinopec), The Dow Chemical Company, BASF SE, SABIC, PetroChina Company Limited
CurrencyUS$ (Data can also be provided in local currency)
Supplier Database AvailabilityYes
Customization ScopeThe report can be customized as per the requirements of the customer
Post-Sale Analyst Support360-degree analyst support after report delivery
Note: Our supplier search experts can assist your procurement teams in compiling and validating a list of suppliers indicating they have products, services, and capabilities that meet your company's needs.
In order to produce Copolymer, copolymerisation of two or more monomers is carried out at a specific temperature and conditions. Since the physicochemical characteristics of each monomer are unique, their nature of copolymerisation also varies depending on the monomer involved in the process. The obtained products unite the beneficial properties of their monomeric species while often negating their disadvantageous properties.
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