Polystyrene Price Trend and Forecast

Polystyrene Regional Price Overview

Get comprehensive insights into the Polystyrene market, with a focused analysis of the Polystyrene price trend across Asia, Europe, North America, Latin America, and the Middle East & Africa.

Polystyrene Price Trend for the Q3 of 2024

Asia

In Q3'24, the Asian polystyrene market demonstrated a fluctuating price pattern, characterized by multiple price swings. The quarter began with stable prices in July, followed by an upward movement through August. This initial stability was influenced by the steady feedstock styrene prices, despite falling benzene costs in the upstream market.
 

Polystyrene Price Chart

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The maintenance shutdowns at several styrene facilities in China created temporary supply tightness, which supported the price rise. However, as production resumed at full capacities, prices declined due to weak downstream demand. September saw a brief recovery in prices as manufacturers attempted to maintain margins.

Europe

The European polystyrene market in Q3'24 experienced significant price volatility. The market started with firm pricing supported by steady feedstock styrene costs. However, prices soon declined due to poor demand fundamentals and low inventory levels across the region. The market then witnessed a modest recovery, driven by manufacturers' efforts to maintain margins despite the narrowing styrene-polystyrene spread.

North America

In Q3'24, the North American polystyrene market displayed an oscillating trend. The quarter began with price increases in July, followed by a downturn due to oversupply conditions and reduced demand from key sectors like automotive and construction. August witnessed another price recovery as producers implemented price hikes to maintain margins. However, this was short-lived as market fundamentals remained weak.

Analyst Insight

According to Procurement Resource, the prices of Polystyrene will likely to remain volatile in the coming months given the current economic headwinds and disbalanced supply-demand dynamics.
 

Polystyrene (PS) Price Trend for the Q1 of 2024

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Asia

Polystyrene prices were observed to be moving upward throughout the given period. In the Indian market, the first half of the quarter was more muted as the inventories were still high in the initial months. However, as days progressed, the stockpiles started to vacate, and the prices started rising along with the downstream demands. Indian market grew by about 2% over the entire quarter.

The monthly average prices went from about 1242 USD/MT (FOB) in January’24 to around 1271 USD/MT in March’24 in the Indian domestic market. In China, the prices saw notable inclination in the given quarter. However, Changzhou New Solar Chemical and Anhui Jiaxi, New Material will be restarting their polystyrene plants by the end of the first quarter that were shut down last year for maintenance purposes. These plants will add around 7KTPA combined capacity to the Chinese polystyrene industry. So, the market situation will likely balance out in the next quarter.

Europe

The European polystyrene market has been facing trade difficulties since the very onset of the Russia-Ukraine war. However, the situation became even more complicated this time as Ukraine attacked some major Russian refineries, trampling the region’s oil output and thus affecting the global crude supply. As the Euro depreciated against the US Dollar, the price trend pivoted in the upward direction for polystyrene. Trinseo, a specialty material solutions provider, and its affiliate companies in Europe announced a price increase for all polystyrene (PS), ABS, and SAN grade portfolios effective February 1, 2024.

Trinseo took this step as the upstream costs were getting more and more difficult to manage. Trinseo had completely shut down its 500 KTPA styrene plant in Terneuzen back in November’23. The monthly average prices (Europe, EXW Poland, (HIPS)) went from around 1724 USD/MT in January’24 to about 2038 USD/MT in March’24. This led to an approximate 18% incline in the polystyrene prices.

North America

Influenced by the rise in global markets and riddled by the challenging global trade dynamics, the monthly average prices in the US market went from about 1741 USD/MT (USA, EXW, (HIPS)) in January’24 to around 1807 USD/MT in March’24. With this approximate 3% incline, American polystyrene prices remained on an uphill trajectory, too. The Russian war was already troublesome for global markets when the unfolding of the crisis in the Middle East further complicated the situation. Suppliers were hesitant with offshore supplies as the shipping charges soared across the roof. Overall, a rising price trend was seen during the said time in the US market.

Analyst Insight

According to Procurement Resource, the Polystyrene market will take some time to cool down and balance out. Till the time the petrochemical sector remains inclined, the polystyrene prices will also most likely remain lifted.
 

Polystyrene Price Trend for the October - December of 2023

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Asia

The Asian market performance for polystyrene was relatively weaker during the final quarter of the year 2023 compared to the previous quarters. Since the feedstock styrene prices impact the polystyrene prices greatly, the sluggishness in the styrene market was also reflected in the polystyrene market.

Along with that, the lowered industrial consumption during the year-end holidays shifted the market sentiments downwards. However, the steadiness in market demands still maintained the borderline stagnancy in the polystyrene price trends. Since the supply and demand outlooks were still faintly aligned with each other, the fluctuations in the market trends were marginal. In the Indian polystyrene market, the monthly average prices went from around 1255 USD/MT in October to about 1230 USD/MT in December of 2023. Overall, low-swinging market trends were witnessed.

Europe

The European market trends for polystyrene were almost similar to the Asian market trends, as the overall quarterly fluctuations were marginal. However, the first half of the quarter was stronger than the second half of the quarter. The prices first escalated by around 7% and then came back to the lower side in the latter half of the quarter December. The monthly average prices went from around 1833 USD/MT in Oct’23 to about 1858 USD/MT in December’23.

North America

The American polystyrene market closely followed the slumping trends of the Asian market during the last quarter of the year 2023. Given the dull domestic demands during the New Year holiday season, the prices wavered at the lower side of the quarter. Within first couple of months the monthly average prices slipped by about 21% as they went from about 2400 USD/MT in October’23 to around 1895 USD/MT in November’23.

Analyst Insight

According to Procurement Resource, the Polystyrene price trends are likely to continue oscillating within closed limits in the coming months as well.
 

Polystyrene Price Trend for the July - September of 2023

Asia

The Asian countries witnessed a surge in polystyrene prices during the second half of the third quarter, but in the first half, the prices struggled with muted demand from packaging and polymer industries and consistently falling trading sentiments. However, in the second month, the trend inclined with the surge in the cost of styrene and the rise in the demand for polystyrene. Further, the disruptions in the supply chains and limited availability of stockpiles of polystyrene also supported the rise in the polystyrene price trend.

Europe

The polystyrene price trend took on a bearish trajectory in the third quarter of 2023 as the downstream industries showed only feeble interest. The derivatives of polystyrene, construction, and other related sectors were only moderate, but the continuous influx of material in the market proved to be a challenge for polystyrene traders.

This condition only persisted in the first two months of this quarter, as in September, the polystyrene prices showed an upswing trend. The most significant contributor to this incline in polystyrene prices was the demand from the automotive and construction sectors.

North America

The polystyrene price graph mirrored the trajectory shown in the European countries. In the initial phase, the adverse effects of weak demand and feeble purchasing by the consumer proved to be a challenge for the polystyrene price trend. In addition to this, the overall market conditions were also frail. However, soon, the increase in cost of production on account of the rise in prices of styrene and stabilization of supply-demand equilibria supported the rise in the polystyrene price trend.

Analyst Insight

According to Procurement Resource, the price trend of Polystyrene are expected to bear an inclining journey with the help of improved demand from the downstream packaging and automotive sectors.
 

Polystyrene Price Trend for the First Half of 2023

Asia

The polystyrene market in the first two quarters of 2023 gradually declined with the steadily decreasing crude oil production costs. The strikes in the logistical sector disrupted the supply chain in the region. The onset of spring holidays led to a decline in industrial activities, impacting the downstream demand.

As demand fell, the prices continued on a downward trajectory. In addition, the manufacturers cut their production rates in view of the persistent weak demand from the packaging industry. Also, the manufacturers readily participated in destocking in hopes of positive product movement in the market and making room for new production.

Europe

The unfavorable market dynamics of Europe and rising uncertainties in the crude oil sector led to the fall in the prices of Polystyrene. The price trend was also affected by the consistently falling demand from the end-user industries and the rising cost of energy production that forced the producers to employ cuts in their workforce. Further, the slow movement of solvent industries aided the falling prices of Polystyrene.

North America

In North America, polystyrene prices witnessed a fluctuating trend in the first two quarters of 2023. The major influencing factor in the region was the increasing pressure on the market fundamentals, given the widening gap between the supply and demand dynamics. The rise in the prices during the end of the first quarter was supported by labor strikes, limiting the product's availability. But soon, the prices declined again as the downstream industries decreased their purchasing capacity.

Analyst Insight

According to Procurement Resource, the price of Polystyrene is estimated to decline in the upcoming quarter as the demand from the downstream industries seems feeble, and the global economy is expected to experience a slowdown.
 

Polystyrene Price Trend for the Second Half of 2022

North America

The prices for polystyrene remained bucket in the second half of 2022. With variable market sentiments and seasonal fluctuations at play, the prices for polystyrene were vacillating between highs and lows throughout the quarter. In Q32022, the polystyrene price trend saw a net upward trajectory on the back of increased electricity prices and heightened manufacturing costs. Moreover, the demand from the downstream industries- packaging, and thermoplastics, gave way to a surge in polystyrene prices.

The heat stream tended to bolt the costs of polystyrene production up, and hence, the prices saw a distended trend. However, the palliated feedstock costs and assuaged demand in the last quarter of 2022 shot the prices somewhat southward. Throughout the fourth quarter, the prices kept bouncing up and down and were uncertain owing to slashed demand in the winter season and extenuated freight costs.

Asia

The polystyrene prices in the APAC region were witnessed swaying southwards, owing to various reasons. Lower feedstock prices played a pivotal role in the region's decreased price development for polystyrene. The slashed crude oil prices and dwindled styrene (feedstock) prices proportionately abraded the prices for polystyrene in the Chinese market, hence the plummeted production prices for the commodity. Moreover, the impeded demand in India in terms of the insulation and packaging sector rendered the enfeeblement to the prices throughout the third quarter.

Similarly, the fourth quarter saw no improvement in polystyrene prices. Incapacitated feedstock styrene prices and dull upstream prices prompted producers to jack up the polystyrene production cost, which later led to a bloated stockpile. Hence, the prices throughout the second half remained on the lower side.

Europe

The price trend for polystyrene remained enfeebled in Europe throughout H2, 2022. The prime reason behind the negative trajectory for the prices was decreased feedstock cost, alleviated demand from the packaging, and insulation industry, including the derivatives such as styrene-butadiene rubber, expanded polystyrene, and styrene acrylonitrile, etc., further contributed to chopping the prices for polystyrene. Moreover, the higher utility costs and lower demand kept the production sentiments on the dismal end, prompting to keep the polystyrene manufacturing output on the lower end.
 

Polystyrene Price Trend for the First Half of 2022

Asia

The Asia Pacific market increased by 9.1% in Q1 2022 compared to Q4 2021. High crude oil costs and rising feedstock Styrene prices are to blame for the price increase. During the first quarter, the prices in China varied between 1440-1530 USD/MT GPPS FOB Qingdao.

The price of polystyrene in the Asia-Pacific market increased by about 3% during the second quarter. Asia was harmed by transit restrictions that drove up polystyrene price trend. As the second quarter came to a close, the prices averaged 1656 USD/MT GPPS FOB Qingdao, China.

Europe

In contrast to the Q4 of 2021, the price of polystyrene increased exponentially by 13% in the first quarter of 2022. Prices for polystyrene averaged 2235-2406 USD/MT GPPS FD Hamburg, Germany. As a result of the surge in crude oil prices following the tension between Russia and Ukraine, which increased the production costs among downstream businesses, price escalation was seen.

In June, the price of polystyrene on the European market was set at 2895 USD/MT per MT GPPS FD Hamburg, Germany. Throughout the quarter, European nations experienced commodity inflation, which pushed up the prices. Growing demand for polystyrene in packaging, electrical devices, and automobiles maintained positive market sentiments in Europe.

North America

The feedstock prices, which fluctuated in the first quarter of 2022, directly impacted the price trend for polystyrene in the North American market. At the end of the first quarter, polystyrene prices spiked to 2262 USD/MT GPPS FAS Houston, USA. A negative side effect of the rising political tension between Russia and Ukraine was the increase in feedstock prices, which were accompanied by skyrocketing crude oil prices.

Prices for polystyrene increased by about 4% in the second quarter of 2022, mirroring the higher trend in the North American region. At the end of the quarter, the rates were set at 2354 USD/MT GPPS FAS Houston, and 2930 USD/MT, HIPS FAS Houston USA.

Procurement Resource provides latest prices of Polystyrene. Each price database is tied to a user-friendly graphing tool dating back to 2014, which provides a range of functionalities: configuration of price series over user defined time period; comparison of product movements across countries; customisation of price currencies and unit; extraction of price data as excel files to be used offline.