The Asian polyethylene and polypropylene market firmed this week as disruptions of domestic polymer deliveries in China prompted demand for imported material, market sources said late Tuesday.
On Tuesday, film-grade high density polyethylene prices rose $10/mt and were assessed at $1,275/mt CFR Far East Asia, while linear low density polyethylene was assessed at $1,366/mt CFR Far East Asia, also $10/mt firmer than Monday.
PP raffia/injection was assessed $26/mt higher at $1,461/mt CFR Far East Asia, Platts data showed.
According to local media reports, heavy snow has been disrupting traffic in North China since mid-November. And by end November, 11 highways in Northeast China's Liaoning province were closed.
Meanwhile, the meteorological authorities said that the cold weather would continue in most parts of central and eastern China over the coming two days.
End-users and distributors in South China receive domestic polymer cargoes via trucks from North China and East China. And market sources said heavy snowfall in North and East China had disrupted deliveries to South China, which resulted in strong buying appetite for import materials there.
In addition, polymer truck deliveries were disrupted amid a severe gasoil shortage in China. As China's factories are using gasoil for thermal power generation in order to cover a power supply shortfall from local governments, land transport companies were not able to purchase enough gasoil to sustain their truck delivery operations.
Chinese cities are currently suffering an unprecedented shortage of gasoil as local enterprises turn to the fuel to generate electricity in order to keep operating during periods of power rationing. Some local governments in China are switching off electricity supplies as part of commitments to Beijing on energy conservation and emissions reductions.
On Tuesday, film-grade high density polyethylene prices rose $10/mt and were assessed at $1,275/mt CFR Far East Asia, while linear low density polyethylene was assessed at $1,366/mt CFR Far East Asia, also $10/mt firmer than Monday.
PP raffia/injection was assessed $26/mt higher at $1,461/mt CFR Far East Asia, Platts data showed.
According to local media reports, heavy snow has been disrupting traffic in North China since mid-November. And by end November, 11 highways in Northeast China's Liaoning province were closed.
Meanwhile, the meteorological authorities said that the cold weather would continue in most parts of central and eastern China over the coming two days.
End-users and distributors in South China receive domestic polymer cargoes via trucks from North China and East China. And market sources said heavy snowfall in North and East China had disrupted deliveries to South China, which resulted in strong buying appetite for import materials there.
In addition, polymer truck deliveries were disrupted amid a severe gasoil shortage in China. As China's factories are using gasoil for thermal power generation in order to cover a power supply shortfall from local governments, land transport companies were not able to purchase enough gasoil to sustain their truck delivery operations.
Chinese cities are currently suffering an unprecedented shortage of gasoil as local enterprises turn to the fuel to generate electricity in order to keep operating during periods of power rationing. Some local governments in China are switching off electricity supplies as part of commitments to Beijing on energy conservation and emissions reductions.
