Polyamides show first signs of price erosion as demand from auto industry cools / Other materials stable / Business likely to remain weak in October

September saw initial signs of erosion in European engineering thermoplastics notations. The significant fall in demand from the automotive segment in particular pressured prices of standard polyamides. Producers' attempts to hike PC prices also failed for the same reason. As for the commodity-related ABS and PP compounds, the decline in both SM and propylene also dragged prices down. By contrast, PBT and POM notations held stable. The weakness of the euro kept imports at bay. Although PMMA prices moved sideways, upward pressure remains.

The signals from the automotive segment are anything but encouraging, as several players have introduced reduced working hours. This means that the downward trend with polyamides will inevitably gather momentum in October. Although the other polymers covered in this report face the same risk, they appear a little more stable due to their unique market conditions. While the future trend in PC notations remains uncertain, PMMA prices are quite likely to rise due to the limitations affecting a major supplier. By contrast, notations for commodity-related ABS and PP compounds are expected to remain largely stable amid stagnating feedstock costs.

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