Demand very slack in holiday season / Supply ample at all times / Imports provide for additional price pressure

The few converters who were not on holiday were unable to be persuaded, even with larger discounts, to purchase more material. Things remained absolutely calm on the markets. Producers’ stocks were well filled and every order from converters could be dealt with very quickly. In addition, the influx of imports meant that the supply situation was good at all times. Due to the holiday period, there were no positive signals from the automotive sector. Converters exerted caution amid the ongoing economic misery. 

In September, too, the pressure on prices is set to remain alongside a minor improvement in demand. As a consequence, the stimulation of ordering activity through price cuts is likely to go into the next round. Even if sales activity rises, supply is still plentiful. Here and there, converters may want to top up their inventories after the holiday period. Many members of the PIE price panel have, however, already given up hope for the rest of the year – or at least corrected their forecasts downwards. 

Only a few converters from the panel are planning to build up stocks. On top of this, there is often only a marginal improvement in orders from the market. All in all, many would like to have a magic wand to end this year and trigger a new start. 

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