Price Reports June 2025

The following information is provided by Plastics Information Europe.  For more than 35 years, PIE has been an invaluable source of information for European plastics industry decision makers - a quick, yet in-depth look at the development of plastics markets and polymer prices. Available online 24/7 and as a printed newsletter twice a month. To read entire versions of the following reports, go to www.pieweb.com and sign up for a 48-hour free trial!

  Standard thermoplastics June 2025: Stabilty dominates as demand in Europe stays sluggish / Trade tensions loom: EU tariff decision could disrupt polymer supply / Summer slowdown begins

PE: The rollover of ethylene last month had a stabilising effect on PE prices. With the LD grades, some converters nevertheless pushed for belated adjustments after the April negotiations, as the changes had not been factored in during May because of the significant fall in the cost of ethylene. With the LLD grades, the large volume of imports arriving in Europe put considerable pressure on prices. The production cutbacks continued, but in most cases there was more than enough material available to fulfil the weak demand. The renewed rollover for the important ethylene feedstock is likely to once again stabilise prices in July. Basically, not much will change. Material should be abundantly available on the market to meet the demand, even with production plants running with reduced output. Ordering activity is expected to remain weak. Apart from that, a day of uncertainty is approaching, namely 9 July. On the date, the EU’s self-imposed grace period regarding potential punitive tariffs on US imports comes to an end. Should Brussels restart the trade war against US President Donald Trump, it could have a major influence on the supply situation in Europe.

PP: In June 2025, the prices for polypropylene followed the lead of the C3 contract across the board, and stayed at a rollover. Supply was more than sufficient to cover the still meagre purchases. This was due in no small part to a rapid influx of imports from Asia and the Middle East. Demand, however, is still clearly feeling the effects of consumers’ reluctance to spend. Current purchases from sectors such as the furniture industry and household goods are very weak. This is no difference for automotive engineering and E&E, where orders are also at a low level. July looks set to be another month of price stability. This should suit many people; the fact that the propylene contract has been fixed at a rollover for the second month in a row should allow some players to sleep more soundly again. After the oil price rose rapidly in mid-June, rumours were circulating of an increase of up to EUR 40/t. Given the current ordering situation, it would have been difficult for many suppliers and processors to pass price markups on to their respective customers, regardless of the amount.

PVC: “A month to catch our breath” – that’s how many market participants summed up price developments for PVC in June 2025. Prices remained stable, sustained by a rollover for the ethylene contract. Producers used the opportunity to bring some calm back to an agitated market. On the demand side, caution continued to dominate, with virtually no impetus – particularly from the construction and furniture sectors. However, some early signs of renewed activity emerged among automotive converters. Overall, supply was sufficient, enabling contracts to be fulfilled in their entirety. Looking ahead, there are currently no signs of significant change for July. Given the renewed rollover of the ethylene contract, PVC prices should remain stable. Demand is still the main concern, however. As the summer holiday period begins, order volumes are likely to decline in some cases.

Styrenics: In June 2025, declining feedstock costs again set the course for styrenics prices. The prices for polystyrene and EPS generally followed the decline in the styrene reference (down EUR 47/t). For ABS, the discounts settled around the reduction in composite costs (SM down EUR 47/t, butadiene down EUR 50/t, ACN down EUR 24/t). Once more, this shows that neither processors nor producers have left any room to deviate from the cost change because of their slim margins. Moreover, there is a lack of positive momentum from the demand side. A slight increase in orders from processors – who, fearing sharp price rises due to turmoil in the Middle East, sought to secure (more affordable) volumes – turned out to be merely a brief episode. Overall, demand remained weak. In July, demand is likely to weaken further. Alongside the sluggish economy, the onset of the holiday season will likely cause many mid-sized companies to shut down operations temporarily. This reduced demand, combined with another drop in the styrene reference price (July: down 72 EUR/t), will ensure that styrenics prices continue to trend downwards at the start of the third quarter.

PET: The situation on the European PET market was still volatile in June 2025. At least the PX reference prices for April (down EUR 50/t) and May (rollover) were finally fixed at the start of the month. European producers entered the market asking for moderate price increases, but were met with demand that fell short of seasonal expectations. At the same time, as the USD weakened against the EUR, Asian imports became more attractive. Despite brief uncertainty due to tensions in the Middle East, these imports gained a stronger foothold. To secure sales, suppliers not only had to withdraw their initial demands in the course of the month, but also had to agree in some cases to moderate price reductions. Practically all market participants are yearning for stability and predictability, especially as the summer holidays are about to start. There are only a few signs of major changes on the horizon, so July could well turn out to be a calm month in terms of pricing.

For more than 35 years, PIE has been an invaluable source of information for European plastics industry decision makers - a quick, yet in-depth look at the development of plastics markets and polymer prices. Available online 24/7 and as a printed newsletter twice a month. To read the entire report, go to www.ki.de and sign up for a 48-hour free trial!

  Engineering thermoplastics June 2025: Prices fall further across the board / Demand stagnates to unsustainable level

Global oversupply, coupled with persistently weak demand, led to a further fall in prices for nearly all engineering thermoplastics. Once again, converters were able to take advantage of this situation to negotiate lower prices. However, in some applications, quarterly contracts and material commitments offered producers limited price support. European production remained significantly curtailed, with many manufacturers operating on an as-needed basis. Although imports from Asia decreased somewhat, they still contributed noticeably to market oversupply.

Overall, demand remained weak, according to PIE’s advisory panel. In Southern Europe, demand declined even further. Apart from that, there were reports from the DACH region (Germany, Austria, Switzerland) of the first signs of recovery from the automotive industry. Converters are still operating with commercial caution. At present, nobody is willing to take risks, and purchasing is done strictly according to need.

The downward price spiral is not yet at an end. The material surplus is simply too large. In July, however, producers will do everything they can to stabilise prices. Utilisation rates of European automotive plants vary considerably. While some are running more or less normally, others are drifting along very slowly indeed. For converters, this means business as usual – placing orders only in line with actual demand.

For more than 35 years, PIE has been an invaluable source of information for European plastics industry decision makers - a quick, yet in-depth look at the development of plastics markets and polymer prices. Available online 24/7 and as a printed newsletter twice a month. To read the entire report, go to www.ki.de and sign up for a 48-hour free trial!

 Polyurethane feedstocks June 2025: More firmly fixed benzene price cannot slow downward trend / Aggressive imports hit TDI in particular / Demand could worsen as holiday season begins

Despite a slight stabilisation in demand, the further erosion of prices in June could not be halted. Even the contract for precursor benzene, which was fixed slightly higher, had hardly any dampening effect. The vast majority of contracts for small- and medium-sized isocyanate volumes were significantly lower than in the previous month. Only a few rollovers were reported for MDI. TDI, on the other hand, was hit hard by aggressively priced imports from Asia.

If the situation remains largely unchanged, producers will likely, with great reluctance, have to offer further price reductions in the coming weeks. The slight increase in the benzene contract could possibly slow the fall in quotations somewhat. Apart from this, the parameters for both isocyanates and polyols – with the exception of the variants for rigid foams – remain the same. The weak demand could deteriorate even further with the start of the summer holiday season. In many cases, there is also ongoing pressure from very favourable imports.

For more than 35 years, PIE has been an invaluable source of information for European plastics industry decision makers - a quick, yet in-depth look at the development of plastics markets and polymer prices. Available online 24/7 and as a printed newsletter twice a month. To read the entire report, go to www.ki.de and sign up for a 48-hour free trial!

  Composites/GRP June 2025: Further pressure on declining resin and glass fibre prices / Weak demand, lack of momentum

The June heat failed to spill over onto the composites market. On the contrary – demand remained clearly subdued amid the ongoing lack of momentum. Converters showed great caution, purchasing no more than what they needed to fulfil the few orders received. Many ortho resin producers lowered their prices to encourage converters to place orders from them.

The situation for chopped strand mats was similar. Weak demand dominated the market and prices declined still further.

This downward trend is likely to continue in July, since demand will be further curtailed by the start of the holiday season. In the case of ortho resins, the renewed fall in the styrene reference (down EUR 72/t in July) is set to add extra pressure.

For more than 35 years, PIE has been an invaluable source of information for European plastics industry decision makers - a quick, yet in-depth look at the development of plastics markets and polymer prices. Available online 24/7 and as a printed newsletter twice a month. To read the entire report, go to www.ki.de and sign up for a 48-hour free trial!

 Standard recyclate June 2025: Expensive input material, cheap virgin material, many imports – a toxic cocktail for producers / Uncertain development in July

It was another difficult month for recyclers: their input material became pricier, while virgin material became more affordable. This combination proved a toxic cocktail for suppliers, as many processors rejected price increases. In a number of negotiations, the parties agreed to a rollover. Where import volumes added further pressure, recyclers sometimes had to adjust their prices downwards.

At least volumes of all grades were sufficiently available on the market. There were no supply bottlenecks despite reduced plant operations. Day-to-day business was hampered by a series of public holidays and long weekends, and by the persistently sluggish economy.

There is a big question mark over how things will develop in July. Oil prices have recently trended sharply upwards, which could fuel a rise in virgin material prices. Further uncertainty surrounds imports – not least because of the still unresolved tariff dispute between US President Donald Trump and the EU. In addition, the EU has started anti-dumping proceedings against PET imports from Vietnam. The demand side is likely to feel the summer holiday lull, at least for some grades. That being said, it’s well known that people drink more in the summer when temperatures are high.

For more than 35 years, PIE has been an invaluable source of information for European plastics industry decision makers - a quick, yet in-depth look at the development of plastics markets and polymer prices. Available online 24/7 and as a printed newsletter twice a month. To read the entire report, go to www.ki.de and sign up for a 48-hour free trial!

 Engineering recyclate June 2025: Prices fall again / Weak demand plus high stock levels create more pressure

Prices for engineering recyclate continued their downward trend in June. Recyclers tried in vain to keep prices stable, but demand was too weak, and pressure from existing stocks too great. Higher purchasing costs for some materials also affected recyclers’ margins.

This overall picture is unlikely to change in July – on the contrary, the upcoming holiday period is expected to cause demand to decline even further. As a result, further widespread price reductions are foreseeable.

For more than 35 years, PIE has been an invaluable source of information for European plastics industry decision makers - a quick, yet in-depth look at the development of plastics markets and polymer prices. Available online 24/7 and as a printed newsletter twice a month. To read the entire report, go to www.ki.de and sign up for a 48-hour free trial!