Price Reports March 2026

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 March: War in Iran sends prices soaring / Desperate attempts to build up stocks apparent / Converters able to operate only on a day-to-day basis

PE: The European ethylene contract rose EUR 50/t in March. However, the Iran war resulted in dramatic cost pressure during the month as energy and raw material prices exploded. Producers have responded with weekly price increases, with quotations rising several hundred euros in a short period of time – up to the end of March, some hikes even exceeded EUR 600/t. Supply also suffered from the escalation in the Middle East conflict. The spot market dried up. In most cases, only contracts were served. Several producers put a stop to incoming orders and offered material at prices calculated by the day. The situation was compounded by a revival on the demand side. This was not only a seasonal development; buyers were looking to build stock for fear availability would soon become a serious issue. For April, the prospects are catastrophic. Prices could skyrocket by more than EUR 1,000/t compared with February. The development of the C2 contract (up EUR 450/t) indicates the severity of the situation. The supply side is unlikely to ease as demand is anticipated to remain stable as long as the war in Iran continues. Converters are buying what they can get. Only the Easter holidays may temporarily dampen activity.

PP: The outbreak of war in the Persian Gulf changed things for propylene abruptly. Prices rose every two to three days and the market changed from a buyer’s to a seller’s market. Due to planned and unplanned plant curtailments around the world, polypropylene became a sought-after commodity. Contracts in Europe could be fulfilled – but just barely and with delays. Material for additional requirements was rarely available. Additional seasonal effects had an impact and generated a normal level of demand overall. Further significant price hikes are expected in April. The main factors driving up quotations are the widely anticipated increases in the cost of propylene, energy, and transport. In addition to these, PIE panellists expect the market to tighten noticeably: a small amount of material and increasing attempts to secure it in order to build up stocks. Processors have to keep a close eye on developments. They will likely try to pass on the higher purchasing costs to their customers as quickly as possible.

PVC: In purely mathematical terms, the EUR 50/t increase in the ethylene contract would have justified a rise of no more than EUR 25/t for PVC in March. The picture on the market, however, was a completely different one. The Iran war drove up energy and logistics costs significantly while also exerting pressure on supply chains. This was the situation as the producers began negotiations, and they generally succeeded in securing hikes of EUR 80/t to EUR 100/t. At the same time, supply declined in comparison with previous months. Disruptions to ethylene deliveries forced numerous producers to curtail their output. While existing contracts were still being met, spot trading came to a virtual halt. The demand side, by contrast, experienced a pickup. Many converters used the opportunity to replenish their stocks, while the order situation improved slightly due to seasonal factors. Looking ahead at April, the next stage of price escalation is on the horizon. The ethylene contract has risen by EUR 450/t, to EUR 1,595/t. This increase is likely to set the tone for PVC price rises. The continued shortage of supply makes further price increases likely. Nevertheless, demand is unlikely to keep pace without restrictions. Many converters are likely to adopt a cautious stance. There is little movement on the import front as well: available volumes remain limited.

Styrenics: The world has been turned upside down – in less than five weeks since the start of the Middle East war, key international supply streams have been completely cut off and the resulting turmoil is, unsurprisingly, also affecting the styrenics market. While price changes for polystyrene, EPS, and ABS have been extensively linked to the movement in precursor costs for many, many months, this trend has now come to a halt. Concerns about expected supply bottlenecks and the skyrocketing cost of energy, logistics, and raw materials are triggering massive price increases. March, however, only marked the start of this new situation. The styrene reference for March (up EUR 73/t) was only decisive for negotiations conducted in the first week of the month. By the second week, producers were already reacting to the sharp increase in SM spot prices and initiating further increases. Since almost all producers announced immediately afterwards that they were suspending orders – for PS and ABS at least – these new hikes were scarcely applied. They are now set to be implemented in April, along with further rises due to the sharp increase in the styrene reference for April (up EUR 469/t). EPS, by contrast, was still available for the rest of March, albeit at steadily rising prices. Since most contracts had been concluded at the start of the month, suppliers will not only impose further hikes but in many cases also argue that they have to make up for a considerable amount of lost ground as far as prices are concerned.

PET: The Iran war also caused turbulence on the European PET market in March 2026. The de facto shortage of raw materials triggered an increasingly desperate run on the volumes that were still to be had. After the first force-majeure announcements, even medium and long-term supply contracts had to be renegotiated. And the negotiation cycles became increasingly shorter as the month progressed. The price of the material frequently rose from one day to the next. But at least there was still material to be delivered. Overall, sharp increases of at least EUR 100/t to more than EUR 500/t were seen. The supply situation can be expected to worsen still further in April. A number of suppliers recently announced that volumes were already sold out – frequently with the price updated daily at the time of delivery, since the PX reference had not yet been fixed until 30 March. The European contract was settled at EUR 1,040/t, which is a steep rise of EUR 250/t compared with the previous month. Still, considering market participants had been expecting an increase of EUR 300/t or more, this could qualify as a somewhat reassuring development. However, even if the fighting in the Middle East were to come to an end – something that it is impossible to predict at present – it will doubtless take months for things to return to normal. At least the recyclers are set to benefit from a surge in demand for their material after a prolonged lean period.

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 March: Prices rise sharply with triple-digit hikes / Converters prioritise volumes over price / Hybrid contract models emerge

The war in the Middle East dramatically altered the starting position for last month’s price negotiations, and changed the buyer’s market to a seller’s market. Apart from that, March was widely considered a transitional month, with the full extent of the upward price pressure not yet entirely clear.

Many quarterly contracts were reopened and, together with the monthly agreements, recorded triple-digit rises. In response, converters are seeking to minimise the price volatility through a hybrid procurement strategy – quarterly contracts with some suppliers and monthly contracts with others. They are aiming to balance price stability with operational flexibility. It remains to be seen whether this hybrid model will gain wider traction and whether it will be effective in slowing down the price rises.

Looking ahead to April, little change is expected in the underlying market conditions, namely tight availability and stable demand due to ongoing efforts to secure volumes.

One notable aspect is that many producers have, in view of the uncertainties on the market, tightened their payment terms – in some cases from 120 days to 30 days. In addition, producers are increasingly seeking to implement energy cost surcharges. Both measures are likely to place further financial pressure on converters.

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 March: Prices soar / Further increases required in March / Europur does not anticipate supply bottlenecks

The war in the Middle East and the threat of possible restrictions on availability are shaking up the polyurethane market. Contracts, concluded in February for March, originally started at a rollover and ranged up to slight price increases of around EUR 30/t. After the outbreak of war, producers and distributors no longer wanted to fulfil these agreements and demanded adjustments of up to EUR 350/t, depending on the component. For the most part, these demands have been realised over the course of March so far, especially as there have been more or less blunt references to possible supply bottlenecks.

For the coming weeks, producers are already demanding further increases, peaking at EUR 400/t. Processors will probably have to accept higher prices, but it is unlikely that the demands will be implemented in full.

Processors are now often responding by only confirming orders from their own customers in combination with passing on the higher costs. This is keeping demand below the normal level.

The European association of flexible PU foam blocks manufacturers Europur (Brussels; www.europur.com) confirmed “significant price increases” in the market, especially for spot purchases. The organisation emphasised that price increases of several hundred euros per tonne had been observed for TDI, among other things. As soon as these current short-term mark-ups on precursors have flowed down the value chain, the new normal level is expected to be considerably higher than at the start of the year.

However, Europur stated that no bottlenecks have been identified so far and that the risk of these is apparently considered to be low – even if it cannot be completely ruled out over the coming months. The PIE Price Team has a similar assessment of the situation. However, both the price level and availability of PU feedstocks depend heavily on the duration of the war and are therefore difficult to predict.

The PIE panel expects a slight improvement in demand. However, this reflects the higher number of working days in March rather than a genuine month-on-month increase.

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 March: Significant increase in monthly contracts / Individual specialities no longer available / Massive hike for styrene sets tone for April

The war in the Middle East and the renewed increase in the price of styrene in March prompted a significant rise in the monthly contracts. And the hike would have been even greater had it not been tempered by the quarterly contracts.

Very few imports and the ongoing production cutbacks in Europe considerably reduced the number of potential suppliers. Individual specialities were already reported as being in short supply or no longer available. Most converters were still thinking back to the pandemic and adopting the cautious approach of only ordering the material they knew they actually needed.

The war in the Middle East is not yet over and the EU’s anti-dumping tariffs are taking effect. Prices can thus rise sharply with the start of the new quarter. The styrene contract for April is providing a taste of things to come, having skyrocketed EUR 469/t on the previous month.

Concerns about the security of supply are not helping matters, either. It is becoming clear everywhere that the tide is turning in favour of a seller’s market. No momentum to boost demand is evident in either structural or economic terms. The construction industry needs somewhat more material here and there but, for the rest, converters are only ordering what is absolutely essential.

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 March: Recyclers raise prices slightly due to Iran war / Demand increases on seasonal factors / Recycling market a plaything for speculators?

Initiated by the war in Iran and fuelled by the swell in oil prices, virgin material prices surged, with price demands reaching EUR 650/t for some grades. Recyclers were also faced with rising costs, including in logistics, which they had to pass on to their customers. Not only did their input material become pricier, but electricity and gas prices also trended upwards again.

Even after increasing capacity utilisation of their plants, recyclers had to explain longer delivery times for speciality products to their customers. In line with the season, demand also increased again for some grades, particularly from the construction sector and the beverage industry. However, it was not always just the order situation that prompted processors to buy. Some companies once again bought more recyclate, as it was a more affordable alternative to sharply rising virgin material prices.

For April, further triple-digit price increases for virgin material have been announced as a result of the Iran war. Recyclates are expected to follow, albeit with somewhat less fierce premiums. As if this were not enough, the recyclate market now also appears to have become a plaything of speculators. The PIE panel discussions indicate that input material is being deliberately held back to sell it at a premium in the coming month.

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 March: Surge in prices for virgin material also drives up prices for recyclate / Loyal customers pay less than occasional buyers

The escalation in the Middle East is now being strongly felt on the recyclates market. With the start of the Iran war and the associated sharp increases in virgin material prices, many converters are returning to buying recyclate. Recycling companies therefore have to differentiate their pricing approaches: existing customers with quarterly or monthly contracts received material on significantly better terms than new customers or occasional buyers. For the latter, surcharges of up to EUR 150/t are being demanded.

Supply has been at a normal level – for now. However, some base material was less readily available than in recent months and was also significantly more expensive. Speculation also seems to have reached the recyclate market. Nevertheless, supported by existing inventories, supply has been sufficient to meet demand at all times.

For April, there are signs of further price increases. Recyclers might then be able to finally pass on their higher costs to the market while also increasing sales volumes. The revival of the recycling market looks set to continue. As during the Covid-19 period, a steadily growing number of converters have been rediscovering recyclates – less out of conviction than in the hope of at least partially escaping the cost pressures of virgin materials.

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!