Thai PE inches slightly lower in China, buying interest remains limited

A major Thailand producer reportedly cut import PE offers to China this week by $5/ton on HDPE and $15/ton on LDPE film cargoes. The cuts do not seem to have a positive effect on the general sentiment and buyers are planning to bid at much lower levels. 

The following table showed the producer’s latest offers and week-on-week changes.

There is still no availability for LLDPE film, sources said, as the maker is currently running metallocene grade. “The producer is planning a commercial shutdown at LLDPE line until the end of October due to negative margins. Supply might be tight till then,” a source close to the maker informed.

In the meantime, Chinese buyers are not showing much interest in the latest price list citing the presence of more competitive cargoes from Taiwan.