Plastics pricing announcements: PE, PUR, UHMW-PE

By PlasticsToday Staff
Published: February 1st, 2010

Plastics suppliers have initiated a spate of price hikes so far this year, with recent announcements on such being made by BASF, Ticona, and Dow Europe.

Ticona, for instance, announced that on March 1, 2010 it will raise the price for its GUR-brand ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMW-PE) grades and GHR brand of very-high molecular weight polyethylene (VHMW-PE) by15% around the world.

With effect from Feb. 1, 2010, Dow Europe GmbH (Horgen, Switzerland) announced a price increase of up $200/tonne (or as contracts allow) for its wire and cable grades of polyethylene across India, the Middle East, and Africa. Prices for the supplier's low-density polyethylene (LDPE), linear low-density polyethylene (LLDPE) and high-density polyethylene (HDPE) also rose this month, by €100/tonne, for the same region.

BASF, meanwhile, announced that with immediate effect, or as contract terms allow, it is increasing prices for diphenylmethane diisocyanate (MDI), toluene diisocyanate (TDI), and polyol basic products in Europe by €200/tonne. The prices for polyurethane systems and specialties will, as contract terms allow, be raised accordingly.