Plastics Monthly Price Assessment – October 2026

Plastics Pricing Intelligence - Executive Summary

Plastics prices increased in Asia and the Gulf during October, while Europe firmed only slightly and the U.S. was close to flat. Monomer costs drove the move. In China, styrene rose 9.9% and propylene 10.1% as feedstocks stayed expensive and buyers restocked after the Golden Week holiday. Producers passed most of this on. Polystyrene (PS) rose 8.7% in China, with polypropylene (PP) up 7.6%, and acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) up 7.2%. Polyethylene rose less, with linear low density polyethylene (LLDPE) up 5.9% and high density polyethylene (HDPE) up only 1.7%.

Western contract markets did not follow. The. buyers in the U.S. resisted producer’s led increment and October contracts for polyethylene, polyvinyl chloride (PVC), and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) were reported flat. In Europe, the October ethylene contract rose 5.4%, yet HDPE film contracts rolled over. PP barely moved after Braskem declared force majeure owing to weak demand which kept converters buying only for immediate needs. The weaker euro also took about 2.6% off European prices in dollar terms. European thermoplastics rose 1.2% on average and the U.S. 0.2%.

Polyesters and copolymers followed their feedstocks. PET rose 4.0% in China because PTA and paraxylene were more expensive. It peaked on 9^th October and drifted lower as mono ethylene glycol (MEG) fell. Ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) rose 5.9% as both ethylene and acetic acid cost more. By late October, Chinese futures pointed to lower prices ahead. The January DCE PP contract traded about 13% below spot and LLDPE about 11% below.

Key Price Developments & Insights

• Chinese PS rose 8.7% on the month, the largest gain in the panel. The prices, although quickly retraced post initial spike indicated only required purchases carried by the buyers.

• Chinese PP rose 7.6% as propylene rose 10.1%. The spot PP was 8.4% higher on 26th October than on 30th September. In India, IOCL raised its PP list 2.3% between 16th September and 22nd October.

• European PP moved only 0.3% even though Braskem declared force majeure from 13th October. Low Rhine water disrupted feedstock to its Cologne and Schkopau plants. The weak demand and lower imports limited the price effect.

• The U.S. contracts were reported flat across the main resins in October. PE held after the September increase, PVC was flat to lower on competition from Chinese imports, and PET rolled over. The U.S. polyolefin assessments still slipped, with PP down 1.6% and LDPE down 1.3%.

• Indian import offers eased in mid-October even as domestic list prices rose. HDPE blow molding offers fell 2.3% and LDPE film 1.6% at CFR Mundra on 15 October, after LG Chem restarted its Yeosu cracker following a six-month shutdown. 

Top Performing Plastics Commodity

• Top Mover: Polystyrene (PS)

• Average MoM Growth (top 3 geographies): 7.9%

• Volatility Level: Medium

Thermoplastics – Pricing Trends, October 2026

Thermoplastics prices depended on how much each resin’s cost comes from monomer. PS is made almost entirely from styrene and climbed the most. It rose 8.7% in China, 8.5% in Saudi Arabia and 6.5% in India. ABS rose 7.2% in China, as higher styrene outweighed a roughly 3% fall in butadiene. PP rose 7.6% in line with propylene. Polyethylene rose less because ethylene costs climbed more slowly, and HDPE rose the least of the polyolefins in China.

The second half of October was quieter. Chinese LLDPE was almost unchanged after 16^th October. PP, LDPE, and PS levelled off once converters had restocked. Nylon 66 rose 1.3% and polycarbonate was flat in China, as automotive and electronics demand remained sluggish. PVC rose 2.5% in China from a low base. Construction demand stayed weak as the dealers raised prices for three days in a row around 20^th to 22^nd October as stocks were drawn down.

Outside Asia, contract prices barely changed. U.S. polyolefins slipped, with LLDPE down 1.6% and LDPE down 1.3%. Europe’s HDPE contract rolled over even as spot film firmed in mid-October. European PS fell 0.4% after a 7.0% fall in September. In both regions, buyers resisted higher prices, and U.S. prices are expected to be flat to lower in November.

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Polyesters & Copolymers – Pricing Trends, September 2026

EVA rose 5.9% in China. The spot prices rose steadily after 9^th October as ethylene chain costs rose with naphtha and acetic acid climbed. Gulf importers followed China with the UAE and Qatar up by 5.8%.

PET rose 4.0% in China. Paraxylene rose 10.5% and purified terephthalic acid (PTA) about 6%, while MEG fell 7.9%. Bottle chip peaked on 9 October and then fell 2.9% by 26 October, as cheaper MEG offset part of the higher PTA cost. In India, Reliance raised its PTA list on 10^th October and left MEG unchanged. The Indian PET rose 3.6% while the U.S. PET contracts rolled over in October after a cut in September.

Plastics Price Direction, By Geography And Plastics Group, November 2026

Plastics Pricing - Key Drivers

• Monomer costs push Asian resin prices up - Monomer costs were the main reason Asian plastics prices rose in October. Crude stayed elevated for most of the month and Chinese naphtha averaged about 4% more than in September. In China, propylene rose 10.1%, styrene 9.9% and paraxylene 10.5%. These monomers make up most of the cost of PP, PS, ABS and PET. Resins with a lower monomer share rose less. Ethylene rose more slowly, so HDPE rose only 1.7%. Butadiene fell about 3%, which held ABS below PS. Carbide-based PVC is not linked to oil and rose only 2.5%.

• Post-holiday restocking gives way to caution - Chinese converters had cut their stocks before the Golden Week holiday. When they returned on 8^th October, they restocked just as monomer costs were rising, and prices rose quickly during 9^th to 16^th October week. After that, buying slowed. LLDPE was almost unchanged in the second half of the month and PET fell 2.9% from its 9^th October peak. Chinese primary plastics imports had already fallen 15.4% year on year in early September, a sign of weak underlying demand. Futures pointed lower, with January DCE PP about 13% below spot and LLDPE about 11% below during 16^th to 22^nd October. Buyers who could wait for first-quarter delivery had little reason to buy spot.

• Western contract markets stall on weak demand - In the U.S. and Europe, monthly contracts are negotiated between producers and converters and in October converters held firm. The U.S. PE did not move after the September increase. PP was flat to slightly lower after a long decline since May. PVC was flat to lower as Chinese imports and operating rates below 80% weakened the market. In Europe, HDPE film contracts rolled over despite a 5.4% increase in the ethylene contract. The U.S. prices are expected to be flat with downward momentum in November, leaving buyers with the advantage in 2027 contract talks.

• Supply disruptions in Europe, new supply in Asia - Supply news pointed in different directions. In Europe, low Rhine water disrupted feedstock deliveries, and Braskem declared force majeure on PP at Cologne and Schkopau from 13th October. Price impact was small because demand was weak and imports from the Middle East and Asia had already fallen. In Asia, LG Chem restarted its Yeosu cracker after a six-month shutdown, adding polyethylene supply. Indian import offers then eased, with HDPE, LLDPE and LDPE between 1.5% and 2.3% lower at CFR Mundra on 15th October. For buyers outside China, extra Asian supply offset much of the Chinese cost increase.

• Gulf exporters follow Asia under war-risk costs - Gulf polymer producers sell mainly to China, India, Turkey, and Africa, so their export prices follow Asia. In October, Saudi Arabia rose 4.3% on average across our resins and the UAE rose 4.4%, led by PS, PP and ABS. Renewed Iranian strikes on Hormuz shipping in mid-October kept war-risk insurance on Gulf cargoes high. That raised delivered costs and supported the prices Gulf sellers asked. Egypt and Morocco, which import much of their resin, rose 3.5% and 3.2% on average.

Plastics - Commodity Coverage

Thermoplastics

The thermoplastics category covers HDPE, LLDPE, LDPE, PP, ABS, PS, PVC, Nylon 66, Nylon 6, and polycarbonate. In October, these resins moved with their monomers. Styrenics and PP rose most in Asia, while polyethylene rose less because ethylene costs climbed more slowly. Nylon6, Nylon 66, and PVC were close to flat because automotive, electronics and construction demand remained numb. Western contract prices were mostly unchanged.

Thermoplastics Pricing - Key influencers

• Crude oil, naphtha, ethylene, propylene, benzene, and styrene costs

• Caprolactam and other engineering-plastic intermediate availability

• Producer operating rates, regional supply, and inventory levels

• Packaging, construction, automotive, appliance and industrial demand 

Polyesters & Copolymers

The polyesters and copolymers category covers EVA and PET. EVA is used in solar encapsulant film, foams, adhesives and cables, and PET mainly in bottles and food packaging. In October, EVA rose with ethylene and acetic acid costs. PET rose with PTA and paraxylene early in the month, then eased as MEG fell.

Polyesters & Copolymers Pricing - Key influencers

• Ethylene, vinyl acetate, PTA, and MEG costs

• Packaging and beverage demand

• Solar-related and general-purpose EVA requirements

• Producer operating rates, regional supply, and recycling requirements

Regional Commentary

China - China’s plastics prices rose 4.3% on average in October. Styrene and propylene costs lifted PS (+8.7%), PP (+7.6%) and ABS (+7.2%), and post-holiday restocking added to the gain during 9^th to 16^th October. Engineering plastics did not follow, with Nylon 66 up only 1.3% and polycarbonate flat. By month-end, futures were well below spot, PET had slipped from its 9^th October peak, and buyers remained cautious.

India - Indian plastics prices rose 3.6% on average, with all 12 resins higher. Domestic producers raised list prices in line with Asian monomer costs. IOCL’s PP list rose 2.3% between mid-September and 22^nd October. Reliance raised its PTA list on 10^th October. Import offers moved the other way in mid-October, with HDPE, LLDPE, LDPE and PVC between 1.1% and 2.3% lower at CFR Mundra after the LG Chem restart. India relies on imports for about two-thirds of its PVC needs, so import offers matter most for PVC, which rose 3.2%.

Europe - European plastics prices rose 1.4% on average in terms of dollar terms. The October ethylene contract rose 5.4%, but converters did not accept higher resin prices. HDPE film contracts rolled over, PP barely moved despite the Braskem force majeure, and PS fell 0.4%. LDPE was described as the tightest polyethylene, but producers still struggled to get increases through. The weaker euro, down 2.6% against the dollar, lowered European prices in dollar terms.

France - French plastics prices rose 1.3% on average, in line with north-west European contracts. ABS and LLDPE rose 2.8%, while polycarbonate fell 0.7% and PS 0.3%. French converters bought mainly for immediate needs, and there was no post-holiday restocking like that seen in Asia.

Germany - German plastics prices rose 1.4% on average, led by ABS (+3.7%) and EVA (+3.0%). The Braskem force majeure hit German plants at Cologne and Schkopau. The German PP rose 0.1% as the converters had cut their own output and imports had already fallen. Low Rhine water added to delivery costs for inland sites while the weak market kept restricted resin prices upliftment.

UK - UK plastics prices rose 1.6% on average slightly more than in continental Europe. LLDPE (+3.5%), ABS (+3.3%) and PET (+2.9%) led the gains, while UK PVC was unchanged. The UK imports most of its resin from continental Europe and the Middle East, so freight and import timing affect its prices more than in Germany or France.

U.S. - The U.S. plastics prices rose 0.4% on average and only 5 of the 12 resins assessed observed price increment. October contracts were reported flat for PE, PVC, and PET, flat to slightly lower for PP and flat to down for PS. Cheap ethane and propane kept U.S. producers’ costs low, and PDH units ran well, keeping propylene supply ample. PVC also faced competition from Chinese imports. U.S. PE exports rose 3% in August, which helped producers hold the September increase, but November is expected to be flat to lower.

Saudi Arabia - Saudi plastics export prices rose 4.3% on average, following Asian prices. PS rose 8.5%, PP 7.3% and ABS 6.9%. Saudi producers sell most of their output to China, India, and other import markets, so their prices track Chinese and Indian levels. War-risk premiums on Gulf shipping, kept high by renewed Hormuz strikes, raised delivered costs, and supported Saudi offers.

UAE - UAE plastics prices rose 4.4% on average, among the highest of any geography. PP rose 7.4%, ABS 6.0% and EVA 5.8%. Regional indications showed GCC PP rising about 10% between September and October. New capacity is still coming, notably Borouge 4, which will add about 1.4 Mt of polyolefins. For now, however, Asian prices and Gulf shipping costs set the price.

Egypt - Egyptian plastics prices rose 3.5% on average in dollar terms, led by PP (+6.6%) and ABS (+5.3%). The Egyptian pound averaged 3.8% weaker against the dollar in October and weakened further late in the month. That made local-currency resin prices rise faster than dollar prices. Egypt’s domestic PVC production limited the increase for that resin, which rose 1.2%.

Morocco - Moroccan plastics prices rose 3.2% on average, led by PP (+5.9%), ABS (+4.8%) and PS (+4.5%). Morocco imports almost all its resin, so prices follow European and Asian offers with a lag. Automotive demand supports engineering plastics, but Nylon 66 rose 1.0% because global engineering resin prices were flat. The dirham weakened 3.7% against the dollar, which raised local-currency costs.

Analyst Commentary

“October split the plastics market in two. In Asia and the Gulf, higher monomer costs and post-holiday restocking pushed resin prices up, with styrene-based PS and ABS and propylene-based PP rising most. In the U.S. and Europe, converters refused to pay more, and contracts were flat even where ethylene costs had risen. Supply issues, including the Braskem force majeure and LG Chem’s restart, mattered less than expected because demand remained weak. By month end, the Asian rally had lost momentum and futures were well below spot. We expect November prices to ease in China and stay flat to lower in the West.”

Senior Plastics Analyst

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