Crude oil jumped nearly $7 this week, pushing WTI close to $88 per barrel.
For resin buyers, the predictable question follows: Does higher crude mean higher plastic resin prices?
This week, the answer depends heavily on what you're buying.
Michael Workman breaks down the latest Resin Market Moves and explains why supply conditions continue to favor buyers in polyethylene, polypropylene, and PVC — even with crude making headlines.
He also looks at the other side of the market, where higher benzene is creating legitimate cost pressure in polystyrene and Nylon 6. The pressure is real, but growing PS inventories, declining caprolactam spot values, and healthy Nylon 6 availability mean full supplier initiatives aren't necessarily automatic pass-throughs.
And then there's ABS: despite higher benzene, aggressively priced imports continue pushing domestic pricing lower.
Michael closes with three markets to watch heading into September — polycarbonate, Nylon 6.6, and PET — and the key signals buyers should be preparing for now.
In this episode:
- Why $88 crude doesn't automatically mean higher resin prices
- Why supply still favors PE, PP and PVC buyers
- The legitimate—but negotiable—cost pressure facing PS and Nylon 6
- Why ABS continues moving lower despite higher benzene
- What to watch in PC, Nylon 6.6 and PET heading into September
The bottom line: Know which feedstock actually drives your resin pricing. Know where supply stands. Negotiate from the facts, not the headlines.
Resin Market Moves
Michael Workman | Executive Director, ResinSmart | Powered by RTi Global
Purchase wisely.
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