In this episode of Resin Market Moves, Michael Workman provides a year-end recap of the North American resin markets and explains how buyers should be thinking about 2026 strategy.
Despite inventory draws in several resin families, demand remains soft across most end markets, leaving buyers with meaningful leverage heading into the new year.
Topics Discussed
• Polyethylene pricing remains flat despite producer increase attempts
• Polypropylene demand weakness suggests the cycle bottom is forming
• Polystyrene pricing holds steady despite feedstock volatility
• Engineering resins (ABS, PC, nylons) show no year-end momentum
• PET remains flat amid seasonal demand slowdown
• Why the current macro environment favors disciplined buyers
• How to separate real market movement from supplier-driven margin recovery
What Buyers Should Take Away
As 2025 ends, this remains a buyer-friendly market — but that window will not stay open forever.
Buyers who benchmark pricing, validate increases, and plan proactively will enter 2026 with a significant advantage.
ResinSmart provides the transparency and market intelligence buyers need to negotiate with confidence.
What is The Plastic Resin Buyer Brief?
If you buy plastic resin for a living, this podcast is your edge. Hosted by the experts behind ResinSmart, The Plastic Resin Buyer Brief gives you fast, focused updates on the market forces moving resin prices—and the strategies that smart buyers are using to save money, reduce risk, and make better decisions.
No fluff. No filler. Just the information you actually need—delivered by sourcing pros who’ve managed billions in resin spend.
Subscribe now to stay ahead of the curve in polyethylene, polypropylene, and beyond.
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