Asian Polyethylene: Buy-sell levels surge on tight supply, rising costs / PE prices surge on ethylene cost spike / Buyers resist panic buys despite volatility

Sep 05, 2026

Asian polyethylene markets surged in the week ending Sept. 2, propelled by a sharp rise in upstream ethylene costs and regional supply constraints, even as downstream buyers remained cautious amid volatile crude oil prices. In China, PE futures surged, driven by strong crude oil markets and broader supply tightness amid the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. This impacted discussion levels in the physical spot markets, with LDPE seeing the largest week-over-week gains of Yuan 1,125/ mt at Yuan 11,900/mt ex-works, reflecting discussions and deals at Yuan 11,800-12,000/mt. Sources said structurally tight regional supply and high import reliance of nearly 50% meant it was vulnerable to Middle East logistics constraints, prompting the sharp increase in buysell levels. HDPE film rose Yuan 600/mt week over week, closing at Yuan 9,350/mt ex-works...

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