European Conventional Polyether Polyols & TDI: Prices steady amid weak demand / Covestro force majeure fails to lift demand / Weak construction activity dampens orders

European toluene diisocyanate and polyol prices held stable in the week ended Aug. 28, with market participants seeing little momentum despite scattered supply-side developments. Soft demand continued to underpin flat prices. Buyers largely postponed orders, citing construction delays, high temperatures and elevated energy and production costs as the main drags on downstream consumption. The summer holiday period further limited activity across construction and polyurethane and comfort goods applications. Covestro’s force majeure on polyether polyols caused little market reaction, indicating the extent of demand destruction across the chain, though a handful of polyol grades saw higher order volumes as some buyers shifted supply to other producers. Logistics tightened modestly due to truck availability and minor upcoming strikes at ports and on rail, though participants said this was unlikely to shift the...