Chemicals Updates

South Asia PE: Prices fall on weak demand, lower import offers emerge / South Asian PE market declines on weak demand / HDPE film drops $65/mt, LLDPE falls $55/mt

May 20, 2026

The South Asian polyethylene market declined in the week ended May 13, weighed down by weak demand and lower tradable indications across key grades. Demand fundamentals remained subdued, with market sources indicating continued cautious buying behavior. Buyers were remaining on the sidelines amid broader uncertainty, limiting import appetite and spot activity, participants said. Several domestic traders said end-user demand was weak, as competitively priced domestic supply continued to attract buyers over imports, while lower import offers were also heard in the market. Meanwhile, a domestic producer said on May 13 that domestic prices were expected to increase. Despite this, buying activity remained largely hand-to-mouth, as buyers deferred purchases in anticipation of further price corrections. In the LDPE general-purpose market, offers and tradable levels were heard lower this week. LDPE GP...

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