Negotiations on the Asian market for February delivery pipe grades of high density polyethylene (HDPE) should be activated this week, sources told ICIS market.

Usually, however, the negotiations on the amount of material for delivery next month starting at the end of the previous month. But due to the week-long celebration of the end of January in China, the Middle East producers have decided to start negotiations on February shipments before the Lunar New Year than usual, ie, this week.

Some Asian vendors offer the February volumes already in the last week, but was only concluded several deals as buyers are waiting for will be more offers to make a final decision.

According to ICIS data, spot prices for Black HDPE 100 last week were in the range of USD1 250-1 280 per tonne CFR China and USD1 190-1 260 per ton CFR South East Asia.

According to the price review ICIS-MRC, the Russian HDPE market was finalized January contract prices, refiners state the serious decline in prices, in particular, on the tube PE.
On the spot market demand for polyethylene is almost completely absent, in most cases, processors interested in the price and purchase plans only to resume from the current week.