The Plastic Resin Buyer Brief

Too Much Resin, Not Enough Demand | Q4 Resin Market Breakdown (PE, PP, PS, PVC, PET) | 10/13/25


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Even multiple production hiccups couldn’t move this resin market.
As we enter mid-Q4, the theme is clear across North America: flat pricing, weak demand, and oversupply.

In this week’s Resin Market Moves, Michael breaks down what’s really happening across the major resin families — and what it means for buyers trying to hold the line on costs.

 

Resin Market Highlights:

Polyethylene (PE):
Dow, ExxonMobil, and CP Chem reported short-lived production issues, but inventories remain near record highs.
October’s proposed +3–5¢/lb increases? Still unlikely to stick.

Polypropylene (PP):
Feedstock propylene (PGP) crashed below $0.25/lb, the lowest since 2022.
No margin increases announced — weak fundamentals continue.

Polystyrene (PS):
Feedstocks fell sharply, with benzene down nearly $0.50/gal, pushing PS contracts lower again.

ABS & Polycarbonate (PC):
Stable to slightly soft. Auto sector improving, but not enough to move pricing.
Sabic’s +10¢ ABS increase for November faces buyer resistance.

PVC:
Still sluggish. Construction remains slow, with high inventories and no October increase nominations.

PET:
Flat for September and early October, though producers continue testing +6–9¢/lb increases. Market data doesn’t support it.

Key Takeaway:

Feedstocks are easing. Inventories are heavy.
 And producer price-increase letters are running on fumes.

Now is the time for buyers to stay disciplined, benchmark their pricing, and push back with confidence.

That’s what ResinSmart was built for — real-time resin benchmarking, forecasting, and market transparency for processors who are tired of guessing.

 

Learn more or request a benchmark demo: https://www.ResinSmart.ai
Follow Michael Workman on LinkedIn for weekly Resin Market Moves updates.

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The Plastic Resin Buyer BriefBy ResinSmart