(ICIS) -- Asian polycarbonate (PC) prices may continue falling for the rest of the year because of sluggish demand and plummeting values of feedstock bisphenol A (BPA), industry sources said on Friday.
Spot PC prices have shed USD 200-300/tonne (EUR 142-213/tonne) since early April to USD 2.950-3.050/tonne CIF (cost, insurance and freight) Hong Kong for general purpose (GP)-moulding grade and at USD 2.900-2.950/tonne CIF Hong Kong for optical grade on 13 July, according to ICIS data.
In the key China market, monetary tightening measures implemented to curb inflation have been taking a toll on PC derivative demand. End-users are being forced to cut operating rates because of tight cash flow.
China imported 969 KT of PC last year, accounting for 88% of its total consumption at 1.1m tonnes, according to Chemease, an ICIS service in China.