A monthly review of European polymer prices, provided by Plastics Information Europe, part of the KI.PIE Group
Standard thermoplastics
- Market slump continues
- Prices moving sideways at best
Standard recyclate
- Prices continue to decline in most cases
- Further pressure likely in November
POLYETHYLENE
In October, many producers aimed to rid themselves of surplus material, granting price reductions in the process. As a result, the competition with cheap imports intensified. Though the ethylene contract rolled over, prices ultimately continued their downward movement.
Ordering remained slow despite favourable pricing. Pre-purchases of material were still few and far between because many buyers are ordering only what they absolutely need in expectation of a further fall in quotations.
In fact, the downward price spiral is likely to pick up speed a little in November. The reason is not only that the ethylene contract for November was fixed €25/($29)t lower, but also that the efforts made by producers to reduce stocks will probably increase in view of the upcoming annual balance sheet.
With large quantities of imports reaching European shores, the market remained in surplus. There can nevertheless be no talk of a recovery in demand from converters – ordering activity remains slow in a miserable economic situation. Only a few players are toying with the idea of stocking up in view of the uncertainty over the developments in the first quarter of 2026.
POLYPROPYLENE
The rollover for the precursor propylene was not enough to keep prices for PP stable in October 2025. Since demand picked up somewhat – but remained weak overall – and because producers wanted to avoid excessively high inventory levels before the turn of the year, suppliers generally conceded slight price reductions.
The picture was slightly different for compounders. For the most part, they were able to keep prices for talcum and glass fibre-reinforced compounds at the previous month’s level. They benefitted from the unexpected increase in demand, particularly from the electrical and electronics segment.
However, all market players are preparing for further price reductions in November. This is because the contract price for propylene fell by €25/t, and the price of PP should also follow the C3 decline in the absence of other stimuli.
PVC
The European PVC market remained largely stable in October, even though the supply side continued to exert pressure. Price developments differed, with contract prices mostly moving sideways while some spot prices experienced a considerable fall.
On the demand side, the construction and infrastructure customer sectors failed to generate any momentum. At the same time, import volumes from Asia increased the pressure on European producers’ margins.
STYRENICS
The downward trend is unbroken – in October, styrenics prices declined for the seventh month in a row. The further eroding styrene reference and persistently weak demand left no other way open.
Even though volume calls improved slightly in October, demand for polystyrene (PS), expanded PS, and acrylonitrile butadiene styrene remained well below normal levels.
This is unlikely to change in the final months of the year. As the styrene reference continued its downward course in November, falling €17($20)/t, styrene prices are likely to maintain the daunting trend now ongoing for eight months in a row.
PET
The European PET market was just as gloomy as the weather in October. Customers were under no pressure to fill their warehouses, given the persistently low level of demand from end-markets.
The struggling European producers had to secure their disappointingly low sales through what at times were disastrous, cutthroat prices. ‘Crisis’ was the word of the moment.
With the reductions offered, prices mostly slid down into the three-digit range, as expected. The European paraxylene reference contract for October was fixed at €735($850)/t, down €30($35)/t. Once again, the European market had no choice but to follow the weaker Asian benchmark. The gloomy market conditions in this part of the world are unlikely to change. Nevertheless, only minor discounts for PET are to be expected, as prices have largely bottomed out.
STANDARD RECYCLATE
Prices for recycled materials mostly declined again in October. Only a few grades, such as rHDPE for blow moulding and rPP homopolymer, countered the general trend of minor reductions and remained stable. For pipe applications, rHDPE even experienced a slight uptick, thanks to a modest increase in demand from the construction sector.
The situation for rPET was also pleasing. Although prices at the beginning of Q4 2025 trended downwards again, recyclers and flake manufacturers were able to improve their margins somewhat, as the cost of bottle scrap fell more sharply.
Overall market conditions remained sluggish. Demand for most secondary materials continued to be weak, as the economic climate stayed subdued and competition from low-priced virgin material continued to exert significant pressure. In addition, many recyclate suppliers were sitting on high stock levels that they were unable to reduce due to the low volume of orders.
This market situation is unlikely to change significantly in the coming month, so further price reductions can be expected – possibly with the exception of rHDPE pipe grades, which could benefit slightly from the tail end of the construction season.
