NOSCOM New Material Technology (Changzhou) Co., Ltd.

This Friday, the benchmark prices of major raw materials for UPR continued to show strong momentum compared to last week. Propylene glycol increased by 29.60%, and diethylene glycol increased by 25.17%; however, styrene decreased by 2.92%.Regarding the price increases, both upstream and downstream players have become somewhat numb or can only passively accept them.On March 27th, according to media reports, Saudi Basic Industries Corporation (SABIC) announced a force majeure event affecting the production of styrene monomer and methanol, leading to a suspension of operations. The simultaneous disruption of these two core products has rapidly expanded the global supply gap for methanol and styrene.The upcoming issue is not merely price increases; a more significant problem is a shortage of goods.Some resin plants have already notified their customers that they are temporarily unable to supply products due to a lack of raw materials.Glass fiber is facing a similar issue. The supply of a major manufacturer's non-small tex direct roving has also become tight. On one hand, downstream customers are stocking up relatively actively amidst the price hike atmosphere; on the other hand, this is related to adjustments in their product mix, with more capacity being allocated to hot sectors like wind power and thermoplastic applications.Individual small manufacturers are also encountering similar situations, with certain product models experiencing tight supply. This phenomenon can be termed: structural shortage.