Why is the news of ABS/PS production reduction frequent in March?
After entering March, the price of raw material styrene rose significantly, although there was a narrow correction after the middle of the month, but the overall strong shock, driven by the cost side, plus the ex-factory price has been adjusted up several times, and the downstream ABS/PS market is expected to rise. From the latest tracking situation, ABS parking maintenance in March involved about 2.805 million tons of production capacity, an increase of 78.09% from the previous month; PS parking maintenance involves about 2.16 million tons of production capacity, a decrease of 20.87% from the previous month.
ABS maintenance equipment significantly increased this month, the industry load to undertake the previous negative adjustment pattern, the lack of recovery within the month, the operating rate is relatively low, petrochemical manufacturers cost pressure, following Zhangjiagang Shengxi Ao, Lihua Ylijin, Huajin chemical equipment overhaul, petrochina Jieyang petrochemical plan overhaul, Guangxi Changke, Jilin Petrochemical, LG Yongxing part of the device also joined the overhaul ranks. From this point of view, the construction of ABS will be relatively limited in the short and medium term.
The recovery time of some production reduction parking devices is basically concentrated in the end of February and early March, because the pressure of raw material styrene is too large, PS losses are aggravated, and the news of device maintenance and production reduction is frequent in the middle of the year, making the operating rate decline in March, and the industry output recovery is less than expected. At present, Anqing Xingda, Shandong Lanhua, Hebei Baosheng, Hengshui Baike, Lianyungang Petrochemical, Guangxi Changke, Luan Qingfeng, Shandong Yuhuang, Hebei Shengteng 9 enterprises parking maintenance, has not restarted. In addition, Dushanzi Petrochemical plans to have a parking maintenance plan from mid-May to mid-July.
Under the pressure of cost, coupled with the increase of factory quotations by petrochemical manufacturers, and the reduction of negative maintenance of some devices, the price of ABS/PS in March showed an upward trend. In the future market, some domestic shut-down enterprises may have plans to resume work, the supply side is expected to pick up, downstream demand is expected to maintain a good trend, the market or gradually warm, pay attention to the trend of the cost side and Dalian Hengli, Xinpu Chemical new device test and production capacity release actual situation and early parking device recovery.