This week, LDPE prices in Europe came under sharp pressure, with both spot and contract assessments recording notable declines amid weak buying interest and the onset of the summer holiday season.
An industry source in Europe, on condition of anonymity, informed a Polymerupdate team member, "LDPE spot prices dropped as suppliers reduced offers to encourage sales, while LDPE contract prices moved rapidly lower, reflecting the decline in July ethylene monomer contract settlements. The availability of competitively priced imported material further increased supply in the regional market, adding downward pressure to an already weak market, while buyers remained reluctant to commit due to sluggish end-user demand. Trading activity has been quiet as the summer holiday season begins, with converters showing little interest in building stocks ahead of the holidays, further contributing to the cautious market mood.”
In the spot markets, LDPE general purpose grade prices were assessed at Euro 1245-1255/mt FD NWE levels, a sharp week-on-week decline of Euro (-100/mt).
In the contract markets, LDPE general purpose grade prices were assessed at Euro 2600-2605/mt FD NWE Germany and FD NWE France levels, week-on-week steeply decreased by Euro (-150/mt). LDPE general purpose grade prices were assessed at Euro 2600-2605/mt FD NWE Italy levels, plunged by Euro (-150/mt) compared to the prior week. Meanwhile, LDPE general purpose grade prices were assessed at GBP 2215-2220/mt FD NWE UK levels, a sharp fall of GBP (-145/mt) from the previous week.
In Antwerp, LDPE general purpose grade prices were assessed at Euro 1230-1260/mt FCA levels, week-on-week tumbled by Euro (-100/mt).
On the feedstock front, Ethylene CIF NWE prices were assessed at USD 755-765/mt levels, week-on-week higher by USD (+15/mt). Ethylene FD NWE prices was assessed at Euro 720-730/mt, holding steady on the week.
The July 2026 European ethylene contract price settlement at Euro 1,445/mt FD Northwest Europe levels, representing a steep decline of Euro 200/mt from the June 2026 settlement, appears to have influenced the pace of contract price adjustments across regional LDPE markets.
Although market participants continued to monitor renewed geopolitical tensions in the Middle East, most sources expected only a limited impact on near-term market fundamentals. Spot trading remained subdued as competitively priced imports continued to add to regional supply, while weak downstream demand and comfortable inventory levels kept buyers on the sidelines. Unlike the typical seasonal pattern, converters showed little interest in building inventories ahead of the summer holidays, resulting in limited spot transactions and continued downward pressure on prices.
This news synopsis and insights are generated using Polymerupdate’s advanced Artificial Intelligence (AI) systems, leveraging proprietary data, pricing benchmarks, and domain expertise. The content is intended for informational purposes only and does not represent the official views of Polymerupdate. Users are advised to conduct their own independent research before making any commercial or business decisions.
