Polypropylene (PP) prices slipped across the Asian region this week, pressured by lower import offers from overseas suppliers and sluggish demand from regional buyers.
An industry source in Asia, who requested anonymity, explained that the broader energy complex has provided some stability, with crude oil expected to remain range-bound to slightly positive. Heightened tensions in the Middle East, prospects of tougher U.S. sanctions on Russian oil, and a modest OPEC+ output hike have offered support to oil values. At the same time, rising U.S. inventories, weak physical demand, and uncertainty around the Federal Reserve’s policy stance continue to limit the possibility of substantial price gains.
Within the polypropylene sector, the downward trend was mainly driven by competitive offers from overseas producers who cut quotations to stimulate buying interest. Regional demand, however, stayed soft as converters and traders maintained a cautious approach amid sufficient inventories and limited requirements from downstream industries. This combination of weaker import offers and subdued market appetite weighed on sentiment, leading to broad-based price declines.
In Far East Asia, PP raffia and injection grades were assessed at USD 840–880/mt CFR, down USD 10/mt from last week. PP film prices slipped to USD 875–925/mt CFR, a fall of USD 15/mt, while BOPP and block copolymer prices were assessed lower at USD 855–895/mt CFR and USD 895–915/mt CFR respectively, both showing a weekly decline of USD 15/mt. In China, overseas producers offered PP raffia and injection grades in the USD 840–880/mt range, while Middle Eastern suppliers quoted at around USD 880/mt for September shipments.
In Southeast Asia, PP raffia and injection grades fell to USD 850–890/mt CFR, down USD 10/mt week on week. Film and BOPP prices eased to USD 900–940/mt CFR and USD 860–910/mt CFR, respectively, while block copolymer prices dropped by USD 20/mt to USD 900–930/mt CFR. Producers from Saudi Arabia and the Middle East were active in the market, offering September shipments within this range.
India also witnessed declines, with PP raffia and injection grades assessed at USD 870–900/mt CFR, down USD 10–20/mt. Film and BOPP prices slipped to USD 900–930/mt CFR and USD 880–930/mt CFR, respectively, while block copolymer prices fell by USD 20/mt to USD 900–940/mt CFR. A domestic industry source confirmed that Reliance Industries Limited reduced local PP prices by INR 4/kg, effective September 5, 2025. Market participants reported deals concluded at USD 870/mt, while Middle Eastern and Saudi Arabian suppliers offered September shipments at USD 870–900/mt.
In Pakistan, raffia and injection grades were assessed at USD 890–910/mt CFR, down USD 10/mt from last week. Film and BOPP grades eased to USD 920–930/mt CFR, while block copolymer was assessed lower at USD 930–970/mt CFR. In Sri Lanka, raffia and injection grades held steady at USD 930–960/mt CFR, with film and BOPP unchanged at USD 980–1000/mt CFR, though block copolymer slipped marginally to USD 990–1020/mt CFR. In Bangladesh, PP raffia and injection grades fell to USD 900–930/mt CFR, down USD 10/mt, while film and BOPP declined to USD 920–940/mt CFR. Block copolymer followed the downward trend, assessed at USD 960–1000/mt CFR.
Feedstock propylene markets, however, remained stable. CFR China propylene prices were assessed at USD 785–795/mt, while FOB Korea values stood at USD 755–765/mt, both unchanged from last week.
Meanwhile, several maintenance-related plant shutdowns in China added to market discussions. Shandong Yulong Petrochemical idled its No. 3 PP unit on September 3, 2025, for maintenance, with the unit’s 400,000 mt/year capacity temporarily offline. Oriental Energy Zhangjiagang halted operations at its PP unit around September 8, 2025, also with a capacity of 400,000 mt/year. Additionally, Jingbo Polyolefin shut its No. 2 PP unit in Shandong province on September 5, 2025, for maintenance, affecting another 400,000 mt/year of production. Duration details for all three shutdowns remain unclear, as no official confirmations were provided by the respective companies.
Despite these outages, abundant regional supply and lackluster demand ensured that price weakness dominated the polypropylene market across Asia this week.
