Ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) prices in Europe moved lower this week, weighed down by persistent oversupply, sluggish downstream demand, and subdued trading activity. The market tone remained distinctly pessimistic, with participants signaling little expectation of improvement in the near term.
An industry source in Europe told Polymerupdate, “Demand for spot European EVA grades continued to be weak, with prices declining as purchasing interest remained constrained. Even with some reported supply interruptions, the general availability of EVA grades was described as sufficient, aided by consistent imports and weak downstream demand.”
While TotalEnergies continues to face a shutdown at its EVA facility and Repsol has announced optimization activities at its Puertollano site—which has remained offline since July 31—market participants indicated that these production setbacks have done little to tighten supply. Other producers have opted to offload accumulated inventories, selling aggressively in order to reduce stock pressure, which has only compounded the bearish sentiment.
On Thursday, EVA prices were assessed at €1,445–1,455/mt DDP NWE, down €20/mt from the previous week. Distributors observed that even these lower levels have not spurred significant activity, with converters in packaging, footwear, and the solar encapsulant sector continuing to buy only on a need-to basis. A distributor remarked that expectations for September remain flat, with many anticipating stagnant conditions to persist well into 2026 unless either a notable demand recovery or prolonged capacity reductions materialize.
The weakness in Europe contrasts with firmer sentiment in Asia, where EVA prices gained modestly. CFR Far East Asia prices were assessed at USD 1,225–1,235/mt, up by USD 5/mt week on week. Market sources attributed the increase to regional producer maintenance turnarounds and stronger demand from the photovoltaic sector, which continues to provide some support.
In the United States, however, the picture was also bearish. Spot export prices for medium-grade EVA slipped further as reduced demand and a downturn in upstream ethylene weighed on sentiment.
Market observers stressed that Europe’s EVA market is caught between ample availability and poor downstream performance, leaving little room for recovery in the months ahead. Unless demand from the packaging and renewable energy sectors shows marked improvement, or producers maintain extended outages, the European market is expected to remain under sustained pressure.
