This week, U.S. high-density polyethylene (HDPE) export prices held firm among persistent global market challenges.
On Friday, assessments showed steady levels across HDPE grades: blow-moulding at USD 830–855/mt FAS Houston, injection at USD 830–850/mt, and film at USD 875–895/mt, all unchanged week-on-week. Sellers managed to maintain pricing discipline, aided by consistent demand from Mexico and select Latin American markets, which helped to absorb some of the excess volumes. Yet, overall buyer sentiment remained cautious, as lingering macroeconomic uncertainty and sluggish downstream activity continued to limit any meaningful price upside.
A looming factor adding to the market’s caution is Brazil’s ongoing anti-dumping investigation into HDPE imports from the U.S. and Canada, a development that may influence trade flows and pricing in the weeks ahead.
Meanwhile, the upstream ethylene feedstock market showed signs of softness. Spot prices dipped significantly to 24.50–25.00 cents/lb FOB U.S. Gulf, down 3.00 cents/lb week-on-week. In contrast, the U.S. ethylene contract price for July 2025 bucked the trend, climbing 1.50 cents/lb from June to settle at 32.25 cents/lb, a subtle signal that contractual demand may still be holding its ground amid spot weakness.
