Coconut oil pricing in the United States declined through January as post-holiday demand softened and Asian export volumes reached West Coast terminals. Buyers trimmed replenishment after promotions and adopted a hand-to-mouth stance, while softer renewable-diesel credits reduced blender appetite. Mid-month, copra-crushing runs in Southeast Asia enabled exporters to load full vessel programs, and container freight rates were steady, allowing reductions in offers to flow west. By month-end, market tone deteriorated as imported inflows outpaced withdrawals and coastal tank stocks edged higher. Downstream demand patterns reinforced the slide; food-sector intake was soft with minimum-stock policies; lauric blends shifted toward lower-priced palm-kernel oil to protect margins, while oleochemical demand for detergents remained steady. Renewable-diesel blending showed limited interest, and retail promotions were muted. On the supply side, leading exporters completed copra-crushing runs and placed additional refined and crude parcels for export, easing residual tightness. The outlook is mildly soft, with modest downside bias unless inventories tighten or promotional buying rebounds.
Selenis has effectively manufactured recycled PET chips using terephthalic acid sourced from Circ®, a textile-to-textile recycler based in Virginia. The chip production took place through a series of batches at Selenis' pilot plant in San-Giorgio, Italy. By utilizing inputs recovered from polycotton textile waste, Selenis has created high-quality PET chip, which has been further processed into DTY yarn. This yarn will play a crucial role in product development as Circ prepares for additional capsule launches. Selenis is leveraging the success of this initial collaboration phase and is committed to advancing towards an offtake partnership to support Circ's inaugural industrial facility.
Eduardo Santos, Head of Corporate Strategy at Selenis, remarked that the monomer synthesis showed a performance comparable to virgin terephthalic acid. He expressed optimism about the consistent quality of Circ's monomer output and anticipated future commercial success. Santos pointed out that the Circ partnership complements Selenis's existing mission and goals for a more sustainable textile industry. He further stated their anticipation of expanding upon this collaboration and providing support for Circ's forthcoming commercial production trials.
