Polystyrene Prices in the USA Expected to Maintain the Downward Trend

The prices of Polystyrene have been falling in the USA since the month of June with mild fluctuations. The price of polystyrene was at around USD 2965 per tonne in the starting of the month of June, the prices fell to USD 2745 per tonne in the starting of the month of July. August prices further fell to a low of USD 2550 per tonne. The prices have continued to fall since then and the prices for the month of October were USD 2470 per tonne which have fallen to USD 2440 per tonne in the November last week.

The reasons for a continuous price decline is that the demand has been stagnant with the rising competition from materials including acrylonitrile butadiene styrene and polycarbonate. Another reason for the declining prices is the decreasing prices of feedstock styrene and benzene. The demand has been stagnant due to declining demand from the packaging sector which has seen demand fall as online orders for packaged products have been decreasing after the easing of coronavirus related lockdowns.

Polystyrene is a clear, crystalline resin. It is soluble in cyclohexane, ethyl benzene, and ethyl acetate but insoluble in ether, acetone, phenol, and other saturated hydrocarbons. There are two main types of Polystyrene including the general purpose polystyrene (GPPS) and high impact polystyrene (HIPS) which contains varying levels of polybutadiene to improve toughness and impact resistance.

As per ChemAnalyst, “the prices of Polystyrene in the USA are expected to remain on a downward trajectory as the demand appears to be bearish with the rising demand for substitute materials and decreasing demand for packaging in the USA. The prices are expected to fall to USD 2430 per tonne in the upcoming month. A price recovery is expected in the first quarter of the next year as the demand picks up in the export markets.”