HDPE markets in the United States extended a robust upturn into early April, driven by tight feedstock flows, geopolitical disruptions and sustained downstream demand. March saw re-pricing after export licensing changes and ethane cargo disruptions, with momentum carrying into mid April as global buyers boosted inquiries. Robust procurement by packaging and infrastructure converters, together with constrained global cracker output, kept sellers confident and tightened spot availability across HDPE grades. Domestic producers maintain pricing power given a domestic supply share near 90%, while spot benchmarks firm and liquidity remains constrained.Upstream factors amplified the cost base, including elevated ethylene values and sustained crude strength, and tighter ethane supply due to export licensing and regional disruptions. The market showed a week-on-week gain of about 7.7% into mid April, reflecting persistent monomer tightness and export demand. Looking forward, prices are expected to stay firm unless logistics ease, crackers restart, or geopolitics shift, suggesting near-term procurement should factor narrow spot availability and elevated risk premia.
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.
