US polymeric MDI prices are expected to rise sharply in June 2026, driven by fresh supply disruptions and the tightening trend that emerged in late May. Covestro’s Baytown force majeure (June 1–10) and Huntsman’s Geismar maintenance shutdown (June 1–10) will temporarily remove significant volumes from a highly concentrated North American market, where a few producers control 95% of capacity. With global offline capacity still elevated, June spot availability is expected to be extremely limited. Late May provided a clear signal of what lies ahead: spot MDI surged in the week ending May 31 after mid month outages at Covestro and Dow tightened supply. Downstream demand remains subdued, but in a tight MDI market, supply disruptions outweigh weak consumption. As June begins under dual outages, prices are forecast to remain firm to bullish throughout the month.
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.
