December 2025 witnessed a decline in US SBR prices as a result of an ongoing lack of demand from tire manufacturers and a continued influx of imports into the US due to excessive imports. As a result, all buyers are maintaining their "wait-and-see" posture, and both tire manufacturers and industrial rubber goods makers are holding back on making additional purchases because they have ample inventory and their order books seem to be slower than they would like to see. Similarly, as a net importer, the US market is still receiving significant quantities of SBR from South Korea, Mexico, and other sources, all of which continue to contribute to the overall SBR supply side pressure. Monthly US import numbers for 2025 are reflecting continual high monthly import volumes, indicating a very imbalanced supply/demand situation. Many of the major tire manufacturers have shown a decrease in their sales activity, at least from a units volume perspective, therefore corresponding to lesser amounts of raw material going out their doors. While the price of the major component of SBR, styrene butadiene copolymer, has remained consistent, without an increase in demand, these price points cannot continue to support SBR pricing.
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.
