US polymer producer Americas Styrenics this month idled its 150,000 metric tonne/yr polystyrene (PS) plant in Torrance, California, a company customer said.
The reason for idling the plant was not known and the company did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The company plans to use the plant as a terminal to distribute imported PS via truck, another source said.
The pause in production comes as PS prices have risen by 34pc from a year ago, which another source said has made it difficult for some buyers to pass costs on to their customers.
