US PVC prices rise for first time in 9 months
US contract prices for polyvinyl chloride (PVC) increased in January for the first time in nine months, driven by rising export prices and tightening domestic supplies.
US PVC contract prices increased in January to 65.5¢/lb, up by 1¢/lb from December and the first increase since April 2022 when contracts settled at 96.5¢/lb.
Prices began to tumble last year in July, when contracts fell by 5¢/lb and then continued to fall by 5-6¢/lb each month for rest of the year.
January's modest reversal came as export prices have begun to rise in the new year, domestic supply has tightened somewhat, and US demand has stabilized, albeit at a low level.
Rising export prices was the top justification producers cited in seeking higher contract prices. Export prices out of the US had been falling since the summer alongside domestic prices, reaching a low in early December of $610-700/t fas Houston, down from $1,680-1,730/t in early July. Export prices through January held above $700/t and rose in early February to $830/t-$900/t.
Export prices don't track domestic US prices in a precise and equal manner, but the export market's function as a US PVC spot market allows price trends to influence the domestic price.
Domestic demand has stabilized, albeit at a depressed level. Much of the market now views the November-December window as the bottom of negative demand trends seen in 2022. Many producers are reporting a bounce back in ordering, even as many buyers see a more mixed situation.
One buyer this week said January activity improved by 15pc compared to December, and other buyers have begun restocking for the expected demand uptick that comes with the spring building season. But hesitation in the market remains, and multiple buyers still report high inventories in their systems, a key reason January prices didn't rise more.
Questions remain about the approaching peak building season in the US, as the price declines of 2022 were driven largely by a weakening US housing market. Home sales, home construction, and private construction spending all deteriorated in the second half of 2022 as rising interest rates implemented by the Federal Reserve to combat inflation began to have an effect, dampening the confidence of home builders and instilling hesitancy in much of the construction-orientated PVC market.
Meanwhile, supply tightened as producers cut inventories towards the end of the year. This tightening was primarily on the export side as some producers pulled export offers for January and February. The domestic supply market has been less affected, but planned maintenance among multiple producers in the next few months could begin to encroach on domestic supply, just as seasonal demand begins to rise.
Producers have pushed for a total increase of 10¢/lb over the course of the first quarter, citing the recent market shifts. But in every case, domestic buyers have said the shifts haven't been significant enough to justify this larger increase.
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Norwegian Cruise swings to 1Q profit
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New York, 1 May (Argus) — US-based cruise ship operator Norwegian Cruise Line's (NCL) swung to a profit in the first quarter on record bookings. The company posted a $69.5mn profit in the first quarter, compared with a $127.7mn loss during the same period of 2023. Revenue rose by 20pc to $2.19bn in the quarter from a year earlier as the cruise operator reported record quarterly bookings. Cruise operating expenses were up by 8pc at $1.39bn in the quarter from a year earlier. Norwegian rerouted some of its voyages that were previously expected to sail through the Red Sea. But demand from other regions offset the effect of the redeployed voyages. The company spent $197.7mn on marine fuel in the first quarter, 1pc up from $194.9mn in the first quarter of 2023. The company burned 269,000t of marine fuel and did not disclose its fuel consumption for the first quarter of 2023. It expects to burn about 245,000t in the second quarter and 995,000t for full 2024, split evenly between residual fuel oil and marine gasoil. Currently, it has hedged about 35pc of its fuel oil consumption at $395/t and 75pc of its marine gasoil consumption at $746/t for the entire 2024. Starting this year, Norwegian had been applying to the EU innovation fund with the goal of accelerating the transition of six of its vessels from being methanol ready to being fully methanol capable. Biomethanol was pegged at $2,223/t very low-sulphur fuel oil equivalent (VLSFOe) or 3.7 times the price of VLSFO average in April in the Amsterdam-Rotterdam-Antwerp bunkering hub, Argus assessments showed. Methanol was assessed at $699/t VLSFOe or 1.2 times the price of VLSFO. The company also has half of its fleet equipped with shoreside technology allowing it to use port electricity and minimize emissions during port stays. Norwegian has ordered eight new vessels for delivery from 2025-2036. Separately, its subsidiaries Oceania Cruises and Regent Seven Seas will take delivery of three new vessels from 2025-2029 and two new vessels from 2026-2029, respectively. By Stefka Wechsler Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2024. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
New US rule may let some shippers swap railroads
New US rule may let some shippers swap railroads
Washington, 30 April (Argus) — US rail regulators today issued a final rule designed to help customers switch railroads in cases of poor rail service, but it is already drawing mixed reviews. Reciprocal switching, which allows freight shippers or receivers captive to a single railroad to access to an alternate carrier, has been allowed under US Surface Transportation Board (STB) rules. But shippers had not used existing STB rules to petition for reciprocal switching in 35 years, prompting regulators to revise rules to encourage shippers to pursue switching while helping resolve service problems. "The rule adopted today has broken new ground in the effort to provide competitive options in an extraordinarily consolidated rail industry," said outgoing STB chairman Martin Oberman. The five-person board unanimously approved a rule that would allow the board to order a reciprocal switching agreement if a facility's rail service falls below specified levels. Orders would be for 3-5 years. "Given the repeated episodes of severe service deterioration in recent years, and the continuing impediments to robust and consistent rail service despite the recent improvements accomplished by Class I carriers, the board has chosen to focus on making reciprocal switching available to shippers who have suffered service problems over an extended period of time," Oberman said today. STB commissioner Robert Primus voted to approve the rule, but also said it did not go far enough. The rule adopted today is "unlikely to accomplish what the board set out to do" since it does not cover freight moving under contract, he said. "I am voting for the final rule because something is better than nothing," Primus said. But he said the rule also does nothing to address competition in the rail industry. The Association of American Railroads (AAR) is reviewing the 154-page final rule, but carriers have been historically opposed to reciprocal switching proposals. "Railroads have been clear about the risks of expanded switching and the resulting slippery slope toward unjustified market intervention," AAR said. But the trade group was pleased that STB rejected "previous proposals that amounted to open access," which is a broad term for proposals that call for railroads to allow other carriers to operate over their tracks. The American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association declined to comment but has indicated it does not expect the rule to have an appreciable impact on shortline traffic, service or operations. Today's rule has drawn mixed reactions from some shipper groups. The National Industrial Transportation League (NITL), which filed its own reciprocal switching proposal in 2011, said it was encouraged by the collection of service metrics required under the rule. But "it is disheartened by its narrow scope as it does not appear to apply to the vast majority of freight rail traffic that moves under contracts or is subject to commodity exemptions," said NITL executive director Nancy O'Liddy, noting it was a departure from the group's original petition which sought switching as a way to facilitate railroad economic competitiveness. The Chlorine Institute said, in its initial analysis, that it does not "see significant benefit for our shipper members since it excludes contract traffic which covers the vast majority of chlorine and other relevant chemical shipments." By Abby Caplan Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2024. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
Latest phase of UN plastic treaty negotiations closes
Latest phase of UN plastic treaty negotiations closes
London, 30 April (Argus) — The fourth session of the UN's Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee to develop an international, legally binding instrument to tackle plastic pollution ended on 29 April. But from the updated drafts released at the end of the negotiating session in Ottawa, Canada, it remains unclear what shape the final text will take. The treaty under discussion covers areas including waste management, product design, measurement and reporting of progress, and financing. There are plans for further inter-sessional negotiations on an updated draft text ahead of the fifth session in Busan, South Korea in November. "Much work remains to be done to narrow the gaps in understanding, as well as bridge the divides on the scope and objective of the future treaty," the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) said. "This was evident as meetings to discuss the technical elements of the text diverged on almost all points of discussion, from problematic and avoidable plastics to product design, composition and performance." European plastic industry association PlasticsEurope acknowledged progress during the discussions but said that "the clock is now ticking loudly" and called on "all stakeholders" to redouble their efforts to reach an agreement. It also called for observers to be present at inter-sessional negotiations "to maintain the transparency and technical integrity of the draft agreement". There is "growing recognition" of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) schemes — where producers and sellers of plastic products contribute to the cost of managing the resulting waste — as a tool for managing end-of-life plastics, PlasticsEurope added. But the association expressed concern at a lack of progress towards supporting the circular economy by creating more demand for plastic waste and secondary raw materials. "The focus must now shift to policy measures that will increase the value of plastic waste as a circular feedstock by increasing demand for circular plastic raw materials, including the introduction of mandatory recycled content targets for sectors that use plastics at the national level," it said. Mandatory recycled content requirements are one of the topics under discussion, although the updated draft released on 29 April appears less firm on this topic than the draft released following the negotiating committee's third session. The option for unilateral recycled content targets does not appear in the updated draft, and options to encourage national plans for recycled content requirements now include references for consideration to the targets applying "where economically viable" and "where affordable, accessible and available". These were not in the previous draft. "We came to Ottawa to advance the text and with the hope that members would agree on the inter-sessional work required to make even greater progress... We leave Ottawa having achieved both goals and a clear path to landing an ambitious deal in Busan ahead of us," said Inger Andersen, executive director of the UN Environment Programme. By Will Collins Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2024. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
STB chair Oberman to leave rail agency on 10 May
STB chair Oberman to leave rail agency on 10 May
Washington, 26 April (Argus) — US Surface Transportation Board (STB) chairman Martin Oberman (D) said today that he would retire in two weeks, though a replacement has not been named. Oberman informed President Joe Biden of his decision in a letter earlier today. Oberman said in mid-November 2023 that he would exit the agency in early 2024 . His five-year term expired on 31 December but he continued to serve into his one-year holdover term. No additional details have been announced, but vice chairman Karen Hedlund (D) is expected to lead the rail regulator until a formal appointment has been made. Chairman Oberman's "commitment to exploring all sides of an issue was pivotal in helping to find solutions for stakeholders," the Freight Rail Customer Alliance said. National Grain and Feed Association chief executive Mike Seyfert said pointed to Oberman's actions in working toward significant regulatory milestones for agricultural shippers and railroads. Under Oberman's leadership, STB has moved forward on long-standing proposal to allow reciprocal switching. The switching plan would allow a shipper served by a single railroad to request that its freight be transferred to another major railroad at a designated interchange point. STB is expected to act on reciprocal switching as early as this month, after introducing a plan tied to railroad service performance in September 2023. His term was also highlighted by several major industry events, such as the Covid-19 pandemic, the merger of Canadian Pacific and Kansas City Southern and the 2022 rail service crisis. Oberman was nominated by former US president Donald Trump in July 2018. His appointment was confirmed by the US Senate in January 2019 and he was appointed chairman by President Joe Biden in January 2021. By Abby Caplan Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2024. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
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