Sales of US polyvinyl chloride (PVC) in April fell from a record high in March, according to American Chemistry Council (ACC) data compiled by Vault Consulting
US PVC sales declined to 1.39bn lb (643,500 metric tonnes) in April, down by about 1pc from a year earlier and down by 9pc from March. Sales in March reached 1.53bn lb, the highest monthly sales volumes in ACC records dating to early 2013.
US PVC exports in April fell to 411.6mn lb, down by 3.3pc from a year earlier and 26pc below March levels.
While export demand remains robust, falling prices globally have pressured prices in the US, and deals have been slow to be concluded so far this month as many routes are unworkable for traders contending with cheaper Chinese carbide-based volumes.
Asian demand for US PVC has softened because of this, especially after idled Chinese plants were brought back online. Trade into Latin America is still competitive, sources say, but Chinese cargoes are also headed to the region.
US producers ran plants at an average utilization of 83.9pc in April, up from 81.4pc in March, as one major plant turnaround in Texas concluded. But another producer experienced operational issues that prolonged a March turnaround at its plant in Louisiana, leading to some customers being placed on allocation, sources familiar with market operations said.
US PVC inventories declined in April on lower operating rates, falling to 14.3 days of supply from 15.1 days in March, ACC data show.
