Synthetic rubber pricing under pressure as year ends  

London – European markets for synthetic rubber were in retreat amid weakness in demand as 2022 drew to a close, according to market researchers at ChemAnalyst. 

Data compiled by ChemAnalyst for ERJ for the trading week ended 16 Dec shows declines in pricing across all key synthetic rubber materials monitored. 

Typifying the trend, styrene butadiene rubber and fluoroelastomers registered decreases of more than 3% compared to prior-week closing prices.

Commenting on the latest market data, ChemAnalyst described demand for synthetic rubber materials as “stable to weak” amid soft buying across the European region.

Moreover, it stated: “Traditionally, demand drops towards the end of the year; however, given the upheaval in the global economy this year, the demand-drop has been more glaring.”

This, continued the ChemAnalyst review, has resulted in a sharp dip in feedstock demand, including butadiene, as well as butadiene-based synthetic rubbers such as SBR, PBR and NBR.

On a brighter note, the market watcher noted signs that Germany’s economy had improved towards mid-fourth quarter, easing immediate fears of a recession in the country.

German economic research institute IFO, it noted, had increased its ‘business climate index’ from 84.5 points to 86.3 points in November, while the Euro had appreciated over the last two months.