Petrochemical Standard's weekly Aromatics Trade Flow report. Monitors imports of BTX and styrene into the US. Includes related pricing and freight information.

1. AROMATICS TRADE FLOW REPORT
VOLUME 2, ISSUE 30 – JULY 28, 2015
BENZENE
US benzene prices moved lower on the week in the face of declining energy
and thin demand. October spot values were estimated at near $816/mt DDP
HTC Monday, down near $60 on the week. FOB Korea benzene prices also
moved lower, down nearly $20 on the week to finish at $764/mt Monday. In
Europe, August spot benzene values closed Monday at $845/mt CIF ARA. The
FOB Korea-DDP HTC arb was pegged at -$7/mt Monday while the CIF ARA-DDP
HTC arb was estimated at -$68/mt.
Benzene fixtures:
Regional spot benzene spreads:
HIIGHLIGHTS:
US M2 SPOT BENZENE PRICES
DECLINE SHARPLY ON THE
WEEK.
ASIA-USGC BENZENE ARB IN
NEGATIVE TERRITORY AT -
$7/MT.
KOREAN EXPORTS TO THE US
FROM JULY 1-25 ESTIMATED AT
JUST UNDER 48,000 MT.
KOREAN EXPORTS TO TAIWAN
WERE ESTIMATED AT NEAR
74,000 MT.
EUROPEAN BENZENE REMAINS
HIGHEST GLOBALLY.
US SPOT STYRENE FIXTURES
LIMITED ON THE WEEK. PRICES
DIP BUT SEE CONTINUED
SUPPORT FROM EUROPE.
THE US M1 SPOT STYRENE-
BENZENE WIDENS TO $361/MT.
US SPOT TOLUENE PRICES FALL
ON SOFTER BLEND VALUES,
REMAIN AT STEEP PREMIUM TO
ASIA.
M1 US SPOT BENZENE-TOLUENE
SPREAD FALLS TO -$62/MT.
US SPOT MX PRICES AT NEAR
$868/MT FOB USG WHILE PX
TALKED NEAR $920/MT. THE
SPOT PX-MX SPREAD
ESTIMATED AT NEAR $51.50/MT
Benzene
Qty Load Discharge Laycan Ship
9,000 Korea USGC H1 Jul Stolt Sun
9,000 Korea USGC H1 Jul Ginga Cougar
6,000 Korea USGC Mid July Formosa 28
6,000 Korea Houston H2 July Siteam Explorer
3,000 Brazil USGC H2 Jul N/A
9,000 Korea USGC H2 Jul Ardmore Defender
9,000 Korea USGC Mid July Ginga Tiger
9,000 Korea USGC H1 Aug Selje
27,000 Korea USGC Mid August MOL tonnage
-$100.00
-$80.00
-$60.00
-$40.00
-$20.00
$0.00
$20.00
$40.00
$60.00
$400.00
$500.00
$600.00
$700.00
$800.00
$900.00
$1,000.00
1-Jun-15
3-Jun-15
5-Jun-15
9-Jun-15
11-Jun-15
15-Jun-15
17-Jun-15
19-Jun-15
23-Jun-15
25-Jun-15
29-Jun-15
1-Jul-15
3-Jul-15
7-Jul-15
9-Jul-15
13-Jul-15
15-Jul-15
17-Jul-15
21-Jul-15
23-Jul-15
25-Jul-15
SPREAD OCT BENZENE DDP HTC TPS BZ FOB KOREA MARKER
-$120.00
-$100.00
-$80.00
-$60.00
-$40.00
-$20.00
$0.00
$400.00
$500.00
$600.00
$700.00
$800.00
$900.00
$1,000.00
6/1/15
6/3/15
6/5/15
6/9/15
6/11/15
6/15/15
6/17/15
6/19/15
6/23/15
6/25/15
6/29/15
7/1/15
7/3/15
7/7/15
7/9/15
7/13/15
7/15/15
7/17/15
7/21/15
7/23/15
7/27/15
SPREAD EUROPEAN M1 (AUGUST) BZ CIF ARA M2 (SEPTEMBER) BZ DDP HTC

2. STYRENE, TOLUENE & XYLENES
PX
Qty Load Discharge Landed Ship
5,000 Netherlands USEC H1 July Stolt Perseverance
10,000 Netherlands USEC H1 July Bow Sagami
5,000 Brazil USEC H2 July Moyra
5,000 Netherlands USEC H2 July Bow Architect
20,000 Jubail USEC H2 July Ardmore Cherokee
Toluene
Qty Load Discharge Landed Ship
1,400 Colombia USGC H1 Jul Nordic Ann
5,000 China Kalama H1 Jul Lime Galaxy
3,000 Spain USGC H1 Jul Chemical Luna
2,500 Spain USGC H2 July Bow Cedar
4,000 Korea USWC H2 July Ginga Tiger
FREIGHT RATES
Loading Discharge 5,000 MT 10,000 MT
USGC MP Far East $63.00 $59.00
USGC MP China $67.00 $63.00
USGC ARA $62.00 $57.00
Ulsan US Gulf Coast $61.00 $58.00
ARA US Gulf Coast $45.00 $41.00
US August spot styrene values were
down $10 on the week to close
Monday at $1,210/mt FOB USG.
Quotes from USGC to ARA were
consistently seen though few
confirmed fixtures were reported.
September European styrene was
seen Monday at near $1,290/mt FOB
NWE while September CFR China
styrene prices fell nearly $75 on the
week to close Monday at $1,170/mt.
The FOB USG-M2 FOB NWE spread
was estimated at $19 before costs
while the FOB USG-M2 CFR China
spread fell to -$102/mt as of close of
business Monday.
The US M1 spot styrene-benzene
spread widened on the week, closing
Monday at $361/mt.
US M1 spot mixed xylene prices
softened $30 on the week to
close Monday at $868.50/mt
FOB USG, some $141/mt above
the TPS FOB Korea marker.
Downstream PX fell as well
those to a lesser extent,
declining roughly $20 on the
week to finish at $920/mt FOB
USG. The M1 spot PX-MX spread
was estimated at $51.50/mt.
US spot toluene was down just
over $30 on the week to close at
$911/mt Monday. US prices held
a near $246 premium to the
Asian TPS toluene marker.
Styrene
Qty Load Discharge Laycan Ship
5,000 Houston ARA H1 June Pacific Endeavor
5,000 Houston Med H1 June Fairchem Friesian
5,000 Lk Charles FE H1 June TRF Oslo
5,000 Houston FE H2 June Maritime Kelly Anne
10,000 USGC ARA H2 June MTM Rotterdam
5,000 USGC ARA H1 Aug N/A
5,000 USGC ARA H1 Aug ChemBulk New York*
-$180.00
-$160.00
-$140.00
-$120.00
-$100.00
-$80.00
-$60.00
-$40.00
-$20.00
$0.00
$0.00
$100.00
$200.00
$300.00
$400.00
$500.00
$600.00
$700.00
$800.00
$900.00
$1,000.00
1-Jun-15
3-Jun-15
5-Jun-15
9-Jun-15
11-Jun-15
15-Jun-15
17-Jun-15
19-Jun-15
23-Jun-15
25-Jun-15
29-Jun-15
1-Jul-15
6-Jul-15
8-Jul-15
10-Jul-15
14-Jul-15
16-Jul-15
20-Jul-15
22-Jul-15
24-Jul-15
SPREAD US M1 (AUGUST) SPOT BZ DDP HTC US JULY SPOT TOLUENE FOB USG