Benzene prices in the US surged due to tight supply as several refineries faced outages. Supply was tight as refineries in Lake Charles and Beaumont had issues with reformers. Imports also lagged behind. Toluene and xylene prices rose along with benzene on supply constraints. Styrene prices increased due to higher benzene costs. Margins for producers of HDPE, PX, and styrene improved on the week despite rising feedstock values. The benzene-toluene spread narrowed while the PX-MX spread was estimated near $17.50/mt.