Trading sentiment on the Shenhua Auction Platform displayed significant divergence, with lacklustre interest in LLDPE parcels despite a sharp reduction in auction volumes. The coal-based producer struggled to offload inventory, managing to sell less than 30%
The Rupiah's sharp decline followed an unexpected decision by Indonesia’s central bank to lower its key interest rate by 25 basis points to 5.75% last week. While this move diverged from regional currency trends—where others appreciated against the US dollar—it had a muted impact on the local polyolefin markets.
Notably, a CNY100/ton reduction in LLDPE auction prices failed to revive the purchasing appetite. Buyer-side inactivity in this segment arose from cautions surrounding a continued weakening spot market and converters’ production halts ahead of the Lunar New Year holiday.
A sharp rebound on the Dalian Commodity Exchange, spurred by rising crude oil prices, helped lift the domestic spot PVC market. Sellers also found support from the rapid depreciation of the Yuan against the US dollar, although the scope of price increases remained modest.