For the first time in several days, trading sentiment in the local market saw a notable uptick, driven by a robust rebound on the Dalian Commodity Exchange. The resurgence of arbitrage traders stimulated buying activities, prompting converters to make at least some purchases.
Shenhua successfully concluded its final auction session of July, buoyed by the rebound in futures contracts on the Dalian Commodity Exchange. The coal-based producer strategically offered discounts of CNY 30-50/ton on homo-PP and CNY 50/ton on LLDPE to entice customers, resulting in 100% of the auction volume being sold.
The latest government subsidies targeted at the household appliances sector have failed to uplift market confidence. Instead, key LLDPE contracts on the Dalian Commodity Exchange extended their decline for the second session this week, further eroding confidence in the near-term outlook.
While the number of transactions for LLDPE on the Shenhua Auction Platform showed a slight improvement compared to the previous day, the overall deals for all grades have deteriorated significantly. This decline is a direct consequence of the continued fall in futures contracts on the Dalian Commodity Exchange.
However, this optimistic local outlook belies the broader challenges facing the PVC market. The international PVC landscape remains weak, largely due to an influx of competitively priced Chinese materials and the seasonal demand lull.