Market and product
European DOP spot falls below feedstock 2-EH price
DOP spot prices were assessed at Eur1,360/mt FD NWE on Thursday whilefeedstock 2-EH was assessed at Eur1,370/mt FD NWE.
Structurally, European DOP is being phased out as a plasticizer under theEU REACH program and has been losing market share to alternatives such asDINP and DOTP.
"The DOP [in Europe] is shrinking. Consumers have been switching to DINPand others for a long time now. So the plasticizer market is much moreoriented to those products," a producer source said.
Alternative plasticizers such as DOTP and DINP also use 2-EH as afeedstock.
"2-EH is seeing stable demand from the plasticizer sector. But I've seendeclining demand from the DOP market," a producer of 2-EH said.
Arkema's closure of its DOP plant in Chauny, France in March 2014 markedthe latest round of rationalization in the DOP market, sources said.
Plants which continue to produce DOP in Europe include Poland's ZAK whichoperates a 60,000 mt/year DOP plant in Kedzierzyn-Kozle, Deza's 50,000 mt/yearplant in Valasske Mezirici, Czech Republic and Polynt's 70,000 mt/year plantin San Giocanni, Italy.
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