Macroeconomics

1. [US CPI] The U.S. Consumer Price Index (CPI) rose 3.8% year-on-year in April—marking its highest level since May 2023—and significantly exceeded market expectations of 3.7%. Core CPI (excluding food and energy) saw its year-on-year growth accelerate to 2.8%, reaching a new high since September 2023.

2. [Bank of Japan] Minutes from the Bank of Japan's April meeting reveal that several policy board members advocated for an early interest rate hike; one member, in particular, explicitly stated that a rate hike in June was a possibility. At the April meeting, the Bank of Japan held interest rates steady at 0.75% but significantly raised its inflation forecasts.

Plastics and Rubber

1. [PA66] Celanese is currently undertaking a strategic restructuring of its global nylon business. Specific measures include: Closure of the Sakra plant in Singapore—this facility, a key Nylon 66 production hub in Asia, is expected to continue operations until the end of July 2026, at which point it will officially cease production. Optimization of North American capacity—adjustments are being made to the Nylon 66 polymerization units located in Richmond, Virginia, and Washington, West Virginia (USA), resulting in a moderate reduction in overall polymer output.

2. [PE] It is reported that Shanghai SECCO’s 300,000-ton/year full-density polyethylene unit is expected to restart on May 18; the accompanying 300,000-ton/year low-pressure unit will be producing grade 5502FA.

3. [EPS] On May 12, Heze Yuhuang announced an upward adjustment to its EPS price quotes: Ex-factory prices (cash, tax-inclusive) were raised by 100 RMB/ton, bringing the quote for general-purpose grade to 10,500 RMB/ton and the quote for flame-retardant grade to 11,100 RMB/ton. Actual transaction prices remain open to negotiation.

4. [BR] Yangzi Petrochemical’s 100,000-ton/year high-cis polybutadiene rubber unit was shut down for maintenance on May 11, 2026; the scheduled maintenance period is approximately 45 days.

Yanshan Petrochemical’s 120,000-ton/year high-cis polybutadiene rubber unit was temporarily shut down for maintenance on May 11, 2026; the restart date is currently pending.

5. [NBR] NBR Ex-Factory Price Update (May 12) — Shunzhe NBR: The ex-factory price for NBR grade 3355 has been lowered by 500 RMB/ton, bringing the current quoted price to 20,000 RMB/ton. 6. [Natural Rubber] On May 12, the natural rubber market in the Shanghai region experienced high-level volatility. Sellers made slight adjustments to their offers: the mainstream price for 2024-vintage Yunbao/Guangkeng was quoted at RMB 17,650–17,800 per ton; 2024-vintage Haibao was quoted at RMB 17,700–17,850 per ton; 2025-vintage Haibao was quoted at RMB 17,750–17,900 per ton; and Vietnam 3L was quoted at RMB 17,850–18,050 per ton.

SunSirs has been continuously tracking price data for over 200 commodities for nearly 20 years, please contact support@sunsirs.com for subscription.