This beginning of 2020 is characterized by some "hot topics" which also touch the plastics market closely. Let's try to briefly examine them.

Coronavirus
What are the possible scenarios of the coronavirus on the world and Italian economy? What are the backlashes on the plastics market?
Some reflections are inevitable. On the one hand, the coronavirus could lead (in fact it is already so) to a reduction in the maunfacturing production in the Chinese market. Consequence? A possible drop in the prices of plastic raw materials also in Europe, on which raw materials not absorbed by China could flow. On the other hand, the Chinese market is one of the major exporters of additives and intermediates for plastic processing (compounding): the production and trade interruptions of components, such as methylene chloride (MEC) or CPE are likely to cause a chain effect on products, with possible price increases, for example of PVC.
The uncertainty about the severity and duration of the spread of the coronavirus makes it impossible, at the moment, to estimate its impact on the global economy. What becomes increasingly necessary is the comparison between the main players. PlasticFinder has discussed it few days ago at the Milan Chamber of Commerce: an important opportunity for operators to meet, to map changes in monthly prices and analyze the plastics market trend, made easier thanks to the public traded prices and volumes on the marketplace (www.plasticfinder.it).

Plant maintenance, low supply, growing markets
Some commodities, such as PVC, are suffering from a scarce supply, both due to the drop in exchanges with China, and to the simultaneous production interruptions of some of the largest plants (especially in the USA), due to planned maintenance or unexpected problems in the supply chain. At the same time, some markets, such as Turkey and especially India, are good demanding. The case of India is significant: it is the fastest growing market in the world for plastics related to construction and agriculture (we are also in the seasonal peak for the latter sector), and in mid 2019 duties were removed from the import of European PVC, a benefit which EU producers are only now beginning to take advantage of.
PlasticFinder, with its offer of commodities from the EU, USA, Russia, Turkey, Egypt, is able to supply Italian and European transformers and compounders with the raw materials they need at the best prices and with a consistent service.

Disposable plastic items, circular economy, bio-plastics, plastic tax
Arguments on everyone's lips, often in a somewhat confused way, as if problems, although fundamental for the impact on our present and our future, deserve to be treated from partial points of view, according to convenience, or with the purpose (not too hidden) to make cash.
We are onm the contrary living a real industrial conversion, which is already changing the way we produce packaging and cars, houses and disposable products. And the impact on plastics (prices and production) is immediate: the indicators of Polystyrene (PS) collapse, the prices of Polylactic Acid (PLA), which is experiencing a real shortage worldwide, skyrocket.
In this field, PlasticFinder (www.plasticfinder.it) has decided to offer a concrete "platform economy for circularity" opportunity dedicated to operators in the sector: it has created an operating flow in compliance with the dictates of the UNI 10667 standard (secondary raw materials and by-products of plastic materials) and on October 30th, 2019 obtained from CSI Cert (IMQ group) the certification for Distribution of secondary raw materials of plastic, Distribution of by-products of plastic materials, Distribution of plastic materials by by-product.
PlasticFinder thus becomes the first "distribution system" certified according to current regulations: the operators of the supply chain (producers, recyclers, distributors) now have an additional ally that offers a free, simple and transparent procedure for selling or buying these types of product, which deserve to find a new life in the transformation into a finished product.

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