Caprolactam eases *.* per cent on thin procurement
Caprolactam FOB China, the foundational raw material behind polyamide production, opened at $*.*** per kg on May ** and eased to $*.*** by May **. A brief uptick to $*.*** followed on June ** before the market resumed softening, settling at $*.*** on June ** and $*.*** by June **. The final week recorded a modest *.* per cent decline, while the cumulative weeks movement reached minus *.* per cent a gradual, persistent fall consistent with thin procurement activity from polyamide chip producers, and with crude oil**;s steep retreat removing the usual cost-push resistance further down the chain.
Chip prices track caprolactam, down *.* per cent
This caprolactam softness, amplified by weaker crude-linked feedstock economics, transmitted directly into the polyamide chips segment. HS chip domestic China fell from $*.*** per kg on May ** to $*.*** on May ** and $*.*** on June *, before an unusual recovery to $*.*** on June ** briefly interrupted the trend. That bounce proved temporary, with prices easing again to $*.*** on June ** and $*.*** by June **. The week-on-week change in the final period was minus *.* per cent, bringing the cumulative five-week decline to minus *.* per cent, closely tracking the caprolactam and crude oil trend and confirming limited pricing power among chip producers as upstream costs fell.
