Plastics & Polymers

Unlock Growth Opportunities in Shifting Plastics & Polymers

Value-Chain » Plastics & Polymers

Deep Analysis and Insight to Make Better Informed Decisions

The global plastics and polymers market is more complex than ever. You need to make informed decisions but don’t have time to analyze such an elaborate market. Clients rely on our impartial analyses, supported by independent data, to make optimal decisions in this highly complex market.

plastic polymer granules

Stay Ahead of the Competition

Understanding this market requires access to large amounts of reliable and unbiased data. We have precise quantitative models that are globally connected and integrated from the feedstock to the derivatives.

With more than 150 experts around the world and more than 40 years of industry experience, we can provide you with the premier source for historical and forecast pricing, regional resin production tracking, resin demand analysis, and global trade reporting.

Near-term & Long-term Strategic Outlook

Clients can choose from many focused Market Advisory Services which provide the near-term outlook and the global trends for global plastics & polymer markets.

The World Analysis Services provides long-term specific product and market coverage, facilitating strategic investment decisions. Consultants at Chemical Market Analytics often have decades of experience working in these markets and understand the challenges and opportunities, enabling efficient and invaluable interactions with clients.

Recycled plastic granules

Product and Solutions


Asia, Middle East, and India Plastics & Polymers Cover the Dynamic Asian, Middle Eastern, and Indian Markets for Six Major Thermoplastic resins (PE, PP, PS, EPS, PET, and PVC).

Global markets for thermoplastic resins continue to grow and transform. With the increasing investments occurring in the Middle East and Asia. Asia, Middle East & India Weekly tracks these developments and delivers weekly near-term pricing and market analysis along with monthly data detailing supply/demand, economics, and trade patterns. Managed by our consultants in Singapore and the Middle East, this service takes salient industry data and transforms it into valuable insights and forecasting advice. Subscribers may opt to complement this service with an add-on to the monthly update covering the European downstream plastics supply chain.

This product can be standalone purchased or bundled with the Global Plastics & Polymers Market Advisory Service


Global Plastics & Polymers Provides a Comprehensive View Of World Markets for Six Major Thermoplastic resins (PE, PP, PS, EPS, PVC and PET) and their Relationships with Upstream and Downstream Sectors.

From start to finish each month, Global Plastics & Polymers delivers our subscribers a wealth of data on six major thermoplastic resins in North America, Western Europe and Asia. In the first week, you will receive the spot and contract prices, quarterly price forecasts and extensive commentary on key market analytics covering the entire supply chain. Around the third week of each month, clients receive a supplement containing data and intelligence on economics, quarterly supply & demand balances and trade.

At month’s end, the clients will receive the month’s ending price index for the major covered products.


Global PET Stream Offers Weekly Price Updates and In-Depth Monthly Market Analysis for the Entire PET Bottle Resin Chain (Paraxylene, PTA, MEG and PET) in Asia, Western Europe and the United States.

Stakeholders involved in the PET stream need access to the latest data on its numerous refining, aromatic and olefin components, all of which are highly global in character. Difficult choices entail knowledge of contract versus spot pricing, reduced production versus export sales and inventory build versus price risk.

Global PET Stream, run by a team of dedicated consultants, helps you understand the ramifications of these trade-offs so you can make sound production, buying and investment decisions. Through continual, personal interaction with key industry sources, chemical consultants will gather, format and analyze the data and transform it into valuable insights and forecasting advice.


Global Engineering Resins Provides a Comprehensive View of World Markets for Seven Major Engineering Resins and their Ties to Upstream and Downstream Sectors.

We have a dedicated team of experienced consultants and database experts covering the global Engineering Resins market, Global Engineering Resins offers the industry’s most concise package of analysis, interpretation and forecasting. You will receive a monthly Global Engineering Resins Report that provides the price indices in North America, Western Europe and the Asia Pacific for the seven categories of Engineering Resins. You will also receive extensive monthly market analysis, price and margin forecasts, as well as the key market fundamentals coverage.


China Polyolefins Provides a Comprehensive View of the Chinese Markets for Polyethylene (HDPE, LDPE, LLDPE) and Polypropylene and their Relationships with Upstream Feedstocks and Downstream End-use Markets.

The highly dynamic and volatile nature of the polyolefin market requires stakeholders to have reliable, impartial data on the entire value stream to make informed business decisions. China Polyolefins provides an all-encompassing analysis of the Chinese polyethylene and polypropylene industry, from its upstream feedstocks to its downstream applications.

Through continual, personal interaction with key industry sources, chemical consultants hone their cutting-edge knowledge of arket forces and political developments to bring you the latest picture of the Chinese polyolefins industry. Subscribers will receive weekly and monthly reports (published in Mandarin) detailing data on prices, trading ranges, imports-exports, supply and demand and other major market fundamentals.


North America Polyethylene Provide a Comprehensive View of The Regional Market for these Major Thermoplastic Resins and Their Relationships with Upstream and Downstream Sectors.

It’s like having a “mini-retainer” with a plastics consulting company. The North America Polyethylene Report contained only a wealth of regional industry data on these major thermoplastic resins, but also real market insight.

Access to our market analysis, price forecasts and comprehensive database which provides both the short-term and strategic guidance. This report empowered our clients to maximize the potential of their purchasing spend and often return the annual cost of our Market Advisory Service. Let our practice save you time and resources by collecting and translating the data into valuable insights and forecasting advice.


North America Polypropylene Provide a Comprehensive View of the Regional Market for these Major Thermoplastic Resins and their Relationships with Upstream and Downstream Sectors.

It’s like having a “mini-retainer” with a plastics consulting company. The North America Polypropylene Report contained not only a wealth of regional industry data on these major thermoplastic resins, but also real market insight.

Access to our market analysis, price forecasts, and comprehensive database which provides both the short-term and the strategic guidance. This report empowered our clients to maximize the potential of their purchasing spend and often return the annual cost of our Market Advisory Service. Let our practice save you time and resources by collecting and translating the data into valuable insights and forecasting advice.

Companies along the Plastics and Polymers Chain

Accelerate your work with our customizable platforms, allowing you to manipulate our extensive data set to model different scenarios.

 

Financial Capital MarketAssess which companies might prevail

  • Find out where new investments are likely in the future across the plastics value chain
  • See which sectors may be winners or losers amidst the growing impact of recycle
Energy & RefiningUnderstand the downstream petrochemical markets

  • Follow short-term market fundamentals in plastics and polymers (supply, demand and trade)
  • See how demand changes in plastics may impact refined products demand longer-term
Cracker OperatorOperate facilities for maximum value

  • Track downstream supply/demand and trade activity to run crackers at optimal rates
  • See demand growth sectors as well as segments where recycling rates impact demand
Plastics ProducerUnderstand feedstock price movements and long-term market trends

  • See how energy and olefins cost changes will impact your margins in the short-term
  • Get a strategic industry outlook covering all major forecast trends and potential impact
ConverterSee the impact of increased recycling on the converting industry

  • A trusted source of spot/contract prices, providing historical and forecast price movements
  • See where long-term plastics industry demand (for virgin and recycle) growth is forecast
Brand Owner & RetailerFollow plastics and polymers prices and trends

  • Monitor plastics price trends to help you make data-based buying decisions
  • Plan for the future with the long-term supply and demand outlook, find new supply sources

Cutting-edge Research and Forecasts Necessary to Gain a Competitive Edge

 

Near Term Outlook – Market Analysis
Asia/Middle East/India plastics & polymersGlobal plastics & polymers
Asia polyethyleneGlobal vinyls
Asia polypropyleneNorth America polyethylene
China polyolefinsNorth America polypropylene
Europe plastics & polymersPET stream
Global engineering resins
  • Market prices, costs, and margins (historical, current, forecast)
  • Extensive expert commentary on prices, costs, margins, trade, market conditions, operational issues and future trends impacting markets
  • Quarterly supply/demand balances and trade flows
Long Term Outlook – World Analysis
ABSPolypropylene
Ethylene dichloridePolystyrene
Expandable polystyrenePolycarbonate
Nylon engineering resinsPTA/DMT
ParaxylenePVC resins
PolyesterVinyl chloride monomer
Polyethylene
  • Long-term supply-demand database updated bi-annually
  • Real time global capacity database
  • Detailed country-level trade grids updated bi-annually
  • 10-year forecasts for price, cost and margin updated quarterly
  • Upside and downside sensitivities
  • Strategic market assessments

Plastics & Polymers Global Team

Nick Vafiadis

Global Plastics & Polymers Team Lead

Read Bio

Brendan Dooley

Global Engineering Plastics

Read Bio

Joel Morales

Global Plastics & Polymers | North America Polyethylene & Polypropylene

Read Bio

Anthony Palmer

Global Circular Plastic Sustainability Lead

Read Bio

Utpal Sheth

Asia Plastics & Polymer Lead

Read Bio

Robin Waters

Global Circular Plastics Sustainability

Read Bio

Alan Wei

China Polyolefins (Mandarin)

Read Bio

Martin Wiesweg

EMEA Plastics Lead

Read Bio
Nick Vafiadis

Nick VafiadisGlobal Plastics & Polymers Team Lead

Nick Vafiadis is the vice president of the Plastics & Polymers business at Chemical Market Analytics.

He is a 30-year veteran of the chemical industry and manages Chemical Market Analytics’s global plastics practice.

Nick’s daily responsibilities encompassed analysis, consulting, and reporting on the global polyolefins market, as well as managing the operations associated with producing and developing the report. Concurrently, he contributed to single-client projects and studies related to the polyolefins industry. In his earlier assignments, he was responsible for consulting duties associated with the Chlor-alkali and vinyl product chain. He contributed to the Monomers Market Report, the Chlor-Alkali Market Report, and the Global Plastics & Polymers Market Report.

He has been with IHS Markit base chemical business (now known as Chemical Market Analytics), and its predecessor CMAI since 2002. Before joining CMAI, he had spent twelve years with Vista Chemical Company (now Condea Vista Chemical Company), where he held assignments in marketing, product management, and sales management in both the vinyl and surfactant business areas. Mr. Vafiadis holds a Management BBA from The University of Texas at Austin, United States.

Brendan Dooley

Brendan DooleyGlobal Engineering Plastics

Brendan Dooley is the Global Director of the Engineering Plastics service at Chemical Market Analytics

He has 30 years of industry experience in mostly commercial roles including business leadership roles across Europe and North America for global-scale producers of polycarbonate, ABS, nylon, PBT, and other engineering polymers. Brendan is a chemical engineer with graduate studies in economics and finance; he joined IHS Markit base chemicals business (now known as Chemical Market Analytics) in 2015 and has provided content for publications to Chemical Engineering News, Plastics Engineering, Chemical Week, and contributes to private client consulting projects about engineering plastics markets.

Joel Morales

Joel MoralesGlobal Plastics & Polymers | North America Polyethylene & Polypropylene

Joel Morales is the Executive Director at Chemical Market Analytics by OPIS, a Dow Jones company.

Joel joined the IHS Markit base chemicals business (now known as Chemical Market Analytics), in March 2013, covering Polyethylene (PE) and Polypropylene (PP) in North America. He is currently the service leader of three market advisory subscription services: The Global Plastics and Polymers Report, the North American PE Report, and the North American PP report. He has brought a wealth of industry knowledge to IHS Markit through multiple stints along the plastics value chain.

He began his career with polyolefins manufacturer, Solvay Polymers, which later became Ineos, in technical services and product development before he moved into field sales. After five years at Solvay Polymers, Joel moved into resin distribution sales for both Muehlstein and then United Polychem as a Product Manager, where he managed and sold polyethylene and polypropylene resins into various customer segments. In his most recent role prior to joining IHS Markit, Joel was a purchasing manager for Silgan Plastics, a major blow-molding, and injection molding plastics converter. Joel graduated from The Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1999 with a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering and a minor in psychology.

 

Anthony Palmer

Anthony PalmerGlobal Circular Plastic Sustainability Lead

Anthony J. Palmer is Vice President of Chemical Market Analytics (by OPIS, a Dow Jones Company).

Mr. Palmer is responsible for the Circular Plastics & Chemicals Sustainability business for the Base Chemicals & Plastics group. In this role, he coordinates the Research & Insight activities associated with carbon emissions and plastics reuse, reduction, and recycling. Special focus involves mechanical and chemical recycle technology & economics, plastic waste supply & logistics, company ESG initiatives and strategic responses to sustainability, and macro-industry implications.

Before his current position, Mr. Palmer managed the Chemical Consulting Group at IHS Markit where he directed engagements for clients with interests in the business, technical, and financial aspects of the energy, chemicals, and related process industries. His areas of interest included strategic business management, financial and acquisition analysis, technology assessment, capital project planning, manufacturing strategy, international project development, expert witness/litigation support, and material supply strategy.

Mr. Palmer’s consulting activities focused on helping companies plan and implement business and corporate development programs worldwide. He managed numerous assignments in Asia and Latin America relating to natural gas utilization and petrochemical complex planning. His experience also comprises business valuation, debt coverage, and due diligence assignments associated with financial transactions in the process industries, and has provided support in several commercial litigation matters involving process industry participants.

In addition to his current activities, Mr. Palmer is an Adjunct Professor of Management at Connecticut State University’s Ancell School of Business Administration where he teaches courses in Strategic Management using the case analysis approach.

Mr. Palmer was a Founding Director at CPI Consulting Associates, at which time the firm’s operations were merged into Chemical Market Associates (CMAI). In 2011, IHS Markit Inc. (NYSE: INFO) acquired CMAI and formed IHS Chemical, its third-largest industry vertical behind Energy and Transportation.

Previously, Mr. Palmer was a Principal at Chem Systems (Nexant) and started his career at Exxon Corporation. He holds both Bachelors and Masters Degrees in Chemical Engineering from Manhattan College, and an MBA in Finance and International Business from Fordham University.

 

 

Utpal Sheth

Utpal ShethAsia Plastics & Polymer Lead

Utpal Sheth serves as the Executive Director for Research and Analysis at Chemical Market Analytics

Mr. Sheth led the regional Plastics Team in Singapore. He brings with him extensive industry experience and knowledge of 28 years in Asia and the Middle East. As a part of his current assignment, apart from leading the Weekly Regional Plastics Service, he contributes to various Market Advisory services as well as supports various consulting activities as an expert in the Polyolefins business.

He joined CMAI (now division of Chemical Market Analytics) as Director of Polyolefins / PVC for the Middle East and Indian Subcontinent at our Dubai office in October 2007. In July 2014, he has relocated to Singapore to lead the Plastics Service in Asia – Middle East. Prior to joining CMAI, Utpal had worked in the Sales and Marketing functions at Petrochemical Companies in India and the Middle East.

He is a Plastics Engineer and Master in Business Administration (Marketing). Apart from English, he can communicate in Hindi and Gujarati.

Robin Waters

Robin WatersGlobal Circular Plastics Sustainability

Robin Waters serves as director of Chemical Market Analytics focused on planning and analysis for the advisory services that cover polyethylene and polypropylene.

Mr. Waters brings more than three decades of industry experience to his role as Director of plastics planning and analysis. His responsibilities at Chemical Market Analytics cover polyethylene and polypropylene, including support for both market advisory services as well as single client projects and studies related to polyolefins. He served as project lead for “Plastics Pathway to Sustainability”, the multiclient study on plastics sustainability issued in November 2018 and is project lead for “Changing Course: Plastics, carbon and the transition to circularity” an expanded multi-client study on plastics sustainability to be issues in 2020. Mr. Waters joined Chemical Market Analytics in 2012 as Director of Polyolefins-North America. Previously, he was with LyondellBasell in commercial mamagement roles in polyethylene and polypropylene for 15 years, including new business startups and third-party marketing agreements, regional sales management, strategic planning and contract management. He began his career at DuPont, initially as a business analyst for supporting the global elastomers business followed by technical, sales and business management assignments for a variety of films and resins in packaging markets. Mr. Waters holds a Bachelor of Science in chemistry from the University of Georgia and an MBA from the University of Miami, both in the United States.

Alan Wei

Alan WeiChina Polyolefins (Mandarin)

Alan Wei is the Executive Director at Chemical Market Analytics for the China Polyolefins team.

Alan joined IHS Markit base chemicals business (now known as Chemical Market Analytics) in 2021 as China Polyolefins’ Research and Analysis Director.

He has more than 14 years of experience in the plastics industry, working in leading producers and distribution companies, and holding a variety of responsibilities including sales, marketing, and technical management.

Martin Wiesweg

Martin WieswegEMEA Plastics Lead

Mr. Wiesweg is the Executive Director at Chemical Market Analytics

Mr. Wiesweg contributed to various consultancy projects since joining IHS Markit base chemicals business (now known as Chemical Market Analytics). Several projects consisted of a thorough and extensive market analysis of European polymer markets for potential suppliers. Also, Martin contributed to projects assessing competitive positions of polymers for associations of polymers.

Areas of Expertise

  • Market Due Diligence
  • Competitive & Market Analysis
  • Polymer Markets

Publications

  • Martin contributes to various market services, e.g. Global Plastics & Polymer Report, European Market Aromatics Report, and PET Stream Service. He also participated in annual world analysis studies, contributing his expertise in the European market and the polystyrene, expandable polystyrene, and PET product areas.
  • Presentations at various internal and external conferences, Chemical Market Analytics WPC, EPCA conference, and annual meetings of various European plastic associations in France, Italy, Germany, Benelux, and the UK. He is presenting also on PET recycling topics.

In 1989 Martin joined Huels AG as Product Developing Manager for flame retardant polystyrene and became Technical Service Manager in 1992. In 1998 Martin joined BP Chemicals as a result of the acquisition of Huels styrenics activities by BP. Within BP Chemicals he has had many different responsibilities in the commercial departments, e.g. as European Sales Manager for Polystyrene, Distribution & Export Manager, and Marketing Manager for polystyrene and EPS.

In 2005 Martin moved into the polymer JV Ineos Nova and became the commercial director for polystyrene specialties, responsible for the purchase, sales, technical service, and product development.

 

Learn More