The global spot weekly ICIS Petrochemical Index (IPEX) remained on a downward trend in the week to 13 October, despite higher crude prices following an escalation of the Middle East conflict and fears about its impact on supply. The spot IPEX index for northeast Asia was down 1.7% in the week, dragged lower by tepid demand following the Golden Week holiday in China and hit by weaker paraxylene (PX), styrene and polyethylene (PE) values.
Oil prices jumped by more than $2/bbl on Wednesday after tensions escalated in the Middle East amid the Israel-Hamas conflict following a blast at a hospital in Gaza that killed at least 500 people. Following the blast, leaders of Jordan and Egypt cancelled a summit with US President Joe Biden, who is travelling to Israel as part of efforts to prevent the conflict from widening.
Published by: www.icis.com
Aura Sabadus
27-Oct-2023
