Current situation:
- Producer prices for HDPE pipe were up 3.3% M/M (up 3.4% last month) and were up 9.2% Y/Y (up 5.7% Y/Y last month). Plastic pipe fittings and unions were up 0.6% M/M (up 1.5% last month) and were up 2.1% Y/Y (up 1.3% last month).
Key factors that could affect supply or price:
- Pipe pricing, according to some producers, is at an all-time high. Availability is gradually improving, but all producers are still reporting holes in their inventories. Resin producers are expecting the global market to remain very tight through year-end, with no slippage in resin pricing. That said, there does appear to be some slippage in pipe pricing, but nothing widespread...yet. Some speculate that the reason pipe producers are starting to catch up on their inventories is due to distributors holding off buying, expecting a softening in the pricing, which you would think is going to happen as we head into the winter months when business historically slows.
