[Recycled PC Weekly Review] Weak Cost Support, Market Edges Lower

From July 3 to July 9, the center of gravity in the domestic refurbished PC market moved down slightly, with overall supply and demand remaining weak.

Price level: The price of transparent PC whiteboard scrap in East China is 10,860 yuan/ton, down 110 yuan/ton month-on-month; first-grade transparent recycled PC pellets are 13,920 yuan/ton, and black flame-retardant recycled PC pellets are 12,650 yuan/ton, with a week-on-week decline of 80-120 yuan/ton. On the cost side: the high hardness of PC makes sorting difficult, with a comprehensive processing cost of 940-1,020 yuan/ton; bisphenol A has fluctuated and weakened during the week, and the collapse of raw PC costs has dragged down the bottom support for recycled materials. The industry’s mainstream processing fee is 360-430 yuan/ton, and the industry’s profitability level has also declined.

Supply and Operations: The average operating rate of domestic recycled PC downstream processing enterprises was 33.7%, down 2.1 percentage points from the previous week. This week, two large modified PC plants in Southwest China conducted routine maintenance on their equipment, reducing regional supply by about 80 tons. The circulation of feedstock from automotive dismantling and optical scrap remained stable, with no shortage of supply. Weekly arrivals of imported recycled PC feedstock in South China totaled 0.28 million tons, down 0.05 million tons from the previous week. Downstream enterprises in auto parts, lighting equipment, and electronic sheet materials reduced operating rates due to the high-temperature off-season, making only sporadic purchases to meet rigid demand. Finished goods inventory at manufacturers stood at 12–14 days, with relatively high inventory pressure.

Transaction, Mindset, and Futures: Market transactions are primarily driven by existing customers' urgent replenishment needs, with new orders being scarce. The industry's pessimistic sentiment is rising, leading processing plants to actively reduce production and control inventory, unwilling to stock up and lock in prices. The futures market for bisphenol A and PC is experiencing fluctuations and downward pressure, further suppressing spot prices, with the negative sentiment from the futures market clearly transmitting.

Market outlook: In the short term, bisphenol A is expected to fluctuate at low levels, downstream demand is unlikely to recover, the recycled PC market will continue its weak downward trend, and processing margins will come under further pressure.

Note: The data in this article is compiled from publicly available information and is for market reference only. It does not constitute any investment or trading advice.