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Indicative price brief for Polycarbonate - Asia. Methodology: trade publications, broker reports, and industry sources reviewed by Nexchem. This is directional intelligence, not a regulated benchmark assessment.
CFR China and NE Asia polycarbonate general purpose and optical grade pricing. Chinese domestic PC capacity expansion analysis, BPA feedstock cost from benzene and propylene, LED display and 5G infrastructure demand, Covestro and SABIC PC capacity tracker, and 3-scenario price outlook. Published monthly.
Asian polycarbonate is another addition to the growing list of specialty polymers where Chinese capacity additions since 2021 have outpaced demand growth - PC at USD 2,240 per metric tonne CFR China is down 7.0% year on year as Covestro Shanghai, Wanhua PC, and Idemitsu Chemicals China collectively bring on capacity faster than 5G infrastructure, LED display, and automotive glazing demand can absorb it.
Asian polycarbonate supply is dominated by Chinese domestic producers who have expanded capacity aggressively since 2021. Covestro at Shanghai with approximately 380 KT per year, Wanhua PC at Yantai with approximately 300 KT per year, Idemitsu Chemicals at Guangzhou with approximately 240 KT per year, and a cluster of smaller Chinese producers collectively account for approximately 3.2 million MT per year of Chinese nameplate PC capacity. The PC production route requires BPA - produced from benzene and propylene via cumene - and phosgene, with integrated BPA-PC production common at Covestro and SABIC sites. BPA pricing rising from benzene and propylene cost elevation is partially offsetting the PC price decline by increasing production cost. Demand for Polycarbonate in Asia is structured across multiple end-use segments with differentiated price sensitivity, from commodity polymer and rubber applications to specialty chemical intermediates where performance requirements limit substitution and create defensible pricing above commodity benchmarks. GP Grade Utilisation at 58% - Chinese PC nameplate capacity has grown from approximately 1.8 million MT per year in 2021 to an estimated 3.2 million MT per year in 2026, with Wanhua PC at Yantai, Covestro Shanghai, and Idemitsu Chemicals Guangzhou representing the largest capac. In the current 2026 supply and demand environment, Polycarbonate pricing in Asia reflects both structural market conditions and active geopolitical supply chain disruption.
The IMF confirmed in March 2026 that the closure of the Strait of Hormuz had disrupted approximately 20% of global seaborne oil and LNG supply. For Asian polycarbonate, the Hormuz disruption has a limited direct impact on pricing. Chinese domestic PC production uses Chinese domestic BPA feedstock produced from Chinese benzene and propylene, which are modestly affected by Middle Eastern aromatics import disruption but not severely so. The rising BPA feedstock cost is providing some production cost support that partially offsets the structural oversupply price pressure, but the dominant pricing variable remains Chinese domestic capacity utilisation at 58% GP grade utilisation rather than any supply chain disruption from Middle Eastern geopolitics. PC Growth Markets - 5G base station antenna covers, LED display backlight diffuser plates, and data centre server fan shrouds are the fastest-growing PC demand applications in Asia at approximately 12% to 14% per year.
The paid report is a professionally formatted PDF with structured sections, colour-coded grade price tables, alert boxes, capacity atlas tables, a 3-scenario price outlook, and analyst cards. The accompanying Excel file contains all price data in editable format for direct integration into procurement models.
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Every Nexchem Intelligence price report includes field-level analyst commentary covering supply shortages, qualification timelines, geopolitical friction, and pricing pressure - not generic market narrative. Nexchem analysts are active in the market and attribute all field intelligence to verifiable primary sources.
The paid report includes full scenario assumptions, quarterly price ranges for Q3 2026, Q4 2026, and Q1 2027, probability weighting for each scenario, and a procurement recommendation tailored to each case - covering what to do if the bull case materialises, what to hedge in the base case, and how to protect exposure in the bear case.
The IMF confirmed in March 2026 that the closure of the Strait of Hormuz had disrupted approximately 20% of global seaborne oil and LNG supply. For Asian polycarbonate, the Hormuz disruption has a limited direct impact on pricing. Chinese domestic PC production uses Chinese domestic BPA feedstock produced from Chinese benzene and propylene, which are modestly affected by Middle Eastern aromatics import disruption but not severely so. The rising BPA feedstock cost is providing some production cost support that partially offsets the structural oversupply price pressure, but the dominant pricing variable remains Chinese domestic capacity utilisation at 58% GP grade utilisation rather than any supply chain disruption from Middle Eastern geopolitics.
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