PCI Nylon: „European Nylon Symposium 2013“ - Current developments and trends in the global polyamide market

Global Caprolactam (CPL) Capacity: Expansion Plans 2012 – 2015. Illustration: PCI Nylon

Current developments and trends in the global polyamide (PA) market, with a focus on their imminent consequences on Europe, will be examined at the "European Nylon Symposium 2013" due to take place on March 5 - 6, 2013 in Frankfurt/Main. Held for the 7th year in succession, this event will be organized by PCI Nylon, the market research and consultancy firm based in Bad Homburg.

After several years of considerable success, the polyamide industry is now looking at an uncertain future. Record margins and limited availability in key PA intermediates have initiated a massive wave of investment which – if it all happens – will push all PA products into massive excess. Even if all of these projects are not realised, the ones which are will be enough to significantly reduce the export opportunities which many European producers rely on to fill their assets. In anticipation of these changes, price fights have erupted across all regions as established producers battle for market share and position, with the result that margins for caprolactam (the monomer for PA6) have fallen -37%, and those for adipic acid (a monomer for PA66) have fallen -31% since the beginning of 2012. Prices in Europe for key PA intermediates are now at, or below, production cash cost and many suppliers are considering their options.

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While some in the industry believe that recent events are no more than a logical correction to the record prices of 2010/2011 and that more normal market conditions will resume in due course, others believe that structural change is underway and a substantial change in strategy and business approach will be required to succeed in this new environment.

The symposium is aimed at providing European PA industry executives with the information, understanding and insight they require to decide for themselves whether the current situation is temporary or permanent, and what options exist to respond to these events. To this end, the event programme will include lectures and presentations by experts from international consultancy firms, PA manufacturers and processors.

The full event programme for the "European Nylon Symposium 2013" is available at www.pcinylon.com. Online registrations for this 1½ day event held at the Frankfurt Hilton Hotel can likewise be made under that site´s "Nylon Symposia" heading. The symposium language will be English.

„American Nylon Symposium“
In addition to the above, the "American Nylon Symposium" organized at regular intervals by PCI Nylon will take place in Atlanta, Georgia, on March 21 – 22, 2013. In analogy to its European counterpart, this symposium will examine the global PA scenario with a U.S. focus.

„European Nylon Symposium 2013“, March 5-6, 2013, Frankfurt, Germany

PCI Nylon, Bad Homburg, Germany

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