On a positive note, Asian plasticizer market may recover in September

Import negotiations in the Asian plasticizer market have reached an impasse amid widening bid-ask spreads.

Plasticizer sellers have been grasping for higher offers to protect their profits as raw material prices remain high, while buyers have been reluctant to make commitments amid falling prices in the Chinese domestic market.

Still, market participants are optimistic that the overall popularity of the Asian plasticizer market could recover in September, as import negotiations will heat up ahead of the traditional peak demand season at the beginning of the fourth quarter.

Demand for plasticizers is also expected to rise in early October ahead of China's National Day holiday, one seller said. One producer said: "As we enter September, the market is optimistic about the negotiations and demand will increase. When prices fall, no one buys, because everyone thinks prices will fall further. But when prices start to rise, everyone will be eager to buy."