Houston (Platts)--18Nov2010/655 pm EST/2355 GMT
Even though demand in the Mexican domestic market was not heated, Pemex raised polyethylene offers by 4% to 4.5% today, a company source said. "The movement was only done in order to keep up with the rising raw material in the US," the source said. "Demand is not so heated now, and we believe it's because the customers don't want to close the year with inventories." HDPE blowmolding and LLDPE butene had the largest increase of 4.5% compared to last week. HDPE blowmolding offers for $1000/mt was heard at 55 cents/lb FOB bulk Mexico City while LLDPE butene at 59 cents/lb FOB Mexico City bulk. HDPE injection and LDPE film offers for the Mexico domestic market for November went up 4% and they were pegged after the hike at 79 cents/lb FOB Mexico City bulk for LDPE film and at 56 cents/lb FOB Mexico City bulk ($1000/mt). The source also confirmed that everything was still going as planned on the Pemex HDPE injection plant in the Morelos Complex and in Coatzacoalcos maintenance shutdown. The maintenance started on November 8, and the plant is expected back on line on 15-16 of December. The Pemex HDPE injection production under planned maintenance has a capacity of 100,000 mt year. --Paulene Camargo, paulene_camargo@platts.comSimilar stories appear in Polymerscan. See more information at http://www.platts.com/Products/polymerscan