Composites/GRP December: Largely stable at year-end / January also likely to see only limited movement / Minor stimulus from stock replenishment
Despite the small price increase in the main precursor styrene, prices for ortho resins remained stable in December due to weak demand. This is scarcely set to change in January. Although the styrene contract went up by EUR 21/t again and slight restocking tendencies are likely to trigger some turbulence on the market over the weeks to come, PIE nonetheless expects an overall rollover, with at most very small upward price adjustments.
In glass fibre products, there was some movement in the market towards the end of the year – particularly for rovings. Large-scale purchasers exploited their market power and were able to achieve reductions of up to EUR 50/t, while small purchasers had to accept a rollover in most cases. Chopped strand mats, by contrast, were still under pressure from cheap Asian imports and reacted with falling prices. The few transactions so far known for the first quarter of 2026, as with resins, point to a carryover of the previous month’s settlements. Initial orders from processors to replenish inventories are likely to support price stability.
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