The global bisphenol A (BPA) market is currently demonstrating a mixed dynamics. BPA prices in two main BPA-producing regions, Europe and Asia, are moving upwards thanks to various factors. These factors include the increase in feedstock prices; tightening of the supply due to seasonal maintenance turnaround activities; production curtailments in Eastern China on the verge of the G20 Summit to diminish environmental pollution, to name just a few.
Bisphenol A (BPA): structure of the global production capacity by region, 2015
However, the demand from the main BPA-consuming sectors, for instance epoxy resins, remains subdued, which persuades many Asian BPA producers to run their BPA-manufacturing facilities at decreased capacity rates, sometimes as low as 50% (e.g. the BPA plant owned by Nan Ya Plastics in Mailiao, Taiwan). Most market players stick to wait-and-see attitude, keeping a close eye on recent market developments and complex industry interdependencies. However, general prospects for the BPA market in the mid-term future remain optimistic, with steady overall growth in various developing economies (which are the main drivers of BPA market) and the demand growth in the main downstream industries (forecasted growth rate in polycarbonate industry is 7%, in epoxy resins industry – 4%). Moreover, it seems that several peer-reviewed researches managed to mitigate the health hazard concerns associated with the use of bisphenol A, which is a very positive sign for the whole BPA market, though European regulation may still take a harsh stance on BPA usage.
An in-depth analysis of the world’s bisphenol A is available in this insightful research report “Bisphenol A (BPA): 2016 World Market Outlook and Forecast up to 2020”.