Plastic raw material pricing moves week to week, and a quotation that looks competitive can hide a resin grade that does not fit your process. This page sets out indicative plastic raw material price ranges for the four highest-volume thermoplastics - PP, PE, PVC and ABS - together with the commercial terms that decide whether a per-tonne number is actually achievable for your order.
What Moves Plastic Raw Material Prices
Resin pricing follows four drivers. Crude oil and naphtha set the cost ceiling for the entire polyolefin chain. Monomer supply and demand balances - propylene for PP, ethylene for PE, vinyl chloride for PVC, and the acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene chain for ABS - explain most of the spread between grades. Planned and unplanned plant maintenance in Asia, the Middle East and North America creates short-term tightness, while export freight and duty structure decide the final landed number. Because of this, most suppliers re-fix prices per order rather than per year, and buyers should treat any annual price list as indicative only.
Indicative Price Ranges by Grade
The ranges below reflect commonly quoted export levels for standard, undecorated virgin grades at commercial volumes. Treat them as a negotiation baseline rather than a fixed offer from any single mill:
- PP homopolymer and copolymer injection grades - roughly USD 1,000-1,300 per tonne, with melt flow indices of 8-25 covering most thin-wall and household moulding.
- PE film and pipe grades (HDPE, LDPE, LLDPE) - roughly USD 1,100-1,450 per tonne depending on density, melt index and pressure rating.
- PVC suspension and paste resin - roughly USD 850-1,050 per tonne for K-value 65-67 grades used in pipe, profile and calendered sheet.
- ABS extrusion and injection grades - roughly USD 1,450-1,850 per tonne, the widest range of the four because of feedstock volatility.
How to Read a Resin Quotation
Two quotes for the nominally same grade can differ by hundreds of dollars per tonne. Before comparing, confirm the specification behind the number: melt flow index or MFR range, density, additive package (UV stabiliser, antioxidant, slip), colour and pellet form. Ask for the certificate of analysis from the actual production lot, and check whether the price includes palletising, moisture-barrier packaging and export documentation. A quote that excludes any of these is not comparable with one that includes them, and the gap usually surfaces after the deposit is paid.
MOQ, Lead Time and Payment Terms
Most producers and traders quote virgin resin in lots of five metric tonnes per grade, with 10-20 day lead times for stock grades and 25-40 days for specialised compounds. First orders usually run on telegraphic transfer or letter of credit at sight; established buyers negotiate 30-60 day terms. Our plastic materials category lists the grades currently offered by listed suppliers, and our supplier directory shows which mills and traders hold the certifications your market requires. For background on grade selection, read our guides on PP material specifications and recycled plastic market trends.
