Due to a combination of rising input (feedstock) costs and limited short-term supply, polycarbonate (PC) prices increased for the week ending 30 January 2026 in Asia. The continued increase in bisphenol A (BPA) pricing will also be applied to PC production, as both phenol and acetone have risen in price. Furthermore, planned maintenance shutdowns of key North Asian BPA manufacturers will continue to restrict supply and continue to drive up BPA pricing. These factors have created upward pressure on prices. Production rates for PC have remained stable, while inventories have continued to decline gradually. In terms of PC demand, there has been moderate demand from buyers (due to the holidays approaching), but all sellers have worked collectively to avert price decreases; as such, while downstream demand remains weak, pricing for PC will remain strong due to significant cost support.
The prices of Asian polycarbonate (PC) experienced an upward trend during the week which ended on January 30, 2026, because feedstock prices increased and essential producers in the region faced limited supply interruptions. The price rise occurred because sellers used their ability to control supply and active cost pressures to increase their price offers despite the weak demand from customers.
The main driver behind the weekly increase was the sharp rise in feedstock bisphenol A (BPA) prices across Asia. The BPA market entered an upward development phase during late January because supply became more restricted while higher costs provided support. The rising prices of phenol and acetone created higher production expenses for BPA which led sellers to raise their price offers. The traders showed strong confidence which supported prices and this improved trading mood led to higher PC production expenses.
BPA production capacities during the month faced restrictions because scheduled maintenance shutdowns created supply deficiencies. Lotte Chemical in South Korea operated its Yeosu Line 2 unit from January 12 to January 26 while shutting down Line 1 from January 12 to January 31 thus decreasing BPA production in the area. Formosa Chemicals & Fibre Corporation in Taiwan conducted its scheduled maintenance at the Mai-Liao complex from January 1 to January 28. The shutdowns established temporary system failures which created supply problems while enabling PC producers to charge higher prices.
The production levels of PC remained mostly unchanged throughout the second half of January. The second PC line at Zhejiang Petrochemical resumes operation on January 23 which raises operational capacity to 81% while weekly output surpasses 65,000 tons. The social inventories of the month reduced their stock levels which kept production and sales pressure within safe limits. The moderate supply support for PC prices from the supply side experienced no major restrictions.
The demand conditions brought about steady support at low levels. The downstream PC processors continued their operations at less than average capacity while their end-users generated weak profits. The fulfillment of previous contract deliveries reduced supply shortages in particular areas. Following the price increase, buyers became cautious about purchasing, which resulted in their decreased interest for holiday inventory building. The market achieved price stability through coordinated price increase efforts by PC aggregation plants which stopped price decreases from occurring.
As per ChemAnalyst, Asian PC prices increased during the week because strong feedstock costs and BPA supply interruptions and seller discipline led to price increases. The market outlook for costs continues to support pricing even as demand stays at cautious levels. The PC market will enter a phase of price stability maintenance until the BPA costs start to decrease in the upcoming period.
