Acrylonitrile Styrene Acrylate (ASA) prices fell in June 2025 across South Korea and the U.S., pressured by lower feedstock costs and weak demand from downstream sectors. South Korea faced sluggish housing activity and modest auto growth, while U.S. project slowdowns and rising input costs curbed buying interest. Global market pressures further weighed on sentiment, keeping ASA demand subdued.
In the South Korean market the price of the ASA witnessed a notable decline in June. This decline in the ASA price is majorly linked with the decrease in the price of the feedstock majorly Acrylonitrile which marked a notable decline of 1.63% from a month ago. Additionally the downstream market witnessed a subdued performance marked by an underperformance in the construction sector and lower overseas market demand. Additionally the major petrochemical firms are undergoing restructuring under due to major pressure from the Chinese, Japanese and the Middle eastern market. Moreover, the Automobile sector witnessed a nominal growth which was not enough to pick up the demand due to which the ASA price could not sustain the upward momentum and resulted in the decrement this month.
From the downstream market, the Automobile sector witnessed a 3.76% m-o-m rise and 5% y-o-y as per the major manufacturers sales figures. The continued weakness in South Korea’s construction sector, with the CBSI at 73.5 and a bleak July outlook of 70.4, is dampening ASA demand. A sharp decline in dwelling-related orders and tighter funding conditions are limiting residential project activity, where ASA is widely used. Despite minor gains in civil and non-residential construction, overall sentiment remains low, curbing new material intake and putting pressure on ASA consumption linked to exterior construction applications.
In the US market the ASA price witnessed a notable decline with reducing importing cost from the South Korean market. This reduction in the price is align with the lower demand from the downstream market like Construction and the Automobile sector. The U.S. construction sector in June 2025 showed mixed momentum for ASA demand. While employment rose by 15,000 positions—signaling improved labor availability and rising confidence—construction spending declined by 0.3% from April and 3.5% year-on-year, pointing to project slowdowns. For ASA, commonly used in exterior applications, this suggests only modest demand support. Broader industrial growth and inventory buildup hint at future material needs, but rising input costs from tariffs and supplier pressures may curb new ASA orders as project budgets tighten.
As per the ChemAnalyst anticipation the ASA price is expected to showcase bearishness in the upcoming sessions. This anticipation of price decrease in majorly linked with the anticipation of lower demand from the downstream market and the struggling petrochemical sector in the South Korean market to impact the exports volumes in the upcoming month which is expected to impact the ASA price in the upcoming sessions.
