Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS) prices in the USA rose in early February 2026, underscoring sustained demand momentum carried from January into the month. After a broadly balanced start to the year, mid-January softness gave way to a firmer tone as offtake recovered and buyers, especially core end users, maintained steady purchasing cadence ahead of seasonal production schedules. The demand mix remained constructive, led by the automotive sector and tech-driven industrial 3-D printing, with filament suppliers reporting resilience across key applications. Industrial printers now command a share of the polymer-extrusion market, reflecting expanding distribution channels and adoption of ABS. On the supply side, output and inventories stayed largely steady, with only modest inventory draws in mid-January that supported the late month rebound. The near-term outlook points to continued firming into the coming weeks, supported by sustained automotive demand, filament demand, and positive sentiment for chemical equities.
ABS prices in the USA rose 0.6% in early February 2026 as underlying demand momentum that built through January carried into the first week of February. Early January saw a broadly balanced ABS supply–demand backdrop with little price movement, while mid-January registered some mild pressure before offtake picked up in the latter part of the month. The ABS market entered early February with a firmer undertone, supported by sustained buying from core end users and improved market sentiment. Overall, the tone was constructive rather than volatile, with dealers and converters noting a steady cadence of orders ahead of seasonal production schedules.
ABS demand dynamics were led by the automotive sector and technology-led industrial 3-D printing, creating a clear contrast between strong and unreported weak segments. The automotive sector remained strong, with persistent pull-through sustaining resin offtake through the week ending 23 January 2026. Meanwhile, industrial 3-D printing and polymer-extrusion applications continued to expand distribution channels. Industrial 3-D printers running ABS filaments now command over 30% of the polymer-extrusion market. In contrast, there were no notable reports of softening in other major end-use segments during the period, leaving the demand picture skewed toward resilience across key applications.
On the supply side, production and inventories presented a largely steady ABS price profile. Early-month conditions reflected balanced supply and steady production levels, while mid-January showed mild easing of inventories that helped underpin the late-month recovery. However, Feedstock Styrene prices also showed an uplift in the first week of February 2026 supporting the current ABS price trend.
Weekly ABS price movements through January into early February illustrated the pattern behind the monthly firming. ABS prices were essentially flat through the opening weeks of January, declined around mid-month, then rallied through the week ending 25 January and extended gains into the week ending 30 January. As per weekly assessment data the late-January rebound registered roughly mid-single-digit tenths of a percent before the 0.62% uptick in early February. The sequence, a brief mid-month dip followed by successive weekly gains reinforced a constructive trend rather than isolated spikes, with buying interest concentrated among auto OEM-related buyers and filament suppliers.
As per ChemAnalyst, the near-term outlook is for continued firming into the coming week, driven by sustained automotive offtake, technology-led demand for ABS filaments and supportive equity market sentiment for some chemical names. Our analysts view the direction as up (firm) for early February 2026, although this outlook is based on current market trends and remains subject to market conditions, including any shifts in upstream feedstock fundamentals or unexpected inventory swings. With no seasonal disruptions flagged in the data, the balance of factors points to modest upside risk, contingent on continued demand flow from automakers and industrial printers.
