In Dec 2025, prices of Acrylonitrile Styrene Acrylate (ASA) in the U.S. declined due to alleviating cost pressures, plenty of existing upstream supply, and lower construction-related end-user demand. Downstream market participants remain watchful, since there is no clear trend across many downstream sectors; however, the effect of trade developments and exchange-rate shifts has greatly helped to strengthen the downward price trend for ASA.
In Dec 2025, the trend for prices of ASA in the USA was bearish. The trend reflected changing conditions in feedstock economics and the price of imported ASA. During December, the price of Acrylonitrile rose 1.43% month on month. As a result of significant previous price declines, the rise in price was interpreted as a technical retracement rather than a structural recovery. Styrene prices also rose modestly due to the availability of enough feedstock for production, which made it difficult for ASA producers to raise their costs on to buyers. Therefore, producers of ASA in South Korea were unable to justify raising their offers to buyers at the cost side, thus allowing downstream buyers to negotiate a lower price when buying from an ASA producer.
The main reason for the decline in ASA pricing from a trade standpoint was the decreased costs that importing from the South Korean market caused. Due to the 1.91% appreciation of the South Korean won against the US dollar, effective export costs for South Korean suppliers were decreased, allowing for an increase in manufacturers' margins. This currency advantage gave South Korean exporters the ability to provided ASA cargoes to the US at competitive prices, creating price competition amongst exporters with domestic suppliers that were forced to conform to import price levels.
Sectoral demand conditions have been further impacted by weak prices for ASA in the United States. For December 2025, Auto sales in the Auto sector rose significantly from the prior month (up 14.72%) due to end-of-year promotions and inventory clear-out activities. In contrast, however, Auto sales have decreased relative to the previous year by 2.18%, demonstrating ongoing weakness in the auto sectors on a structural basis.
Contrary to construction demand, construction-related demand did not provide much of a lift. In December, builders in the USA saw a slight improvement in their outlook as seen by an increase in the NAHB/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index to a reading of 39; however, this was still well below the neutral level of 50. A high level of mortgage interest rates, limit on affordability, and high costs of both labor and materials have had a negative effect on housing related activities. The extensive use of incentives and price reductions (approximately 5 percent) coupled with low traffic from buyers has limited new construction starts and subsequently reduced the demand for ASA applications used in construction and Infrastructure related applications.
As per the ChemAnalyst anticipation, ASA prices in the U.S. are expected to remain under pressure in the near term. Adequate feedstock availability, competitive imports from South Korea supported by favorable currency dynamics, and subdued construction-sector demand are likely to cap any upside. While automotive demand may offer intermittent support through promotional-led sales, the absence of a strong year-on-year recovery limits sustained price improvement. Unless construction activity revives meaningfully or feedstock costs rise sharply, ASA prices are anticipated to trade at lower to stable levels through early 2026, with only marginal recovery potential.
