Calcium stearate values in the U.S. advanced through January as buyers pre-positioned inventories ahead of spring construction and compounders increased production after year-end slowdowns. Early January export-region sellers lifted offers in step with a broader uptick for metallic stearates, narrowing import arbitrage into the U.S. and prompting shipments to lock volumes. Mid-month PVC extrusion restarts in Texas and Louisiana intensified additive drawdowns, while distributors reported faster turnover. By month-end Gulf Coast supplies tightened not due to outages but because of firmer pricing and pre-allocated imports limiting spot availability. Demand strength was centered in PVC and construction-related applications, with vinyl siding, pipe and window profiles driving restocking to prepare for spring workloads. The construction/PVC segment remained the main driver, while performance plastics and packaging contributed modest offtake as utilization recovered from December. Rubber and automotive demand held steady, providing a stable baseline.
