# High-density polyethylene: Trading

Why traders use LLDPE futures as a stand-in

Source page: https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/hdpe/trading/

What this tab covers How it is bought and sold: buyers and sellers, price benchmarks and who publishes them, exchanges, contract types, traders, how Indian buyers price it, recent price points, and good sources to follow.

#### Who buys, and where

- Saudi Arabia, UAE and Qatar
- US Gulf
- Singapore and Korea

#### Who sells, and from where

- China
- India
- Southeast Asia
- Africa
- Turkey
- Latin America

#### Price benchmarks

| Benchmark | Publisher | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| **HDPE film, blow moulding, injection CFR Far East Asia / South Asia** | S&P Global Platts, Polymerupdate | spot, weekly |
| **HDPE CIF India (Middle East origin)** | ChemOrbis | spot, weekly |
| **US HDPE contract (blow moulding, injection)** | ICIS, CDI | monthly contract, c/lb |
| **NWE HDPE** | ICIS, Platts | monthly contract and spot |

#### Exchanges

| Venue | Contract | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| **Dalian Commodity Exchange** | LLDPE futures (5 t) | no liquid HDPE futures; LLDPE futures used as a PE proxy |

#### Contract types

- Producer list prices with fortnightly revisions
- Spot import cargoes in containers
- Term supply to pipe and bottle makers with monthly formula pricing

#### Traders and distributors

- Vinmar
- Mitsui
- Mitsubishi Corporation
- Marubeni
- Itochu
- Sinochem

#### How Indian buyers price it

- Domestic producers (Reliance, GAIL, IOCL, HMEL, OPaL) set ex-works list prices against CFR India import parity plus duty.
- Grade spreads matter: pipe (PE100) and blow-moulding grades price separately from film and raffia.
- The BIS quality-control order on PE (Jan 2024) was rescinded in Nov 2025 (CareEdge 2025).

#### Recent price points

| Date | Price | Basis | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 2024 | **$920-960/t** | HDPE film CIF India, Middle East origin | ChemOrbis, 11 Dec 2024 |
| 6 Aug 2025 | **$945/t** | HDPE film CFR South Asia | Platts via S&P Global, Jan 2026 |
| 3 Dec 2025 | **$830/t** | HDPE film CFR South Asia | Platts via S&P Global, Jan 2026 |
| 28 Jan 2026 | **$865/t** | HDPE film CFR South Asia | Platts via S&P Global, Jan 2026 |
| 19 Aug 2026 | **$1,220-1,260/t (film); $1,210-1,250/t (blow moulding)** | CFR India | Polymerupdate, 19 Aug 2026 |
| 19 Aug 2026 | **$1,070-1,100/t** | HDPE film CFR Far East Asia | Polymerupdate, 19 Aug 2026 |

#### Good sources to follow
[ChemOrbis plastics news](https://www.chemorbis.com/en/plastics-news)freemium research site · ChemOrbis

Weekly Asian, Indian and Turkish polymer prices and sentiment
[Polymerupdate](https://www.polymerupdate.com)freemium research site · Polymerupdate (Mumbai)

Daily CFR South Asia polymer assessments and Reliance/IOCL list price changes
[Argus market opinion and analysis blog](https://www.argusmedia.com/en/news-and-insights/market-opinion-and-analysis-blog/polyolefins-market-outlook-pe-pp-trends)free blog · Argus Media

Polyolefin capacity waves, operating rates and closures
[Polimerica](https://polymeric.polimerica.it)free newsletter · Polimerica (Italy)

European plastics industry, Plastics Europe data and recycling projects
[Recycling Today](https://recyclingtoday.com)free research site · GIE Media

Mechanical and chemical recycling projects and capacity

## Other sections

- [Summary](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/hdpe/index.md)
- [Overview](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/hdpe/overview/index.md)
- [Correlation](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/hdpe/correlation/index.md)
- [Production route](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/hdpe/routes/index.md)
- [Production](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/hdpe/production/index.md)
- [Feedstocks](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/hdpe/feedstocks/index.md)
- [Cycles](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/hdpe/cycles/index.md)
- [Movement](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/hdpe/movement/index.md)
- [Regulation](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/hdpe/regulation/index.md)
- [Characteristics](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/hdpe/characteristics/index.md)
- [Emissions](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/hdpe/emissions/index.md)
- [Relationships](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/hdpe/links/index.md)