Ian Chisanll
Product Manager ‑ Polyolefins
Packaging Price Know-how
April 2026
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Overview
April has seen significant increases in all packaging polymers as we face a severe crisis in availability throughout the supply chain of flexible packaging due to the disruption in the Middle East, particularly the lack of transit through the Strait of Hormuz.
Feedstocks have risen significantly with C3 Propylene monomer contract up by the record monthly movement of €465 / MT. Monoethylene Glycol (MEG) and Paraxylene (PX), the building blocks of PET are up by €360 / MT and €250 / MT respectively.
In addition to increased feedstocks, production of PP and PET films is restricted as many converters in key production areas (Asia Pacific) are unable to source raw materials. Those that can are paying significantly more.
Monomer Price Movement
Feedstock
Price per Tonne
Change (contract) Since Last Month
C2 (Ethylene)
£1,388.85
£391.84
C3 (Propylene)
£1,275.65
£404.90
SM (Styrene Monomer)
£1,647.47
£408.38
Benzene
£898.62
£234.23
Brent Crude (monthly average)
£463.50
£86.62
Exchange Rates
€
1.15
$
1.33
€/$
1.17
Oil Prices
Exchange Rates
UK Economic Data
Topic
Item
Date
Change
Trend
GDP
Real GDP (Q on Q)
Q4 2025
£706,067
PMI
UK Manufacturing PMI
March 26
51%
UK Output
Manufacturing Index
Q4 2025
101.1%
Sales
Retail Sales (Y on Y)
February 2026
106.4%
Labour
Unemployment Rate
Nov 25 – Jan 26
5.2%
Prices
CPI (Y on Y)
February 26
3.0%
Prices
RPI (Y on Y)
February 26
3.6%
Interest Rates
Bank of England Base Rate
March
3.75%
Packaging Materials
PET
PET films are up significantly in price on raw material costs and limited availability. PET film grade resin prices are up at least 50% on late 2025 prices and these increases are passing through. Production of PET film is restricted as many converters are struggling to secure raw materials. Further increases are expected in the coming months.
BOPP / CPP
PP films are up significantly in price with Polypropylene pricing up by at least €1,000 / MT since the start of the year. BOPP pricing has directly followed this trend. 60& of the BOPP made in the world comes from Asia Pacific and they are facing severe shortages and price increases of raw materials. The Asia Pacific region relies heavily on the Middle East for feedstocks to produce their films.
Polyolefins Feedstocks
£/Metric Tonne by month
Sustainable Films
rPET is following the trend of virgin as demand is up significantly with more buyers looking to make the move as virgin costs increase rapidly.
Films based on Sustainable feedstocks (Bio and Bio Circular) are also up as the premiums rise in line with petrochemical derived monomers.
Insights
For further inquiries or additional information, please feel free to explore our Insights page for guidance and advice on key issues concerning the packaging industry.
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A trusted, go-to resource for over a decade, Packaging Price Know-how is produced by the experts at leading distributor, Plastribution with data from Plastics Information Europe.
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