India polypropylene producers lower offers second time in Aug amid poor demand

India's polypropylene producers reduced offers in the domestic market for the second time in August and also extended a price protection scheme for customers until August 31, citing poor demand, industry sources said late Monday. 

This follows a sharp decline in CFR South Asia prices, with PP raffia sliding $55/mt from July 29 to be assessed at $1,095/mt on August 12, according to Platts data. 

Reliance Industries Limited, Indian Oil Corporation and other major producers announced new domestic PP offers August 13 for September-loading cargoes, at around Rupees 81,000/mt ex-plant, which is equivalent to $1,105/mt on an import parity basis and down about Rupees 2,000/mt ($51/mt) from August 1 levels. 

"This is a down time as far as [PP] consumption is concerned," a major Indian producer said. "No deals have been heard in the last 5-10 day period, with the yuan [depreciation] crisis, and our own [Indian rupees] currency devaluation. No sentiment for buying," he added. 

The price protection scheme will cover domestic clients until August 31, whereby producers have agreed to refund the difference in purchase price if offers were lowered before the next scheduled offer announcement early September, according to industry sources. 

Indian producers generally issue fresh offers at the beginning of a month, unless prices move quickly enough to warrant a price correction during the month.