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With no determined outlook for the end of the current supply disruptions caused by the conflict in the Middle East, nearly all US PE producers have announced increases for April that range between 20.0 and 30.0 cpp, after a flurry of revisions. Most letters to customers stipulated the April increases are in addition to those already announced or implemented for March. Also, some added that specialty grades would be subject to increases of different amounts.

The country will function as a testing ground where different approaches to addressing plastic waste can be implemented and evaluated. Insights gained from these efforts are expected to inform broader international strategies, potentially allowing successful practices to be adapted and applied in other regions.

Brazil has approved five-year antidumping duties on polyethylene (PE) imports from the United States and Canada, maintaining them at the levels initially introduced on a provisional basis in August 2025. Although the technical findings following the investigation pointed to higher dumping margins—especially for US shipments—the Government Chamber (Camex) elected not to increase the duties. Officials explained that maintaining the lower rates was a deliberate decision to avoid placing excessive financial pressure on downstream industries that rely on plastic resins.

EVA producers and converters have certainly had hands full in recent months navigating solar trade wars and weak demand, but an actual war raging in the Middle East has turned everything upside down. Prices of all polymers, including EVA, have shot up across the globe starting from the first week of March. In North America, EVA pricing is entering a period of sharp upward movement. Prices are expected to increase by hundreds of dollars per ton in the near term, reflecting a rapid change in market dynamics. Within just two weeks, many converters have shifted from purchasing EVA on a hand-to-mouth basis, anticipating continued downward pressure seen through most of 2025, to actively securing volumes in advance to ensure supply. With Asian EVA producers unable to entertain export orders, even limited import volumes are no longer available as a backstop, contributing to further domestic supply constraints and reinforcing upward price pressure.

Escalating geopolitical tensions involving Iran and the disruption of shipping through the Strait of Hormuz have quickly exposed the vulnerability of global petrochemical markets. While crude oil and LNG markets initially captured the spotlight, the consequences for polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP) are becoming increasingly visible as feedstock flows and polymer logistics are disrupted.

Budget 2026 measures and long-term market trends are converging to make India's footwear sector one of the most compelling growth stories for EVA demand.