Graduating Into a Harder Market — May 2026 Resin Update

My son graduated from 5th grade yesterday. Watching him walk through that arch of balloons, one thought kept in my head, that what got him here isn't going to be enough for what's next.The same is true for resin buyers right now.April was the inflection month. The $0.30/lb PE increase that landed. The PP run-up. The benzene spikes that pushed nylon 6, polystyrene, and the rest of the aromatics higher. The cycle shifted, and the procurement strategies most teams built — they were built for a different market.In this episode, I run through the four major resins: PE holding flat but not safe, PP pushing June increases before May even settles, PA66 facing a structural capacity story that starts in July, and PVC — the first major resin to peak and turn, taken down by Chinese carbide-based export competition that overwhelmed domestic producer discipline before the increase could gain traction.The through-line: the teams navigating this well know their benchmark before the nomination arrives. Not after. The nomination letter is a claim. The benchmark is the answer. If you don't have the answer ready, you're reacting — and reacting is always more expensive.Subscribe for weekly market updates. If you're heading into a contract conversation and want a second set of eyes, reach out directly. No pitch. Just the conversation.What's covered this week:Why May "flat" in PE isn't the same as a soft market.PP: June increases already announced, TotalEnergies force majeure still active, Phillips 66 turnaround ahead.PA66: BASF's $0.16/lb May increase and why the Celanese Singapore closure changes the structural conversation now.PVC: the first major resin to peak and turn — what Chinese carbide-based exports did to domestic producer discipline.PS: benzene-driven cost push overriding soft fundamentals — and why you should still push back on polystyrene nominations pointing to demand.Contact Michael: [email protected] | 214-984-2977 ResinSmart | Powered by RTi Global | Since 1998