LDPE (Low Density Polyethylene) Price Trend and Forecast 2026-2027

Market Overview

New polyethylene capacity kept the LDPE market well supplied through H1 2026, and Germany, the highest-cost region, still eased just above 2.0%, slipping from near USD 1,120/MT in Q1 to about USD 1,098/MT in Q2. Globally, the average fell from close to USD 1,025/MT in Q1 to roughly USD 1,008/MT in Q2, a close to 1.7% decline. For H2 2026, a global average of USD 990-1,060/MT is expected, with ample supply continuing to offset any pickup in packaging and agriculture film demand. Global LDPE (Low Density Polyethylene) capacity now sits above 22 million tonnes a year, and roughly 4 million tonnes of that has come online across new Middle Eastern and US Gulf Coast crackers since 2024.

LDPE (Low Density Polyethylene) is made by the high-pressure polymerisation of ethylene, giving a highly branched resin prized for film clarity, flexibility, and heat-seal strength. Film for packaging and liquid bags takes the largest share of consumption, with agriculture mulch and greenhouse film, wire and cable insulation, injection-moulded housewares, textiles, etc. rounding out demand. The producers such as ExxonMobil, LyondellBasell, SABIC, and Reliance Industries have all added capacity over the past two years, and that supply overhang is the main force keeping LDPE (Low Density Polyethylene) prices soft even where downstream demand has held up. A tonne of LDPE typically requires around 1.02 tonnes of ethylene, so producer margins track the ethylene-to-LDPE (Low Density Polyethylene) spread almost directly.

LDPE (Low Density Polyethylene) Price Forecast for 2026

LDPE (Low Density Polyethylene) supply looks set to stay ahead of demand through H2 2026. New crackers in the Middle East and the US Gulf Coast continue to ramp toward full rates, and producers everywhere are running plants hard to defend volume, which keeps spot offers under pressure even as packaging orders tick up seasonally. The distributors expect the pace of new supply to slow after the third quarter, once the current wave of startups reaches steady-state output.

A further capacity ramp outpacing demand remains the clearest downside risk, pushing prices toward the bottom of the range. Should a sharp ethylene feedstock spike occur, or a producer wave of planned or unplanned outages, the market could tighten faster than expected on the upside. A secondary risk sits in freight, where longer Middle East to Asia routings following Red Sea diversions have added a modest cost to landed cargoes.

For the Quarter Ending June 2026

LDPE (Low Density Polyethylene) Prices Q2 2026:

• United States: USD 1,032/MT
• China: USD 948/MT
• Germany: USD 1,098/MT
• India: USD 1,055/MT

LDPE (Low Density Polyethylene) Prices in the United States

US LDPE prices averaged just above USD 1,032/MT in Q2 2026, down near 1.7% from just under USD 1,050/MT in Q1. Gulf Coast producers kept operating rates high through the quarter, and export offers stayed competitive against Asian material. Producer inventories built to their highest level in over a year by the end of June. The export terminals reported longer vessel queues as producers pushed cargoes toward Latin America and West Africa to relieve domestic storage.

Why did the price of LDPE (Low Density Polyethylene) change in Q2 2026 in the United States?

Gulf Coast plants ran at high rates, keeping spot tonnes freely available. The export offers stayed aggressive to move volume into Latin America and Europe. Film demand held roughly flat, giving buyers little reason to chase offers up. A newly ramped cracker on the Texas coast added incremental volume through May and June.

LDPE (Low Density Polyethylene) Prices in China

Chinese LDPE prices averaged near USD 948/MT in Q2 2026, down about 1.7% from about USD 964/MT in Q1. The domestic operating rates stayed high, and downstream film converters kept purchases on a hand-to-mouth basis. The traders noted persistently long positions across most coastal ports through the quarter.

Why did the price of LDPE (Low Density Polyethylene) change in Q2 2026 in China?

Domestic producers ran high rates, adding to an already ample supply pool. Film converters bought only what they needed, avoiding forward commitments. Weak downstream margins limited any willingness to pay up for material. A modest rebound in export orders to Southeast Asia offered only partial relief to the oversupply.

LDPE (Low Density Polyethylene) Prices in Germany

German LDPE prices averaged close to USD 1,098/MT in Q2 2026, down close to 2.0% from roughly USD 1,120/MT in Q1, still the highest among tracked markets. Soft construction and packaging demand only partly offset firmer energy costs, keeping the German price from falling further. Producers described order books as thinner than usual for the time of year.

Why did the price of LDPE (Low Density Polyethylene) change in Q2 2026 in Germany?

Packaging and construction film demand stayed soft through the spring. The import competition from the Middle East pressured domestic offers lower. A cooler than usual construction season in parts of Western Europe delayed some sheet and film orders.

LDPE (Low Density Polyethylene) Prices in India

Indian LDPE prices averaged just above USD 1,055/MT in Q2 2026, down roughly 1.7% from just under USD 1,073/MT in Q1. Monsoon-linked mulch film orders built slowly this quarter.

Why did the price of LDPE (Low Density Polyethylene) change in Q2 2026 in India?

Mulch film orders built slowly ahead of the monsoon planting window. Cheaper Middle East cargoes landed in volume, capping domestic offers. Housewares and wire insulation demand stayed steady but unremarkable. Port congestion at a major western Indian terminal briefly slowed the pace of import deliveries in May.

For the Quarter Ending March 2026

LDPE (Low Density Polyethylene) Prices Q1 2026:

• United States: USD 1,050/MT
• China: USD 964/MT
• Germany: USD 1,120/MT
• India: USD 1,073/MT

LDPE (Low Density Polyethylene) Prices in the United States

US prices averaged near USD 1,050/MT in Q1 2026, down roughly 3.7% from Q4 2025. New Gulf Coast volumes reached the export market, and film demand stayed muted after the holiday inventory build. The producers offered extended payment terms to move volume during the slower winter months.

Why did the price of LDPE (Low Density Polyethylene) change in Q1 2026 in the United States?

Fresh Gulf Coast export volumes added to an already long market. The buyers worked through inventory built before the holidays, delaying fresh orders. Colder than usual weather along the Gulf Coast briefly disrupted logistics in January without denting total supply.

LDPE (Low Density Polyethylene) Prices in China

Chinese prices averaged about USD 964/MT in Q1 2026, down about 3.1% from Q4 2025. Post-holiday restart of film lines was gradual this year, and the pace lagged the equivalent period in 2025 by roughly two weeks, according to converters tracking their own order books.

Why did the price of LDPE (Low Density Polyethylene) change in Q1 2026 in China?

Film converters restarted lines gradually after the holiday period. The producers kept operating rates high to defend market share, adding supply. Several smaller regional traders reported clearing older inventory at a discount to move working capital.

LDPE (Low Density Polyethylene) Prices in Germany

German prices averaged close to USD 1,120/MT in Q1 2026, down near 2.2% from Q4 2025. The construction activity stayed slow through the winter, and importers brought in competitively priced cargoes. The domestic producers matched import pricing to retain volume with long-standing customers. Rhine water levels ran low for much of January, adding a temporary logistics surcharge on barge shipments that several producers chose to absorb internally.

Why did the price of LDPE (Low Density Polyethylene) change in Q1 2026 in Germany?

Winter construction activity stayed slow, limiting film and sheet demand. Competitively priced import cargoes added downward pressure on offers. A mild winter kept heating-linked energy costs from adding meaningful pressure to production expenses.

LDPE (Low Density Polyethylene) Prices in India

Indian prices averaged roughly USD 1,073/MT in Q1 2026, down just under 1.6% from Q4 2025. The buyers waited for clearer signals on the coming planting season before committing to larger mulch film orders. The domestic producers kept output steady, matching the cautious pace of downstream buying.

Why did the price of LDPE (Low Density Polyethylene) change in Q1 2026 in India?

Mulch film buyers held back ahead of clearer planting season signals. Housewares demand stayed steady, offering only mild support. Importers quoted forward cargoes at a small discount to encourage early commitments from converters.

Quarterly LDPE (Low Density Polyethylene) Price Trends

Global LDPE (Low Density Polyethylene) prices eased steadily across the five quarters tracked here, moving from just above USD 1,140/MT in Q2 2025 to just under USD 1,008/MT in Q2 2026, a net decline of just above 11.6%. New capacity additions across Middle Eastern and Gulf Coast producers drove the broad slide, with the pace of decline moderating by Q2 2026 as some regions showed early signs of stabilising. The consistency of the decline across every quarter tracked here suggests a structural supply overhang, not a single seasonal dip.

What was LDPE (Low Density Polyethylene) Price in 2025?

LDPE (Low Density Polyethylene) prices eased steadily through 2025 as new polyethylene capacity reached the market faster than downstream demand could absorb it. The global average opened near USD 1,170/MT in Q1 2025 and closed about USD 1,055/MT by Q4, a full-year decline of close to 9.8%. The decline was gradual and broadly consistent quarter to quarter, without a single sharp break.

LDPE (Low Density Polyethylene) Prices in the United States in 2025

US prices eased from close to USD 1,180/MT in Q1 2025 to roughly USD 1,090/MT by Q4, a decline of roughly 7.6%, as Gulf Coast volumes built through the year. Two Gulf Coast expansions reached commercial output during the second half of the year, adding to the slide.

LDPE (Low Density Polyethylene) Prices in China in 2025

Chinese prices eased from just above USD 1,080/MT in Q1 2025 to just under USD 995/MT by Q4, a decline of about 7.9%, with domestic operating rates staying consistently high. The export volumes to Southeast Asia grew modestly, offering only limited relief to the domestic surplus.

LDPE (Low Density Polyethylene) Prices in Germany in 2025

German prices eased from near USD 1,230/MT in Q1 2025 to about USD 1,145/MT by Q4, a decline of near 6.9%, on soft construction and packaging film demand. Rising import volumes from the Middle East added further pressure through the second half of the year.

LDPE (Low Density Polyethylene) Prices in India in 2025

Indian prices eased from close to USD 1,140/MT in Q1 2025 to roughly USD 1,080/MT by Q4, a decline of just under 5.3%, as import competition intensified through the year. The domestic housewares demand stayed resilient even as film pricing softened.

How We Can Help

Expert Market Research: Your Source for Real-Time LDPE (Low Density Polyethylene) Price Intelligence

Expert Market Research tracks LDPE (Low Density Polyethylene) prices continuously across every major producing and consuming region. The team traces causation through ethylene feedstock economics, new capacity startups, and packaging and agriculture film demand cycles, etc. Contact Expert Market Research today for LDPE (Low Density Polyethylene) pricing data, bespoke market analysis, and strategic procurement advisory.