CLOVERDALE, CA, December 18, 2014-

Needlepunch and carded nonwovens producers in North America and Europe got another bonus this month in the form of a continued slump in polypropylene prices, and market sources say the trend isn't going to end any time soon. Staple prices in Europe dropped three to four cents for December while the declines in the United States reached five cents, and most observers think further erosion will happen in January and February.

While a specific month's price move can't be attributed directly to oil prices, market participants agree that the collapse in crude is driving PP's overall direction. And with the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries doing nothing to stop the slide - in fact, not unhappy with a decline that threatens profits on some US shale oil, according to some bloggers - the PP market seems to expect further declines.

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