Spot ethylene prices on a CFR Northeast Asia basis have been steadily gaining ground since mid-September, posting a cumulative gain of around $280/ton according to ChemOrbis Price Wizard. These gains have come even as derivative prices and energy costs softened. Over the same period, prices for polymers on CFR SEA basis fell 3.5% for LLDPE and HDPE film, 5.4% for PVC and 8.2% for GPPS. The rise in ethylene prices was also out of step with the prevailing upstream trends, which saw NYMEX crude futures decline by more than 20% while spot naphtha prices on a CFR Japan basis lost 4.3% over the same period.