Commodities
Benzene: Margins may be hit
THE North-east Asian prices of benzene have increased from around $195 per tonne fob Korea in June 1999 to the current levels of around $420-440 per tonne. The rise in prices has been attributed to sharp increases in crude prices over th e last few months and a tight supply situation for benzene. At the same time, the demand for benzene has been particularly high from the US, where it is used as an additive in petrol. Higher prices of gasoline, which co-incided with th e start of the driving season in the US, have lead to a greater demand for benzene.

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