Plastic Resin Price Trends: The Plastic Injection Industry After the US-Iran Conflict
| “Plastic is a raw material found in virtually every industry in one way or another. The reason plastic resin costs have been rising is that they are rooted in crude oil prices, and even as the conflict situation begins to ease, the key question remains: “”Will prices return to where they were?”” This is a major concern being closely watched across the plastics industry. As of today, April 18, 2026, following the easing of the conflict, plastic resin prices show a tendency to slow down, but they remain at a high level compared to the costs seen earlier in the year. During the height of the conflict, plastic resin prices rose by more than 70%, and a market shortage occurred. As a result, current prices remain stable but still elevated, and this situation is likely to persist for at least 2-3 months until oil and energy transportation returns to normal. Manufacturer’s Perspective: What to Expect For the plastics market, plastics industry, and plastic injection factories, the situation can still be described as in the danger zone. Stocking up on plastic resin in 2026 may push production costs above what the market can bear in selling prices. Many plastic factories may face shortages and be forced to halt production because they cannot absorb the rising costs. This is a dangerous situation — plastic injection factories that have sufficient working capital and old resin stock from before may avoid the worst of it, but those without adequate reserves could face serious problems, in the worst case having to shut down operations and production entirely. Consumer’s Perspective: What to Expect For everyone, regardless of industry, shortages of certain goods and sharp price increases are inevitable. Plastic is embedded in virtually every industry — household items, packaging, even automotive parts. Simply put, prices will rise, meaning more money will be needed to buy the same items as before. Overview of the Thai Economy Even though plastic resin is currently a price-controlled commodity under government regulation, the first round of price increases — as high as 70% — will certainly affect the overall economy. Inflation will rise, and an economic downturn is likely to follow. Factories that cannot bear the cost burden will be forced to close, creating a ripple effect that leads to job losses for workers, and normal spending patterns will change. It’s likely that everyone will need to tighten their belts and spend only on essential goods. This impact will become a chain reaction extending to other industries — higher costs and lower consumer demand will create an economic slowdown. This situation will have long-term effects until energy prices stabilize and the market finds a new equilibrium. Personal Advice from a Plastic Injection Factory to Consumers Honestly speaking, at this time many plastic injection factories are facing increased costs, but many of them still have resin stock from before, so they may be able to hold prices steady for a while longer. However, once that old stock runs out, prices will certainly need to be adjusted to reflect the higher costs. So if there are essential items or things you need to buy, now is a good time to do so. For example, if you run a manufacturing facility with a warehouse that requires plastic boxes, plastic crates, or pallet boxes for organizing goods, investing in these items now is a good idea — better than risking the near-certain price increases for plastic crates in the future. LWNLife is a manufacturer of plastic products, including storage boxes, plastic crates, delivery baskets, parts boxes, plastic tables, plastic chairs, plastic baskets, and pallet boxes. We are a large, fully integrated factory covering everything from 3D product design to mold-making with CNC machines, with injection molding machines ranging from 80T to 3000T. We offer contract injection molding and custom product design services. LWNLife products are sold at HomePro and Megahome nationwide across Thailand, as well as online via Line, our website, Shopee, Lazada, and TikTok.” |
