Polycarbonate price per pound: how PC is priced, general purpose to medical
Why PC follows BPA and benzene, why there is no monthly contract settlement, which grades cost more, who makes PC for North America now, and how to compare two quotes.
Updated October 2026
Request a QuoteThe short answer
There is no single polycarbonate price per pound. PC has no monthly industry-wide contract settlement like PE or PP. Producers and large buyers negotiate contracts privately, and the cost underneath follows bisphenol A (BPA), which comes from benzene and propylene by way of phenol and acetone. The grade matters as much as the market: general-purpose clear or natural PC usually sits at the bottom, and optical, flame-retardant, glass-filled, medical and custom-color grades often cost more. Many numbers online are sheet, recycled or overseas per-ton prices, so send your grade, quantity and ship-to city for a real quote.
What moves polycarbonate prices
PC sits at the end of a longer chain than PE or PP. BPA is the main raw material, and BPA follows phenol and acetone, which follow benzene and propylene. Supply, demand and imports decide the margin on top.
- Benzene first. Benzene is the biggest single cost driver for PC. In a late-September 2026 report, Plastics Technology quoted a resin consultant saying U.S. PC pricing was tracking benzene closely.
- Acetone and phenol. A cumene plant makes both together, so a shortage or glut of either changes what BPA costs. Phenolic resins, solvents and acrylic monomer compete for them too.
- BPA itself. PC uses roughly two thirds of the world’s BPA, and epoxy resins most of the rest. BPA outages and closures change what PC plants pay.
- Asian capacity. Large additions, mostly in Asia, have left the world with more standard PC capacity than it uses, and Covestro said in October 2026 it expects that to persist. It weighs hardest on general-purpose grades, much less on FR, optical and medical.
- Storms. Covestro’s U.S. PC plant is in Baytown, Texas, on the Gulf Coast. Hurricane season runs June 1 to November 30.
- Duties, tariffs and freight. Duties, tariffs and ocean freight change what imports land at, and diesel and truck rates move delivered cost even when resin is flat.
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Each step has its own plants, outages and margins.
| Step | What happens | What moves its cost |
|---|---|---|
| Benzene + propylene → cumene | Benzene is alkylated with propylene to make cumene | Benzene and propylene prices |
| Cumene → phenol + acetone | Cumene is oxidized and split into phenol and acetone, in a fixed ratio | Demand for both products |
| Phenol + acetone → BPA | Two parts phenol condense with one part acetone | Phenol and acetone cost, BPA outages, epoxy demand |
| BPA → PC, phosgene (interfacial) process | BPA reacts with phosgene, made from chlorine and carbon monoxide; the main commercial route | Chlorine and energy, plus BPA |
| BPA → PC, melt (transesterification) process | BPA reacts with diphenyl carbonate (DPC) and phenol comes off for reuse. DPC itself can be made with or without phosgene | DPC, plus BPA |
| PC → your grade | Compounding with UV, release, FR, glass, color or a blend partner | Additives, UL listings, lot size |
Simplified. Producers run different routes, which is one reason two “equivalent” grades can mold differently.
Who makes PC for North America, and what changed in 2024–2026
U.S. polycarbonate resin is made mainly by two companies, and both changed hands recently. Imports fill much of the rest. A new owner does not change the polymer, but it can change paperwork, approvals and which plant runs your grade.
| Producer | What changed | What it means for buyers |
|---|---|---|
| Covestro (Makrolon) | Makes PC at Baytown, Texas, and compounds it at Newark, Ohio. XRG, owned by ADNOC, closed its takeover on December 10, 2025. On October 15, 2026, Covestro NV said it intends to cut Antwerp, Belgium, from four PC lines to one and stop making BPA there, pending employee consultation. | Brand and grade names unchanged. If you buy European-made grades, ask where they will come from. |
| NexPoint Materials (LEXAN, formerly SABIC) | Mutares completed its purchase of SABIC’s Americas and Europe engineering thermoplastics business in August 2026; it now operates as NexPoint Materials. U.S. PC sites include Mount Vernon, Indiana, and Burkville, Alabama. SABIC still sells LEXAN elsewhere. | New name on COAs, UL cards and FDA letters. Watch for grade or plant change notices. |
| Trinseo (CALIBRE, EMERGE) | Stopped making virgin PC at Stade, Germany, in December 2024, sold the PC technology and equipment to Deepak Nitrite for India, and now buys PC for its compounds. Filed a prepackaged Chapter 11 case on May 26, 2026, and said it would keep operating as usual. | Confirm your grade is still offered, and ask for notice if its base resin source changes. |
| Asian producers | Producers in China, Japan, South Korea and Taiwan added much of the world’s new capacity. | Imports can compete on general-purpose grades. Compare on delivered cost. |
Company announcements as of October 2026. Plans can change.
How PC is priced: private contracts, not a monthly settlement
No published contract settlement. PE and PP contracts move each month with a reported index or monomer settlement. PC has none. Large molders, sheet extruders and OEMs negotiate with producers, often by quarter or year, and terms stay private, so PC prices are much less transparent.
Letters still matter. Producers announce increases by letter, and the trade press reports how much stuck. In late September 2026, Plastics Technology reported that suppliers had nominated a 5¢/lb PC increase, but its consultant source expected prices to stay flat.
Smaller buyers. Most get a distributor price that moves when producer letters stick.
Grade sets most of the gap. Market moves hit every grade by a similar amount per pound; premiums for optical, FR, medical and color change less often.
| Piece of the price | What sets it | How often it moves |
|---|---|---|
| Base resin (general-purpose PC) | BPA cost, producer increase letters, import competition | When a producer letter sticks, or at contract renewal |
| Grade premium | Optical, FR, UV, medical, high-heat or low-temperature impact package | When you change grades, or at renewal |
| Compounding and color | Glass, FR, color match and blend partner, plus run size | When you change grades or lot size |
| Packaging, freight and handling | Gaylord, 55 lb bags or octabins, and distance to your dock | Every order |
A simplified picture. Contract terms differ by producer and buyer, and the details are private.
Who reports PC and BPA prices
The numbers are sold by subscription and we do not reprint them. This is who publishes what, so you know what a supplier or a contract is quoting.
| Source | What it is | What buyers use it for |
|---|---|---|
| S&P Global Energy (Platts) | Price reporting service. U.S. Gulf Coast PC spot assessments (FOB, cents per pound, clear extrusion and injection grades) and a U.S. BPA assessment, published daily from April 2024 and weekly since February 3, 2026. | Spot direction for general-purpose PC and BPA. With no U.S. deals, Platts may net back from China prices. |
| ICIS | Price reporting service, part of RELX. | PC price reports and news for the U.S., Europe and Asia, including Chinese domestic spot prices |
| Plastics Technology | Trade magazine with a free monthly resin price outlook | Direction and size of recent PC moves |
| Resin Technology Inc. (RTi) | A resin purchasing consultancy that advises buyers, not a price reporting service. | Outlooks and contract advice; quoted in the trade press |
| Asian spot and export offers | Per metric ton offers at Asian ports | Where import competition sits, not a U.S. delivered price |
Spot assessments cover general-purpose clear grades in volume, not FR, optical or medical grades in gaylords.
General purpose, optical, FR, glass-filled and medical: the usual price order
PC grades tend to sit relative to general-purpose PC as shown below. The gaps are not fixed. Read it as where each type tends to sit, not a ranking or a price list.
| PC type | Where it often sits | Why |
|---|---|---|
| General-purpose clear or natural, medium flow | The base of the PC ladder and what spot assessments track | Most plants, most volume, most import competition |
| High-flow, sheet and blow-molding (branched) grades | Usually near general purpose; branched grades can carry a small premium | Branched grades come from fewer lines |
| UV-stabilized grades | Often a small step above general purpose | UV absorbers add cost |
| Opaque colors and custom color match | Often above natural or clear, more so in small lots | Pigment, a compounding step, small lots |
| Optical and lens grades | Often above general-purpose clear | Tighter yellowness, haze and speck control, special packaging |
| Flame-retardant (UL 94 V-0 or V-2) | Often well above general purpose, highest for thin-wall V-0 and clear FR | FR package and UL listing by grade, color and thickness |
| Glass-filled, 10–40% | Often above unfilled PC per pound | Glass and compounding. Higher density, so compare per part |
| Medical grades | Often among the highest | Biocompatibility data, change-notification commitments, small lots |
| High-heat PC copolymers | Toward the top of the ladder | Special comonomers, few producers (Covestro’s APEC, for example) |
| PC/ABS | Usually below straight PC and above ABS | Part of the PC is replaced by ABS |
| PC/PBT and PC/PET | Varies by blend, often near or above general-purpose PC | Specialty compounds with fewer suppliers |
General patterns, not a rule. See polycarbonate grades and clear polycarbonate by melt flow.
- Pay for optical only where light goes through. A lens in general-purpose clear often costs more in rejects than it saves.
- Check whether PC is needed at all. If the part is opaque and runs cooler, PC/ABS often costs less; see PC vs. PC/ABS. If it is clear and will not be hit hard, acrylic usually costs less per pound; see PC vs. acrylic. For cracking near chemicals or other switches, see polycarbonate alternatives.
Why “polycarbonate price per pound” results look wrong
Many PC numbers online are not prime molding resin. Some are finished sheet priced per sheet or square foot. Some are per-ton offers at Asian ports, recycled regrind, or index averages retold without grade or delivery basis. None is a delivered price for prime pellets on your line.
| Form | What it is | Can you run it? | Where it often sits on price |
|---|---|---|---|
| PC sheet | Extruded sheet sold by the sheet or square foot | No, it is a finished product | Far above resin per pound, and not comparable |
| Regrind or flake | Ground scrap such as sheet trim or water bottles | Only on lines set up for it | Lowest per pound |
| Reprocessed (repro) pellets | Scrap melted, filtered and repelletized, often dark | Yes, for dark parts that tolerate wider MFR | Often below prime |
| Certified PCR grades | Grades with stated post-consumer content, such as Covestro’s Makrolon R, up to 90% | Yes, with its own data sheet | Often near or above prime; supply is limited |
| Wide-spec or off-grade virgin | Outside the grade window, often MFR or color | Yes, if your part tolerates the variation | Below prime |
| Prime virgin pellets | In-spec resin under the grade name with a lot COA | Yes | The baseline for a spec’d part |
Mass-balance grades with attributed bio-based or recycled feedstock are priced on their own and are not the same as PCR content.
- Related reading. How recycled resin is priced, prime vs. off-grade and when a customer asks for recycled content.
What changes the price you pay, and how to pay less
- Order size. A truckload of gaylords sits closest to a producer’s or distributor’s best boxed price. LTL gaylords and a single gaylord cost more per pound, mostly from freight and handling. Bulk is rare for PC. The full ladder is on the polycarbonate page and in gaylord vs. LTL vs. truckload.
- Packaging. PC pellets run about 40–45 lb/ft³, so a PC gaylord often nets in the upper half of the 1,000–1,600 lb range. Optical, medical and colored grades often come in 55 lb (25 kg) bags, which cost the most to pack and handle.
- Freight, FOB and delivered. An FOB price stops at the named point and freight is extra. Put every quote on a delivered basis at your dock.
- Imports. Imported PC is sometimes priced lower, but often comes in 25 kg bags or octabins, with a longer lead time and duties or tariffs that change. Ask whether they are included.
- Grade and paperwork. Optical, FR, medical, color and glass all move the price, and so does the documentation you need.
- Ways to pay less. Buy a truckload instead of single gaylords if you have room. Accept imported resin for general-purpose parts. Use PC/ABS or acrylic where the part allows. Ask about wide-spec, repro or surplus lots for opaque, non-critical parts. Each trades some certainty for price, so get the tier and the lot COA in writing.
- Payment terms and validity. Prepay and Net 30 carry different cash costs, and a price held for a day is worth less than one held for a month.
How to compare two PC quotes, line by line
Lay both quotes side by side and check each line. Then convert both to delivered cost per pound at your dock.
| Line on the quote | What to confirm | How it can mislead |
|---|---|---|
| Grade and producer | Producer grade name and current company name | A general-purpose price next to an optical or FR price is not a saving |
| Quality tier | Prime, wide-spec, repro or PCR, in writing | Repro with rising MFR can mean degraded polymer |
| MFR | Melt flow at 300°C / 572°F, 1.2 kg, with the producer’s spec range, or MVR in cm³/10 min | A blend’s melt flow at 260°C / 500°F, 5 kg is not comparable |
| Flame rating | UL 94 rating, thickness, color and UL file for that grade | A rating at 3 mm does not cover a 1.5 mm wall |
| Additives and filler | UV, release, FR type, glass % with ash on the COA | A grade without UV quoted against one with it |
| Price unit | Per pound, per kg or per metric ton | 1 metric ton is about 2,204.6 lb and 1 kg is about 2.2046 lb |
| Shipping terms and freight | FOB point or delivered, and liftgate, appointment and fuel surcharges | An FOB price looks lower until freight is added |
| Origin, duties and tariffs | Domestic or imported, and whether duties are included | Duties added at the border, or a long ocean lead time |
| Payment terms, validity and ship date | Prepay or Net 30, how long the price holds, the confirmed ship date | A price you cannot get on time is not a price |
| Documents | Lot COA, plus FDA letter, UL card or biocompatibility data for the grade and color | A data sheet in place of a lot COA |
A price far below every other quote is a warning sign, especially for FR or optical PC. See how to vet a resin supplier.
- Related reading. How resin is priced, how to vet a resin supplier and what to do when your price goes up.
How to time a PC buy
- Watch benzene and acetone. They lead BPA and PC. In 2026, Plastics Technology reported PC increases of 14–16¢/lb in April and May on higher benzene and acetone costs, then a 7¢/lb drop in July after benzene eased.
- Read letters as opening positions. Wait to see what the trade press reports as implemented.
- Plan specialty grades early. FR, optical, medical and custom-color grades are often made to order and can take weeks.
- Watch plant and owner changes. They can retire or move grades. Ask for change notification in writing.
- Keep a second source qualified. A qualified second grade is the best price protection for PC. See how to qualify a second source and allocation and force majeure.
- Get the monthly note. Our resin market notes say which way PC is moving and why, without prices. The October 2026 note has PC flat to firm.
How we quote polycarbonate
We do not post prices, because a PC price only means something for a specific grade, quantity, package and ship-to city. Send the grade you run, or its melt flow (300°C / 572°F, 1.2 kg), flame rating with thickness and color, glass content, UV and release needs, and any optical, food or medical requirement, with your quantity and ship-to city. A polymer chemist reviews every request and quotes that grade or a qualified equivalent. Orders start at one gaylord (about 1,000 to 1,600 lb) and run to truckloads; some optical, medical and colored grades come in 55 lb bags. Material ships from 22+ partner warehouse locations run by our supply partners, and every prime lot from our suppliers ships with a COA. Our standard terms are FOB the shipping warehouse, so send your ship-to city and compare on delivered cost.
Have a quote from another supplier? Send it, and we will price the same thing so you can compare.
Common questions
What is the price of polycarbonate per pound?
There is no single number. PC has no monthly published contract settlement like PE or PP. Prices are negotiated privately and move with BPA, benzene, producer increase letters and import competition, and your price also depends on the grade (optical, FR, medical, glass-filled or color), quantity, packaging and freight to your dock. Many online figures are sheet, recycled or overseas per-ton prices. Send your grade, quantity and ship-to city for a quote.
Why does polycarbonate cost more than ABS or acrylic?
PC comes from BPA, which takes several steps from benzene and propylene, and fewer plants make it. Per pound, ABS usually costs least, PC/ABS sits between, and straight PC costs more. General-purpose acrylic usually costs less per pound than general-purpose PC. Grade premiums can change the order for any one part, so compare on the grade the part needs.
Is optical or flame-retardant polycarbonate more expensive?
Usually, yes. Optical grades need tighter control of yellowness, haze and specks and special packaging, and FR grades carry an FR package and a UL listing by grade, color and thickness. Medical grades are often among the highest. Use them only where the part needs them.
What does BPA have to do with polycarbonate prices?
BPA is the main raw material in PC. It is made from phenol and acetone, which come from benzene and propylene through the cumene process. When benzene, phenol or acetone costs rise, BPA follows and PC producers announce increases. When they fall, buyers push back.
Did the Covestro and SABIC ownership changes raise PC prices?
Not directly. XRG, owned by ADNOC, closed its takeover of Covestro in December 2025, and SABIC’s Americas and Europe engineering thermoplastics business became NexPoint Materials in August 2026. Grade names carried over. What to watch is paperwork in the new company name and any later plant or grade changes, so ask for change notification in writing.
Is recycled polycarbonate cheaper than prime?
Sometimes. Dark reprocessed pellets and regrind often sell below prime. Certified post-consumer grades with stated recycled content often cost about the same as prime or more, because clean PC scrap is limited and testing adds cost. Qualify any recycled grade like a grade change.
How do I convert a per metric ton PC price to per pound?
Divide the per-ton price by about 2,204.6, since one metric ton is about 2,204.6 lb. For a per-kg price, divide by about 2.2046. Check the currency and delivery basis too, since many per-ton PC prices online are for Asian ports, not a U.S. dock.
If your grade is not listed, tell us what you run. We source commodity, engineering and specialty resins.
Get a price on your PC grade
A polymer chemist reviews every request, then matches your grade or finds a qualified equivalent and prices it.
What to send for an accurate quote
- The grade name, from any supplier, or a data sheet
- Color (natural, black or a custom match)
- Fill type and percentage, if any
- Melt flow, if you know it
- Quantity for this order and what you use in a year
- Ship-to city and state or province
Want a second price on the PC you buy?
Send the grade, quantity and ship-to city, or a quote you want to check. A polymer chemist reviews it and we quote the same grade or a qualified equivalent. We aim to send your quote within one to three business days.
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