Attack on Jubail Industrial City squeezes China PE supply, lifting prices

On April 7, 2026, an attack on Saudi Arabia's Jubail Industrial City disrupted global PE supply, which drove up Chinese PE futures and spot prices, with tight supply expected to keep prices high and may benefit China's chemical exports.

On April 7, 2026, Jubail Industrial City, a key global petrochemical hub in Saudi Arabia, came under attack, triggering an immediate supply shock, volatile market reactions, and profound long-term structural changes to the polyethylene (PE) sector. With an annual petrochemical output of around 60 million tonnes, accounting for 6-8%