Asian styrene monomer (SM) prices remained on the uptrend this week, sustained by tight availability in the region. A number of plants remained shut for turnarounds with few spot March and early April cargoes in the market. The outage of a Taiwanese and Korean cracker in mid-week sent SM prices on a bull run, amid concerns that the operations of SM plants llinked to these crackers could be impacted. Meanwhile, volatile energy values, with the Nymex crude futures trading in a wide range between $40-45/bbl, could not deter the SM price uptrend. Feedstock benzene and ethylene values were mostly unchanged at $400/tonne FOB Korea and $630/tonne CFR NE Asia respectively. However, SM prices shrugged off the dull performance of its feedstocks to breach $800/tonne CFR China this week. Inventories in the eastern China shore tank continued to fall, slipping below 50,000 tonne this week, from around 60,000 tonnes last week. Domestic prices surged from yuan (CNY) 6,000/tonne ex-tank last week to close at CNY6,350/tonne ex-tank. The strong uptrend in prices continued to mask the poor performance in the downstream styrenics sector. Demand for polystyrene (PS), expandable polystyrene (EPS) and acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS) remained lacklustre. Poor exports amid the deepening financial crisis in the US and Europe prompted talk that resins demand would unlikely improve in the first half of the year. With resin prices unable to match the SM price rise, some traders said SM numbers could begin to soften in the near term. Spot: Prices were mostly stable in the first half of the week. Buy-sell indications were heard around $750-770/tonne FOB Korea for April cargoes. Price indications were also cited around $745-770/tonne CFR China, LC 90 days, for H2 March/April lots. However, the outrage of a Taiwanese and Korean cracker in mid-week bolstered sentiment and sent prices higher. An inter-trade was heard at $782/tonne CFR China, LC 90 days, for a March arrival cargo. The cargo was then heard sold to an end-user at $790/tonne CFR China, LC 90 days. A 1,000-tonne bonded tank lot reportedly changed hands at $790/tonne, LC 90 days. In the second half of the week, speculation that the Chinese government would introduce a second stimulus package to help its economy achieve an 8% growth this year sent energy values up to $45/bbl. SM values caught the updraft and breached $800/tonne CFR China for the first time this year. An end-user was said to have picked up a 3,000-tonne parcel at $802/tonne CFR China, LC 90 days, for H1 April arrival. Another end-user bought a 1,000-tonne bonded tank cargo at $800/tonne, LC 90 days. On Friday, offers of H2 March/H1 April parcels were posted at $820/tonne CFR China, LC 90 days against buying indications at $790-810/tonne CFR China. A deal was heard concluded at $805/tonne CFR China, LC 90 days, for H2 March arrival.