After three weeks of insignificant or no trades in the urea market, North African urea producers placed more than 300,000 tonnes with traders in the span of a few days but this spurt of activity is yet to translate to other regions. SEE MORE Plant troubles in the US Gulf region pushed Asian styrene monomer (SM) prices to a four-month high this week as market participants eyed possible arbitrage trades. SEE MORE The European benzene spot market rose this week on the back of ongoing bullishness in the energy market, a few customers covering short term needs as well as a significant spike in the downstream styrene spot market, sources said on Friday. SEE MORE US January propylene contract prices have fully settled at a 9 cent/lb ($198/tonne) increase, market sources said on Thursday, and the sharp jump may cause some demand destruction. SEE MORE The euro jumped more than half a percent higher on Friday as comments by senior U.S. officials this week advocating their support for a weak dollar reverberated through currency markets. SEE MORE