Imagine a cyclical business in which the government fixes the price of raw material and mandates where to buy it.

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But the spread between the price of the raw material and the price of the finished good is a function of the supply of ethylene-making capacity and the demand for ethylene.

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Because while a stronger yuan increases the dollar price of Chinese goods, it also lowers the yuan price of foreign raw material, allowing Chinese manufacturers to keep a lid on the price of their finished goods.

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On the cost front too, we believe the company will continue to experience pressures despite the falling price of guar gum, a key raw material used in hydraulic fracturing.

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But with a global capacity glut in 2001 chemical prices softened, even as raw material costs like natural gas began a fivefold price increase.

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They were crippled in their battle against the Scots by the simple fact that wine, their raw material, cost up to 20 times the price of barley.

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Janjigian notes that investment risks include rising raw material and transportation costs, but he also points out that recent price increases should keep earnings strong.

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