BFM, the trade association for UK furniture makers, has introduced a weekly foam chemical price market report in a bid to help members negotiate the best possible rates with suppliers.

Its new report interrogates current prices and future market sentiment, benefiting sofa and bed manufacturers heavily impacted by the rise and fall of the price of chemicals used in foam production, such as TDI, polyols and MDI.

"A slight rise or fall in prices can make a huge difference to what they pay and obtaining this sort of data can normally be a major cost to them," said Mike Dimond, BFM director of employment and membership affairs.

Last week's report, to August 31, showed European prices of TDI have fallen since June and are under pressure with low demand and lengthier supply since August.

The European polyols market expectation for September is for it to be stable but year-on-year prices are slightly down and price sentiment shows a further tendency to fall.