Industry News
Chemical Industry News
Plant status: China’s Sinopec Shanghai restarts LDPE Line 1 and 2
SINGAPORE (ICIS)--Here is a plant status report: Name: Sinopec Shanghai PC. Location: Shanghai, China Product: Low density polyethylene (LDPE) Capacity (tonnes/year): 90,000 Event start: 11 November...
Plant status: S Arabia’s Yanpet to restart No 1 MEG plant
SINGAPORE (ICIS)--Here is a plant status report: Name: Saudi Yanbu Petrochemical Company (Yanpet) Location: Yanbu, Saudi Arabia Product: Monoethylene glycol (MEG) Capacity (tonne/year): 400,000 (No...
China average BDO plants’ run rate down to 55.2%
SINGAPORE (ICIS)--China's butanediol (BDO) plants posted a lower average run rate of 55.2% in the week ended 24 December, ICIS data shows. The run rate was down by 0.5 percentage points from the...
Plant status: China’s Shandong Binhua New Material starts up MTBE plant
SINGAPORE (ICIS)--Here is a plant status report: Name: Shandong Binhua New Material Location: Shandong, China Product: Methyl tertiary butyl ether (MTBE) Capacity (tonnes/year): 742,000 Event start:...
China’s Nov 2024 SM imports drop 29% on month
SINGAPORE (ICIS)--China imported 60,752 tonnes of styrene monomer (SM) in November 2024, down by 29% month on month. The total imports in January-November 2024 was at 355,446 tonnes, according to the...
US epoxy resins heading into potentially volatile Q1 2025
HOUSTON (ICIS)--US epoxy resins will be in flux during Q1 2025 as there will be a lot of moving parts that have the potential to create volatility and impact prices. December liquid contracts were...
OUTLOOK ’25: US BDO demand to strengthen on lower inflation but EV policy, tariffs may be headwinds
HOUSTON (ICIS)--US butanediol (BDO) demand is expected to strengthen in 2025 amid more controlled inflation and lower interest rates, but possible tariffs and changes to electric vehicle (EV)...
OUTLOOK ’25: LatAm PET prices pressured by economic challenges, tariff shifts
HOUSTON (ICIS)--Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) prices in Latin America are expected to soften in H1 2025, driven by changes in import tariffs, lower Asia prices and easing freight rates. Seasonal...
OUTLOOK ’25: US PET demand expected higher but supply disruptions, tariffs remain risks
HOUSTON (ICIS)--Demand for US polyethylene terephthalate (PET) should increase in 2025 if lower inflation and interest rates drive consumption with stronger growth expected in the second half of the...
OUTLOOK ’25: Ample LatAm PS supply meets poor demand
HOUSTON (ICIS)--The Latin American polystyrene (PS) market will continue facing headwinds in 2025 on the back of weak demand across the region combined with plentiful supply. Demand low even in...
SHIPPING: Asia-US container rates end ‘24 higher as volumes pulled forward
HOUSTON (ICIS)--Rates for shipping containers from Asia to the US will end the year about 15% higher from late November as mid-December GRIs (general rate increases) were largely successful. Judah...
OUTLOOK ’25: US PS, EPS demand to remain soft
HOUSTON (ICIS)--Demand for US polystyrene (PS) is expected to remain soft into the next year with weak downstream markets, polymer recycling regulations and overall expectations of a smaller growth...
OUTLOOK ’25: US styrene market facing weak demand, overcapacity
HOUSTON (ICIS)--The US styrene market enters the new year facing sluggish demand, poor margins, and low operating rates. With a light maintenance season ahead, the market’s fate will be driven...
Europe adipic acid prices decrease in December
LONDON (ICIS)--Freely negotiated adipic acid (ADA) prices for December reduced, due to low demand. Rollover on the low end and a decrease of €20/tonne on the high end of the price range from...
Europe extrusion-grade polycarbonate prices decrease in December
LONDON (ICIS)--Extrusion-grade polycarbonate (PC) contract prices in Europe decreased in December month on month, due to extremely low demand. LONDON (ICIS)--Less trades were reported in this month's...
OUTLOOK ’25: Lackluster US aromatics demand, rising inventories pressure benzene and toluene
HOUSTON (ICIS)--After peaking in Q1 2024, benzene prices have declined through the latter half of the year, due to soft derivative demand. An over-supplied market is expected to continue into 2025,...
US January 2025 BD contracts flat on stable supply and demand fundamentals
HOUSTON (ICIS)--The January 2025 ICIS butadiene (BD) Contract Reference Price settled at a roll over as supply and demand fundamentals finally balanced both regionally and globally. The ICIS price is...
OUTLOOK ’25: US chem tanker market growth to support favorable rates; container market readies for port labor issues, tariffs
HOUSTON (ICIS)--Growth in the US liquid chemical tanker market is likely to support favorable rates in 2025, while the container shipping market could see upward pressure from possible labor strife...
OUTLOOK ’25: Europe PE faces triple threat of cost squeeze, overcapacity, longer supply chains
LONDON (ICIS)--European polyethylene (PE) markets face a triple whammy of high local costs, overcapacity globally and the risk of lengthening supply chains at a time when global trade flows are...
OUTLOOK ’25: Economic woes to continue stifling Turkish PE/PP demand
LONDON (ICIS)--Economic concerns continue to dampen demand expectations for Turkish polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP) for the first half of 2025. Buying interest was soft throughout 2024 as a...