Industry News
Chemical Industry News
N American weekly chemical rail traffic rises 0.5% year on year
HOUSTON (ICIS)--North American chemical rail traffic rose 0.5% year on year to 45,831 loadings for the week ended 19 October, according to the latest freight rail data from the Association of...
European refinery solvents prices largely flat across products
LONDON (ICIS)--European refinery solvents free delivered (FD) prices were largely stable this week, although hexane saw a slight rise in average numbers. For white spirit, prices were heard above the...
US existing home sales fall 1.0% in September, buyers may hesitate ahead of election
HOUSTON (ICIS)--Sales of existing homes in the US fell 1.0% from August to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 3.84 million in September, the National Association of Realtors (NAR) reported on...
Global premium-grade imports from Middle East rise in August
SINGAPORE (ICIS)--The delivery of premium-grade base oils from the Middle East to key global outlets recovered in August on the back of a surge in shipments from Bahrain. Europe was the destination...
Plant status: INEOS Inovyn’s maintenance shutdowns concluded at several plants
LONDON (ICIS)--Here is a plant status report: Name: INEOS Inovyn Locations: Rheinberg, Germany; Tavaux, France; and Rafnes, Norway Products: Caustic soda, chlorine Capacity (tonnes/year): Rheinberg:...
Azoty says new Polish PDH-PP plant test output hits 200,000 tonnes
LONDON (ICIS)--Poland’s Grupa Azoty said on Wednesday that its worldscale propane dehydrogenation (PDH) and polypropylene (PP) plant has produced 200,000 tonnes of PP in test mode since the...
Canada central bank cuts key rate by 50 basis points amid lower inflation
TORONTO (ICIS)--Canada’s central bank, the Bank of Canada, on Wednesday cut its target for the overnight lending rate by 50 basis points to 3.75% amid lower inflation, a soft labor market, and low...
Moldovagaz in talks with Russia for gas deliveries via Ukraine – sources
LONDON (ICIS)--Moldova and Russia have been in talks for the delivery of gas via Ukraine after the expiry of the current transit agreement on January 1, 2025, according to several market sources and...
Turkey and Brazil continue to be the main consumers of Iranian urea
LONDON (ICIS)--Iran’s exports of urea increased to nearly 4.4 million tonnes in January-September, up 18% from 3.7 million tonnes in the same period of 2023, as buyers in Turkey and Brazil continue...
Belgian winter power demand up with gas meeting shortfall
Belgian winter power demand to rise year on year, imports and nuclear fall Gas-for-power demand to rise to meet shortfall Gas export to fall to compensate lower imports from Britain LONDON (ICIS) –...
Europe October capro contract prices fall sharply on feedstock drop, weak demand
LONDON (ICIS)--European caprolactam (capro) contract prices for October fell sharply from September, after a significant reduction in the contract price of key feedstock benzene for October, weak...
Swiss EMS warns of weak consumer mood, China stimulus to take time
LONDON (ICIS)--EMS Group expects weakness in the global economy to continue in the fourth quarter, the Swiss supplier of high-performance polymers and specialty chemicals to the auto and other...
Europe base oils export prices slump as supply improves
LONDON (ICIS)--European base oils export values slipped down this week amid an increase in the volume of offers from refineries. Prices decreased by $30/tonne for all grades this week, bringing SN150...
Germany’s SEFE signs gas supply agreement with ConocoPhillips
New gas supply agreement to strengthen supply to Germany and Europe First gas deliveries under the agreement already completed This follows similar partnerships as the continent continues to...
Morocco ships 24% less MAP to Brazil as liquidity issues bite
LONDON (ICIS)--Exports of monoammonium phosphate (MAP) out of Morocco increased by 9% in January-August 2024 year over year, according to customs data. MAP volumes exported to Brazil, Morocco’s top...
New Romanian tax could crush gas trading, competition
Romanian parliament amends fiscal code to introduce new tax on local and foreign oil and gas companies New turnover tax may wipe out fading trading liquidity and hit end consumers Foreign companies...
Bridgestone wins US grant for ethanol-to-butadiene pilot project
HOUSTON (ICIS)--Tire maker Bridgestone has won a grant from the US Department of Energy’s (DOE) Industrial Efficiency and Decarbonization Office for a pilot plant to convert ethanol into butadiene...
MOVES: K+S CFO Meyer to become CEO next year
LONDON (ICIS)--German fertilizer company K+S said on Wednesday that chief financial officer (CFO) Christian Meyer will take over as CEO on 1 June 2025. In his new role, he will succeed Burkhard Lohr,...
Carbon capture making slow progress in UK and Europe
Government funding welcomed, but issues over strategy and CO2 purity persist
Microbubbles active C–H bonds, converting methane into ethane and formic acid
Inside-out microdroplets induce oxidation reaction