Industry News
Chemical Industry News
Eurozone economic sentiment remains positive in December despite declines
LONDON (ICIS)--Economic activity in the eurozone declined towards the year-end but remained in expansion territory. The composite purchasing managers’ index (PMI) for December was recorded at 51.5...
Global tightness to keep sulphur market firm in Q1
LONDON (ICIS)--Sulphur pricing sentiment for Q1 2026 remains firm amid continued supply tightness, driven by Russia’s absence from the export market due to war-related damage to its oil facilities....
Plant status: China’s BASF Zhanjiang successfully starts up new MEG unit
SINGAPORE (ICIS)--Here is a plant status report: Name: BASF Location: Zhanjiang, Guangdong, China Product: Monoethylene glycol (MEG) Capacity (tonnes/year): 830,000 Event start: Early January 2026...
Acetone MMA European January contract eases with feedstock propylene
LONDON (ICIS)--The Europe acetone methyl methacrylate (MMA) contract price has softened for January 2026, as a result of lower upstream propylene costs for the month. The Europe acetone MMA contract...
India’s NFL issues select counters in urea import tender
LONDON (ICIS)--In India, urea fertilizer importer National Fertilizers Limited (NFL) has issued counter offers in its tender to the lowest eight offers on the east coast and the lowest six on the...
Middle East January sulphur posted prices rise to new record high
LONDON (ICIS)--Sulphur producers in the Arab Gulf have set January posted prices at $516–520/tonne FOB — the highest level recorded since ICIS began tracking the market in 2017, surpassing the...
Plant status: China’s Sinopec Yangzi to shut PP units
SINGAPORE (ICIS)--Here is a plant status report: Name: Sinopec Yangzi PC. Location: Nanjing, China Product: Polypropylene (PP) Capacity (tonnes/year): 140,000 (Line 1); 80,000 (Line 2); 200,000 (Line...
ICIS TTF Early Day assessments: 6 January 2026
- ICIS TTF Early Day rose on Tuesday, turning into a slight premium to EAX for February front month at $0.25/MMBtu - Unplanned maintenance at Skarv facility will take 4.6mcm/day capacity offline on...
Iraq targets fertilizer sector revival with $2 billion phosphate plant, sulphur projects
LONDON (ICIS)--Iraq is proceeding with the construction of a new phosphate fertilizer complex in Al-Qaim, Anbar province, as the country seeks to utilize its 10-billion-tonne phosphate reserves. The...
How chemists are harnessing halogen bonds for asymmetric synthesis
Chiral control through halogen bonding could be the next frontier for organocatalysis
New £50 million centre aims to shake up clinical trials in the UK
Initiative should speed up testing of new medicines
Advanced Automation Technologies (AAT) to rebrand under new name – Velaris
The Battery Ventures-backed laboratory automation platform previously operating under multiple names such as “Skalar Group” or “AAT” is proud to announce its rebranding as Velaris. This new identity reflects the platform’s vision to unify its
BLOG: Three out of five: How my 2025 predictions stacked up
SINGAPORE (ICIS)--Click here to see the latest blog post on Asian Chemical Connections by John Richardson: It is that time of year when analysts need to be honest with themselves. We need to look...
NE Asia’s MMA export volumes rise year on year in 2025: ICIS data
SINGAPORE (ICIS)--The northeast Asian region exported greater volumes of methyl methacrylate (MMA) year-on-year as of 2025, ICIS data showed. According to the data, the Asia Pacific region remained...
China’s Nov PMMA imports up 41.3% month on month
SINGAPORE (ICIS)--In November 2025, China's polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) imports totaled 15,153 tonnes, up by 41.3% month on month and 17.4% year on year. The top three sources of imports were...
Turkey launches safeguard investigations on PTA imports
SINGAPORE (ICIS)--The Turkish Ministry of Trade has launched safeguard investigations for the imports of purified terephthalic acid (PTA) on 31 December 2025. According to market sources, applicable...
Plant status: China’s Sinopec Shijiazhuang to shut PP unit in March
SINGAPORE (ICIS)--Here is a plant status report: Name: Sinopec Shijiazhuang Refining Chemical Location: Shijiazhuang, China Product: Polypropylene (PP) Capacity (tonnes/year): 220,000 (PP) Event...
Plant status: China’s Zhong An United Coal Chemical to shut PP unit in March
SINGAPORE (ICIS)--Here is a plant status report: Name: Zhong An United Coal Chemical Company Location: Anhui, China Product: Polypropylene (PP) Capacity (tonnes/year): 350,000 (PP) Event start: 16...
Plant status: China’s Sinopec ZRCC to shut PP units
SINGAPORE (ICIS)--Here is a plant status report: Name: Sinopec Zhenhai Refining and Chemical (ZRCC) Location: Zhenhai, China Product: Polypropylene (PP) Capacity (tonnes/year): 350,000 (Line 3);...
South Korea toluene exports to the US sustain uptrend in December
SINGAPORE (ICIS)--South Korea exports of toluene bound for the US rose over the month of December, keeping up the gradual increase amid improved arbitrage economics on the westbound route. Toluene...