Industry News
Chemical Industry News
US March glycol ether spot prices rise following potential supply concerns amid Iranian conflict and domestic outage
HOUSTON (ICIS)--After an extended period of stable pricing and market fundamentals, glycol ether spot pricing and market fundamentals have become volatile in March due to geopolitical concerns. This...
NYMEX: US gas futures ease slightly on looser balances
Front-month US natural gas futures edged lower on 31 March as US gas production stood strong and US LNG feedgas levels declined The May 2026 Henry Hub contract on NYMEX settled at $2.884/MMBtu, down...
US March PGI, PG-USP contracts rise month on month; multiple separate price increases seen
HOUSTON (ICIS)--Propylene glycol (PG) contracts for industrial grade (PGI), pharmaceutical grade (PG-USP) and exports increased month on month in March. PGI contracts rose 7 cents/lb ($154/tonne) on...
US March acrylic acid and acrylate contracts settle higher with rising feedstock and energy costs
HOUSTON (ICIS)--US March acrylic acid and acrylate ester contracts have risen considerably, month on month. While glacial acrylic acid (GAA) contract prices rose between 5-6 cents/lb...
CRUDE SUMMARY: Brent front-month contract highest since June 2022
Iran attacks Kuwaiti-flagged oil tanker off coast of Dubai Greek tanker reportedly crosses Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday US Defense Secretary points to possibilities of further escalation against Iran...
Plant status: Japan’s ENEOS cracker turnaround underway amid feedstock shortage concerns
SINGAPORE (ICIS)--Here is a plant status report: Name: ENEOS Location: Kawasaki, Kanagawa, Japan Product: Ethylene (C2), propylene (C3) Capacity (tonnes/year): 540,000 (C2); 308,000 (C3) Event start:...
USDA estimates lower corn planted acreage but a slight increase in soybeans
HOUSTON (ICIS)--The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) is estimating that corn planted acreage will be decreased by 3% while soybean acreage will rise by 4% compared to 2025 levels. In the USDA’s...
MARGINS: Europe naphtha-based MEG margins up on firming co-product pricing
LONDON (ICIS)--Margins at naphtha-based monoethylene glycols (MEG) plants were up in Europe week on week on the back of higher co-product credits, ICIS Margin Analysis showed on Tuesday. That was the...
US consumer confidence ticks up, despite war and tariffs
HOUSTON (ICIS)--US consumer confidence, as measured by the Conference Board’s Consumer Confidence Index, edged up in March - despite the ongoing US-Iran war and surging costs from tariffs, the...
OMV, ADNOC’s XRG unveil ‘global polyolefins champion’ Borouge International
LONDON (ICIS)--OMV and XRG, ADNOC’s international investment arm, on March 31 announced the successful formation of Borouge Group International, billed as the world’s leading pure-play...
US April BD contract prices surge amid global disruptions from Middle East conflict
HOUSTON (ICIS)--US April butadiene (BD) Contract Reference Price settled at 68.5 cents/lb (1,510/tonne), up more than 27 cents/lb from March, as global values surged in the wake of the US-Iran...
Plant status: Thailand’s PTTGC restarts No 5 cracker after turnaround
SINGAPORE (ICIS)--Here is a plant status report: Name: PTT Global Chemical (PTTGC) Location: Map Ta Phut, Thailand Product: Ethylene, propylene Capacity (tonnes/year): 500,000 (ethylene), 260,000...
MARGINS: Europe cracker contract margins further down as feedstock costs continue to rise
LONDON (ICIS)--Cracker contract margins in Europe were assessed down week on week due to further feedstock costs rises, ICIS Margin Analysis showed on Tuesday. Last week’s contract margins were...
XRG and OMV complete deal to create Borouge International
BARCELONA (ICIS)--Abu Dhabi’s XRG - ADNOC’s investment arm - and Austria’s OMV have finalized the transaction to create Borouge International, creating a global leader in polyolefins. The deal...
ACER calls for stronger enforcement and monitoring to improve power market integration
ACER calls for better enforcement, more monitoring to implement power market rules Delays have slowed market integration and complicated balancing, capacity allocation and system functioning European...
Europe propylene April contract price talks to continue on Wednesday, ethylene April contract settled
LONDON (ICIS)--Europe April contract reference price negotiations for propylene will continue on Wednesday, since no settlement has been reached on Tuesday, the last working day of March. Discussions...
UK GDP nudged up 0.1% in Q4
LONDON (ICIS)--UK GDP ticked up 0.1% in the closing quarter of 2025, according to the latest data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) on Tuesday. Modest growth was driven by a 1.2% increase...
Australia’s agriculture ministry establishes working group to tackle fertilizer tightness from Middle East
LONDON (ICIS)--Australia’s Ministry for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry has established a new Fertiliser Supply Working Group to support farmers from the impact of the Middle East conflict. The...
INSIGHT: Fertilizer markets tighten as conflict raises risks ahead of India’s kharif season
LONDON (ICIS)--Global fertilizer markets continue to navigate an exceptionally volatile period as geopolitical disruption, tightening supply chains and uneven demand reshape prices across the...
Limited reaction on Q2-delivery Italian gas contracts to Middle East conflict developments
Italy among European countries most exposed to Qatari LNG supply disruption PSV hub prices tracking TTF curve despite greater exposure to uncertainty Risk of tight supply remains MILAN (ICIS)—While...