Industry News
Chemical Industry News
New paths for quantum technologies: Optical control of nuclear spins in molecules
A research team at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) has made an important advance in quantum physics and materials research: For the first time, nuclear spins in a molecular material could be optically initialized,
AFPM ’26: US MMA supply to be tighter in Q2
SAN ANTONIO (ICIS)--US methyl methacrylate (MMA) is facing tighter supply heading into Q2, players said on the sidelines of this year’s International Petrochemical Conference (IPC). Activity was...
AFPM ’26: Canada has unlimited chem feedstocks amid war-driven shortages
SAN ANTONIO (ICIS)--Canada's Alberta province essentially has unlimited supplies of low-cost chemical feedstocks such as ethane, leaving the country among the very few that have avoided disruptions...
AFPM ’26: Geographic diversity of supply puts Alberta in spotlight amid Middle East crisis
SAN ANTONIO (ICIS)--With the Middle East crisis wreaking havoc on global petrochemical supply chains, geographic diversity of supply is increasingly in the spotlight for investment decisions, said...
AFPM ’26: All four reactors running at Roehm US MMA unit
SAN ANTONIO (ICIS)--Roehm is now running all four reactors at its US methyl methacrylate (MMA) unit in Bay City, Texas, according to the company on the sidelines of this year’s International...
AFPM ’26: TSCA chem safety program could get reforms in 2026
SAN ANTONIO (ICIS)--The US could fix what the chemical industry sees as shortcomings in the nation's main law that regulates chemical safety, an official with the American Fuel & Petrochemical...
AFPM ‘26: EPA final rule on RFS for 2026, 2027 to add costs for consumers – official
SAN ANTONIO (ICIS)--The Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) final rule on Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) volumes will make fuel more expensive for all consumers, an official at the American Fuel...
AFPM ’26: UP, Norfolk merger would control half of US chem shipments
SAN ANTONIO (ICIS)--If US regulators approve the merger between Union Pacific (UP) and Norfolk Southern, then one railroad company would control half of all of the nation's chemical shipments and 41%...
Chevron says Wheatstone LNG could be offline for weeks, Woodside working on NWS LNG
SINGAPORE (ICIS)--US major Chevron said the Wheatstone LNG facility is still under repairs and could be down for weeks before full production resumes and the one Train offline at Gorgon LNG since 26...
AFPM ’26: Summary of Americas market stories
SAN ANTONIO (ICIS)--Here is a summary of chemical market stories, heading into this year’s International Petrochemical Conference (IPC). Hosted by the American Fuel & Petrochemical...
US nylon price increases emerge in the wake of global disruptions
HOUSTON (ICIS)-- Nylon price increases have emerged in North America due to volatile conditions observed in the markets. Rising energy and feedstock costs and volatile conditions stemming from the...
Chem tanker rates ex-US Gulf continue to soar, Asia-US container rates tick higher
HOUSTON (ICIS)--Rates for chemical tankers ex-US Gulf soared this week on most trade lanes assessed by ICIS, as they continue to face upward pressure. The ongoing conflict in the Middle East...
NYMEX: US gas futures climb despite limited shoulder season weather demand
US natural gas futures rose on 27 March, despite limited weather demand expectations heading further into shoulder season The April ’26 front-month contract settled at $3.095/MMBtu, up 3% from the...
US April methanol contract prices rise sharply as global disruption drives demand for exports
HOUSTON (ICIS)--US April methanol contract prices rose by 87-92 cents/gal from March as the conflict in the Middle East drives global demand for US material. Potential disruptions to trade flow...
ICIS US March PP contract prices finalize
HOUSTON (ICIS)--Contract prices for US polypropylene (PP) have been...
Europe BPA spot extends uptrend on costs, import supply risk
LONDON (ICIS)--Europe bisphenol A (BPA) spot prices rose for the third consecutive week, due to higher production costs and increased domestic sourcing interest, as import supply concerns surface....
Cracker shutdowns in Asia C2: the start of a long or short domino?
SINGAPORE (ICIS)--With the Middle East conflict now a month in after the first US-Israel missiles tore into Tehran, some early predictions on cracker shutdowns have unfortunately started to come...
CRUDE SUMMARY: Oil prices make gains over the week, recovering from Monday’s crash
Trump extends deadline for Iran to respond to ceasefire proposal Freight rates continue to surge as Strait of Hormuz remains shut US oil rig count down by five to 409 - Baker Hughes LONDON...
AFPM ’26: US domestic nylon to see increased sales amid Middle East conflict
HOUSTON (ICIS)--The ongoing Middle East conflict and supply disruptions present opportunities for US nylon, heading into this year’s American Fuel & Petrochemical Manufacturers (AFPM)...
Brazil’s Braskem upbeat on spreads as naphtha surges but financial restructuring clouds outlook
SAO PAULO (ICIS)--Braskem expects petrochemical spreads to jump by nearly 50% in Q2 quarter on quarter as the closure of the Strait of Hormuz drives naphtha prices sharply higher and squeezes Asian...