Industry News
Chemical Industry News
US small businesses waiting for ‘noticeable’ gain, despite GDP growth
HOUSTON (ICIS)--Although US GDP is rising, small businesses are still waiting for noticeable economic growth, the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) said on Tuesday as its Small...
Together or apart: Fragmentation stalls the EU’s single energy market as it faces global risks – part 1
By Aura Sabadus and Gretchen Ransow The 2022 energy crisis and new global risks have exposed the vulnerability of the EU's single market. To meet the emerging challenges, the EU needs to deepen its...
INTERNATIONAL ENERGY WEEK 2026: Energy security, affordability at risk as Europe faces rising costs
LONDON (ICIS)--Energy security and affordability have emerged as central challenges to Europe and the UK, as decades of refinery closures, rising energy costs and policy choices threaten industrial...
EU vote expected to delay rPET imports from counting towards SUPD 25% target
LONDON (ICIS)--EU Member States voted on an Implementing Act to the Single Use Plastics Directive (SUPD) on Friday 6 February in a move expected to delay the use of imports from non-EU countries...
Plant status: Fibrant to halt capro production at Geleen, the Netherlands
LONDON (ICIS)--Here is a plant status report: Name: Fibrant Location: Geleen, the Netherlands Product: Caprolactam (capro) Capacity (tonnes/year): 270,000 Event start: February 2026 Event finish:...
Plant status: CPC may shut a Taiwan BD unit along with cracker in February
SINGAPORE (ICIS) – Here is a plant status report: Name: CPC Corp Location: Lin Yuan, Taiwan Product: Butadiene (BD) Capacity (tonnes/year): 58,000 (line #4) Event start: Mid-February 2026 Event...
Collaborating with a Nobel laureate may actually hinder chances of winning a Nobel prize
Research suggest that those who work alongside laureates may not be seen as original thinkers
Plant status: Singapore’s Aster may resume BD operations in March
SINGAPORE (ICIS) – Here is a plant status report: Name: Aster Chemicals and Energy Location: Pulau Bukom, Singapore Product: Butadiene (BD) Capacity (tonnes/year): 185,000 Event start: Early August...
Axalta’s net income falls 56% on higher taxes, sales decline on lower volumes
HOUSTON (ICIS)--Axalta Coating Systems’ Q4 net income fell 56% year on year to $60 million on sales of $1.26 billion, down nearly 4%, the US-based international coatings company reported on...
Europe glycol ethers markets face sluggish restocking, lingering price pressure
LONDON (ICIS)--E&P series glycol ethers prices in Europe remain under pressure into the first week of February after a subdued period of restocking activity marking the first portion of the year....
Probing PFAS policies in the UK and EU
The UK has set out its approach to regulating fluorochemicals, and the EU has projected the savings from a proposed ban
Generation change at AZO
The AZO Group is setting the course for the next generation: On January 1, 2026, Lukas Zimmermann took over the management of AZO Holding GmbH and simultaneously assumed the role of CEO of the Executive
What does a collapsing polymer sound like?
It is not easy to follow the interactions of large molecules with water in real time. But this can be easier to hear than to see. This is how an international team deciphered the role
MXene for energy storage: More versatile than expected
MXene materials are promising candidates for a new energy storage technology. However, the processes by which the charge storage takes place were not yet fully understood. A team at HZB has examined, for the first
LPG contracts up, rough weather causes delays
LONDON (ICIS)--Liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) contract prices in Europe increased for February. Both propane and butane contract prices by Aramco and Sonatrach were higher across the board into...
IE Week 2026 opens in London
LONDON (ICIS)--International Energy (IE) Week 2026 will open on Tuesday at the QEII Centre in London, with three days of discussions under the theme growth and security in an increasingly disordered...
Europe MMA prices firm amid rising import, feedstock costs
LONDON (ICIS)--The Europe methyl methacrylate (MMA) market saw spot prices firm again last week. The rises in the spot price come due to the impact of the soaring acetone price beginning to be felt,...
FBMC WEEKLY: Milder temperatures and strong wind to weigh on European spot prices in week 7
LONDON (ICIS)--Milder temperatures are expected to pressure spot prices within the flow-based market coupling (FBMC) region in week 7, with wet and windy conditions in France and the Balkans likely...
Brazil’s MAP market consolidates around Russia in January 2026 as imports drop 33%
LONDON (ICIS)--Imports of monoammonium phosphate (MAP) into Brazil dropped by 33% year on year in January 2026, according to customs data. Russia held the largest market share, with 69.34%, although...
GAS ALERT: Mukran LNG terminal outage extended to 11 February
LONDON (ICIS)--Deutsche ReGas has extended the 9.6mtpa Mukran LNG terminal’s outage to 11 February, citing adverse weather conditions, according to a GIE market message on 9 February. The previous...