Industry News
Chemical Industry News
Brazil’s chemical employers, workers warn government over plant closures, demand tax reliefs
SAO PAULO (ICIS)--Brazilian chemical industry unions and the trade group representing producers have jointly urged the government to resolve uncertainty over a key tax regime, warning that plant...
Saudi Arabia’s Ma’aden issues 20,000 tonne sulphuric acid purchase tender
LONDON (ICIS)--Saudi chemical and fertilizer major Ma’aden is closing a purchase tender this week for 20,000 tonnes of spot sulphuric acid for March arrival to Ras-al Khair (RAK). The tender, which...
LNG Compass: US freeze cuts LNG exports
LNG Compass is a new column from the ICIS LNG analyst team highlighting key factors impacting supply, demand and prices; helping traders navigate their way through volatile global markets. US cold...
Environment agency vow to end animal testing in US by 2035 receives mixed reaction
Toxicologists and research advocates worry that EPA’s goal to end animal testing for chemicals is premature
Europe isocyanates February contract discussions are underway
LONDON (ICIS)--Market participants have begun negotiations for February monthly contracts covering various isocyanate products, including methylene diphenyl diisocyanate (MDI) and toluene...
Germany’s VCI welcomes EU-India trade deal
LONDON (ICIS)--German chemical producers’ trade group VCI has welcomed Tuesday's EU-India trade agreement. For Germany's chemicals and pharmaceuticals industry, the agreement would open up...
Europe styrene spot prices hit six-month high on restocking demand, upstream lift
LONDON (ICIS)--Europe styrene spot prices are now at their highest levels since July 2025. Despite the gains, spot activity was comparatively limited in the Europe styrene market in the week ended 23...
Europe polyol February contract talks have started
LONDON (ICIS)--Negotiations for February slabstock conventional flexible polyether polyols contracts have started between certain market players in the European market. A key focus for the...
GAS ALERT: Griffin Markets goes live on BBL IAM platform, expanding TTF–NBP capacity booking options
LONDON (ICIS)--BBL Company said Griffin Markets will go live on 27 January as the second broker connected to its Implicit Allocation Mechanism (IAM) platform, following the initial launch with...
Australia urea imports rise in November 2025 after buyers step in at lower levels
LONDON (ICIS)--In Australia, urea imports increased in November 2025 to 194,356 tonnes compared to 53,612 tonnes in November 2024, according to customs data, as buyers moved earlier than usual in...
Europe MEG demand remains structurally soft, US tariff uncertainty continues
LONDON (ICIS)--The outlook for the European monoethylene glycol (MEG) market is downbeat as long-term consumption is in decline and EU-US trade disputes and tariff uncertainties have caused some...
Carbon border taxes may do more harm than good
Industry argues UK proposals are flawed and will not promote decarbonisation
Lithuania’s LNG terminal kicks off open season for long-term capacity
Klaipeda operator to offer a capacity based on multi-user model CEE companies eye terminal for diversification of supply and routes Terminal may benefit from increased Polish export capacity to...
Spanish LNG arrivals could hit January five-year low, supporting PVB prompt
PVB Day-ahead premium to PEG could remain wide to encourage spot volumes amid depleting tanks January storage obligation reduced by 15% on 24 January (Enagas) could foster sendout Above-norm winds,...
Europe benzene spot prices spike to 16-month high on supply concerns
LONDON (ICIS)--Spot trade surged in Europe late in the week ended 23 January, as the benzene contract window for February opened. That surge helped drive a spike in prices to the highest level since...
EU new car registrations up 1.8% in 2025, well below pre-pandemic – ACEA
LONDON (ICIS)--New car registrations in the EU increased by 1.8% year on year in 2025, but were still well below pre-pandemic levels, according to the latest data from the European Automobile...
PODCAST: Lithuania’s LNG terminal operator CEO lines up long-term plans after record-breaking year
LONDON (ICIS)--Lithuania’s offshore Klaipeda LNG terminal had a record year in 2025. Operator KN Energies anticipates an even better year in 2026. It has launched an open season for long-term...
Europe acetic acid January contract talks near end, Q1 negotiations continue
LONDON (ICIS)--European acetic acid contract price talks for January are close to conclusion, with rollovers heard for agreements that have already been fixed. Q1 negotiations are underway, but are...
Sabic offloads petrochemicals and plastics plants in Europe and Americas
German private equity firms Aequita and Mutares aim to return struggling plants to profitability
Brexit led to decline in UK participation in EU research programmes, report finds
Researchers decry difficulties joining international collaborations following 2016 referendum vote