Industry News
Chemical Industry News
INTERVIEW: Chemical firms’ sustainability efforts part of Singapore growth plans – EDB
SINGAPORE (ICIS)--Despite a global downturn in the petrochemical industry, specialty chemicals and energy businesses are forging ahead in Singapore, with new plants planned in Jurong Island as part...
Plant status: Taiwan’s Dairen Chem No 2 VAM unit to remain shut
SINGAPORE (ICIS)--Here is a plant status report: Name: Dairen Chemical Location: Mai Liao, Taiwan Product: Vinyl acetate monomer (VAM) Capacity (tonnes/year): 300,000 (No 2) Event start: 10 June...
India TDI activity improves; southeast Asia PMDI weakness persists
SINGAPORE (ICIS)--Seasonal upticks in demand emerged in India as increased inquiries emerged in India post-Diwali, though weakness is likely to persist in neighboring southeast Asian markets. India...
Asia PME biodiesel prices diverge amid mixed feedstock trends, shifting demand
SINGAPORE (ICIS)--Palm methyl ester (PME) biodiesel export values in southeast Asia diverged in the week ended 30 October. Malaysia’s crude palm oil (CPO) benchmark fell to ringgit (M$) 4,252/tonne...
East China MEG inventories decrease slightly on delayed arrivals
SINGAPORE (ICIS)--Monoethylene glycol (MEG) inventories in east China decreased slightly to 469,000 tonnes on 31 October, down by around 0.4% from 24 October, ICIS data showed, due to delayed cargo...
Plant status: China’s Hangjin Technology restarts its PO lines
SINGAPORE (ICIS)--Here is a plant status report: Name: Hangjin Technology Location: Huludao, Liaoning province, China Product: Propylene oxide (PO) Capacity (tonnes/year): 120,000 Event start: 20...
China factory activity weakens in Oct, PMI slips to 49.0
SINGPAORE (ICIS)--China’s factory activity softened in October, with the official reading of manufacturing purchasing managers’ index (PMI) dropping to 49.0 in the month from 49.8 in September....
S Korea’s SK Innovation Q3 petchem loss widens on weaker spreads
SINGAPORE (ICIS)--South Korea's SK Innovation on Friday said its petrochemical unit posted an operating loss of won (W) 36.8 billion ($25.8 million) in the third quarter, weighed by weakened product...
Plant status: Sinopec Yanshan phenol/acetone plant restart unknown
SINGAPORE (ICIS)--Here is a plant status report: Name: Sinopec Yanshan Company Beijing Location: Beijing, China Product: Phenol and acetone Capacity (tonnes/year): 110,000 and 70,000 respectively...
Plant status: FPC shuts China phenol/acetone plant for maintenance
SINGAPORE (ICIS)--Here is a plant status report: Name: Formosa Plastics Corp (FPC) Location: Ningbo, Zhejiang, China Product: Phenol, acetone Capacity (tonnes/year): 400,000 and 250,000 respectively...
China major producers’ polyolefin inventories continue falling on more buying appetite
SINGAPORE (ICIS)--The combined polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP) inventories of Chinese state-owned petrochemical giants Sinopec and PetroChina continued falling as more buying appetite...
Asia TiO2 indicative price unchanged as market turns attention to ADD
SINGAPORE (ICIS)--Titanium dioxide (TiO2) spot indicative prices in Asia were stable so far on Friday. Sell indications were heard at $1,900/tonne FOB (free on board) China, stable compared with the...
Physicists hope to probe standard model with misshapen radium monofluoride
Effect never observed in a molecule could help adjudicate between competing models of nuclear structure
Starting a chemistry PhD as a mature student
The benefits and challenges of returning to academia after a period away
Researchers decry plans to close beamlines at Australian synchrotron
Infrared and terahertz spectroscopy lines under threat
Plant status: Indonesia’s PT Patra SK restarts Group III base oils
SINGAPORE (ICIS)--Here is a plant status report: Name: PT Patra SK Location: Dumai, Indonesia Product: Group III base oils Capacity (tonnes/year): 493,243 Event start: Early October 2025 Event...
UPDATE: China, US to suspend reciprocal port fees after Trump-Xi meeting
SINGAPORE (ICIS)--China and the US have agreed to suspend tit-for-tat shipping levies for one year, alongside some tariff cuts, following an in-person meeting between the leaders of the world’s two...
Asian BPA market seen weak on slow demand ahead
SINGAPORE (ICIS)--Asia’s bisphenol A (BPA) market will remain marred by slow demand in the near term, as heavy turnarounds in the downstream polycarbonate (PC) sector and economic uncertainties...
Germany’s Wacker swings to Q3 net loss, refines full-year forecast
SINGAPORE (ICIS)--German specialty chemical firm Wacker Chemie on Thursday lowered its full-year guidance as persistently weak global demand and lower selling prices caused it to swing into a net...
Germany’s Covestro posts Q3 net loss on price pressures, Dormagen fire
SINGAPORE (ICIS)--Covestro posted a third quarter 2025 net loss of €47 million as lowered sales prices and a fire in Dormagen negatively impacted profits, the German chemicals maker said on...