Industry News
Chemical Industry News
East China’s SM inventory drops 8.2% with fewer arrivals
SINGAPORE (ICIS)--Styrene monomer (SM) inventory level in east China decreased by 8.2% from last reporting week with fewer arrivals, ICIS data showed on Wednesday. The total stock was at 121,900...
Rapid On-Site Detection of Food Fraud
Counterfeit or low-quality products – such as olive oil made from dyed rape-seed oil – are often difficult or impossible to identify at a glance. A mobile gas chromatography sensor system is now being developed
Huge opportunity for the recovery of technology metals
A team of six researchers from the Helmholtz Institute Freiberg for Resource Technology (HIF) has reached the first round of the current SPRIND Tech Metal Transformation Challenge. This secures the HIF team, which is part
How a persistent chemical enters our surface waters
In collaboration with the Swiss Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN) and the University of Bern, Empa researchers have investigated how trifluoroacetic acid (TFA), the smallest of the PFAS molecules, is formed in the atmosphere
Germany CPI inflation slows to 1.8% pace in December
LONDON (ICIS)--Inflation in Germany, as measured by the consumer price index (CPI), ran at a 1.8% year-on-year pace in December (November: 2.3%), according to preliminary data by the country’s...
MOVES: Former Olin CEO Sutton takes helm at Rayonier
HOUSTON (ICIS)--Former Olin CEO Scott Sutton has been appointed as the new CEO and president of cellulose specialties and natural polymers producer Rayonier Advanced Materials, effective 5 January....
Samsung E&A breaks ground on US Wabash ammonia project
HOUSTON (ICIS)--Samsung E&A has broken ground on the previously announced Wabash Low-Carbon Ammonia Project at Terre Haute, Indiana, the South Korean engineering company said on Tuesday. The...
WEEKLY CRUDE OUTLOOK: Prices to rally as US targets more sovereign territories
LONDON (ICIS)--The crude sector, while inevitably boosted by the US 'takeover' of Venezuela, does not appear overly troubled by the loss of Venezuelan barrels as curtailed exports will ease an...
INSIGHT: Venezuela crisis puts China energy deals at risk
SINGAPORE (ICIS)--The political turmoil in Venezuela in the wake of the US operation in the country and the capture of its President Nicolas Maduro could stand to impact energy deals between Beijing...
EU gas stocks second-lowest in a decade on 1 January but withdrawals down on year
EU stocks on 1 January second-lowest since 2016 Record LNG sendout caps what would have been larger withdrawals TTF prices nonetheless continue to fall as bearish outlook solidifies LONDON...
Syensqo and Axens launch new company for solid-state batteries
BARCELONA (ICIS)--Belgian specialty group Syensqo and French technology group Axens have created a new company, Argylium, which aims to accelerate the development of solid-state batteries in Europe....
Plant status: China’s Sinopec Sichuan Vinylon shuts VAM plant for maintenance
SINGAPORE (ICIS)--Here is a plant status report: Name: Sinopec Sichuan Vinylon Location: Chongqing, China Products: Vinyl acetate monomer (VAM) Capacity (tonnes/year): 500,000 Event start: 24...
Eurozone economic sentiment remains positive in December despite declines
LONDON (ICIS)--Economic activity in the eurozone declined towards the year-end but remained in expansion territory. The composite purchasing managers’ index (PMI) for December was recorded at 51.5...
Global tightness to keep sulphur market firm in Q1
LONDON (ICIS)--Sulphur pricing sentiment for Q1 2026 remains firm amid continued supply tightness, driven by Russia’s absence from the export market due to war-related damage to its oil facilities....
Plant status: China’s BASF Zhanjiang successfully starts up new MEG unit
SINGAPORE (ICIS)--Here is a plant status report: Name: BASF Location: Zhanjiang, Guangdong, China Product: Monoethylene glycol (MEG) Capacity (tonnes/year): 830,000 Event start: Early January 2026...
Acetone MMA European January contract eases with feedstock propylene
LONDON (ICIS)--The Europe acetone methyl methacrylate (MMA) contract price has softened for January 2026, as a result of lower upstream propylene costs for the month. The Europe acetone MMA contract...
India’s NFL issues select counters in urea import tender
LONDON (ICIS)--In India, urea fertilizer importer National Fertilizers Limited (NFL) has issued counter offers in its tender to the lowest eight offers on the east coast and the lowest six on the...
Middle East January sulphur posted prices rise to new record high
LONDON (ICIS)--Sulphur producers in the Arab Gulf have set January posted prices at $516–520/tonne FOB — the highest level recorded since ICIS began tracking the market in 2017, surpassing the...
Plant status: China’s Sinopec Yangzi to shut PP units
SINGAPORE (ICIS)--Here is a plant status report: Name: Sinopec Yangzi PC. Location: Nanjing, China Product: Polypropylene (PP) Capacity (tonnes/year): 140,000 (Line 1); 80,000 (Line 2); 200,000 (Line...
ICIS TTF Early Day assessments: 6 January 2026
- ICIS TTF Early Day rose on Tuesday, turning into a slight premium to EAX for February front month at $0.25/MMBtu - Unplanned maintenance at Skarv facility will take 4.6mcm/day capacity offline on...