Industry News
Chemical Industry News
Czech Day‑ahead premium to THE likely to widen into early 2026 amid Polish, Slovak demand
Snowfall, cold in Poland to keep CEE flows from the west elevated Ccech/THE Day-ahead spread likely to widen in coming days Competition of r German capacity to support spreads as CEE relies on...
OUTLOOK ’26: Europe ECH capacity cut afoot; flat demand to temper effects
LONDON (ICIS)--Europe epichlorohydrin (ECH) players are poised for a structural capacity cut in 2026, as INEOS’ Rheinberg allylics/ECH ops closure looms. But buyers remain calm so far, as demand is...
OUTLOOK ’26: US propylene ample supply and high inventories keep prices stable
HOUSTON (ICIS)--Heading into 2026, propylene inventories are at the highest point since 2022, leading to lower volatility than the market has seen for the past several years. Despite the stability,...
China’s average run rate of PO plants inches down to 67% amid minor operational changes
SINGAPORE (ICIS)--China’s propylene oxide (PO) plants posted an average run rate at 67.0% in the week ended 31 December 2025, down by 0.6 percentage points from the last reporting period, ICIS data...
China BPA average plant run rate edges up to 70.4% on operational ramp-up
SINGAPORE (ICIS)--The average run rate of China’s bisphenol A (BPA) plants was at around 70.4% in the week ended 31 December 2025, up by 0.9 percentage points from the last reporting period, ICIS...
OUTLOOK ‘26: Europe Paraffin Wax set for renewed Chinese competition
LONDON(ICIS)--The European paraffin wax market is poised for oversupply persisting into 2026, with an abundance of Chinese material encouraged by low freight, despite the EU anti-dumping duties....
OUTLOOK ’26: Europe MPG demand projected to hold steady
LONDON (ICIS)--The European monopropylene glycol (MPG) market has been marked by persistent structural weakness with no major revival for 2026. Plant shutdown in Europe Europe net MPG importer in...
East China’s SM inventory drops 0.9% as consumption outweighs arrivals
SINGAPORE (ICIS)--Styrene monomer (SM) inventory level in east China decreased by 0.9% from last reporting week as consumption outweighs arrivals, ICIS data showed on Wednesday. The total stock was...
NBP front month premium to TTF rises on bullish weather forecasts
By Ethan Tillcock and Harvey Bassett Cold and calm weather is set to bolster gas demand first fortnight of 2026 Firm storage reserves cap upside risk LNG arrivals remain steady at start of year...
UK February ’26 Baseload above Dutch, French contracts, but below German equivalent
UK power February ’26 Baseload contract above Dutch, French counterparts, but at discount to German contract Weather, interconnector outages key drivers for UK power prices through February,...
Plant status: China’s Kingboard Chemical to shut No 2 acetic acid plant
SINGAPORE (ICIS)--Here is a plant status report: Name: Kingboard Chemical Location: Xingtai, Hebei, China Product: Acetic acid Capacity (tonnes/year): 800,000 (No 2) Event start: 3 January 2026 Event...
East China toluene port inventory higher on more arrivals
SINGAPORE (ICIS)--Toluene inventory at east China ports increased to 46,900 tonnes in the reporting period ended 31 December on more arrivals, according to ICIS data. The inventory was up by around...
OUTLOOK ’26: Asia fatty alcohols mid-cuts to see demand ahead of Lunar New Year holidays
SINGAPORE (ICIS)--Asia’s mid-cuts fatty alcohols market is expected to see Chinese spot interest picking up pace into January ahead of the Lunar New Year holidays in February 2026. Restocking...
OUTLOOK ’26: Soap noodles demand tepid in early 2026 on fluctuations in feedstocks
SINGAPORE (ICIS)--Demand for soap noodles is expected to be tepid in early 2026 due to the fluctuations in the upstream crude palm oil (CPO) and palm kernel oil (PKO) markets amid macroeconomic...
OUTLOOK ’26: Asia fatty acids demand to pick up in early Jan ahead of Lunar New Year holidays
SINGAPORE (ICIS)--Asia’s fatty acids market is expected to see increased Chinese spot interest into January 2026 on restocking activities ahead of the Lunar New Year holidays, which falls in...
OUTLOOK ’26: Asia butyl glycol faces margin squeeze, P-series demand wanes on recycled alternatives
SINGAPORE (ICIS)--Asia’s butyl glycol (BG) markets are bracing for a challenging start to 2026 after prices in 2025 fell to their lowest level in five years, pressured by significant capacity...
OUTLOOK ’26: Asia Group II base oils faces a challenging year as supply lengthens
SINGAPORE (ICIS)--Asia’s Group II base oils market will enter 2026 under mounting pressure as structural supply shifts are expected to tilt the balance toward a surplus. ExxonMobil’s new capacity...
OUTLOOK ’26: China base oils imports to stabilize, downstream demand to recover slowly
SINGAPORE (ICIS)--After a continuous decline from 2020 through 2025, China’s overall base oils imports are expected to stabilize in 2026, driven by the start-up of ExxonMobil Singapore’s new unit...
OUTLOOK ’26: Asia GAA and acrylates weakness to continue with demand growth lagging
SINGAPORE (ICIS)--The Asia-Pacific glacial acrylic acid (GAA) and acrylates market has seen new capacities coming online in 2025 in China and India, adding on to overcapacity and self-sufficiency....
OUTLOOK ’26: Asia glycerine demand likely soft on weak downstream ECH in Jan-Feb
SINGAPORE (ICIS)--Asia’s glycerine demand is expected to remain soft in early 2026 due to the weak downstream epichlorohydrin (ECH) market. ECH seasonal demand usually slows early in the year...