Industry News
Chemical Industry News
OUTLOOK ’26: Latin America PET market navigating global oversupply
SAO PAULO (ICIS)--In 2025, the polyethylene terephthalate (PET) market in Latin America faced intense competition from imported material. Although demand exhibited a growing trend, it nevertheless...
Argentina’s consumer confidence falls, inflation expectations remain high
SAO PAULO (ICIS)--Argentina's consumer confidence index declined in December, interrupting the previous months’ momentum, while inflation expectations remained stubbornly high at 34% over the next...
Chile’s growth expected higher on copper prices surge, but fiscal woes remain – bank
SAO PAULO (ICIS)--The increase in copper prices during 2025 is to prop up Chile’s GDP growth in the next two years – the commodity is the country’s key export – although “structural...
China MX prices rebound on downstream PX and polyester momentum
SINGAPORE (ICIS)--The recent rapid rebounds in domestic mixed xylenes (MX) prices have been primarily driven by high paraxylene (PX) production margins and polyester demand. In the short term, low...
OUTLOOK ’26: US PX, PET poised for shifts amid trade and demand mixed dynamics
HOUSTON (ICIS)--US paraxylene (PX) capacity utilization is set to climb in 2026, driven by stronger internal demand and the impact of reciprocal duties on imports. These trade measures are expected...
OUTLOOK ’26: US MMA under pressure from new capacity, flat demand
HOUSTON (ICIS)--US methyl methacrylate (MMA) is facing pricing pressure due to a well-supplied market and little rebound in demand going into 2026. Feedstock refinery-grade propylene (RGP) trading...
China’s average PTA plants’ run rate rebounds on restart of two plants
SINGAPORE (ICIS)--China’s purified terephthalic acid (PTA) plants posted a higher average operating rate, because INEOS Zhuhai’s No 2 plant and Yisheng Ningbo’s 2.2 million tonne/year plant...
China’s average PX plants’ run rate slips on Tianjin Petchem’s turnaround
SINGAPORE (ICIS)--China’s para-xylene (PX) plants have posted a lower average operating rate due to the shutdown maintenance at Tianjin Petrochemical. In the week ended 26 December, the plants’...
OUTLOOK ’26: US methanol expects slow domestic demand, strong exports
HOUSTON (ICIS)--Demand for US methanol in 2026 is expected to remain lackluster as downstream markets face economic challenges, but cost-advantaged production in the US will continue to keep exports...
China’s plastic output declines for fourth straight month YoY on weak demand
SINGAPORE (ICIS)--China's plastic product output continued to decline for the fourth consecutive month in November 2025 on a year-on-year basis in the face of weak demand. Domestic plastic product...
China’s November PE imports up on intensive year-end LDPE arrivals
SINGAPORE (ICIS)--China imported a total of 1,131,533 tonnes of polyethylene (PE) in November 2025, up by 4.8% month on month but down by 10.3% on yearly basis, according to the ICIS Supply and...
China’s November PE exports up on surplus domestic supply
SINGAPORE (ICIS)--China’s polyethylene (PE) exports rose by 2.9% month on month to 89,190 tonnes in November 2025, according to the ICIS Supply & Demand Database. The increase was attributed to...
OUTLOOK ’26: China’s acetone market to see moderate cap expansion; value chain profit losses to drive industry transformation
SINGAPORE (ICIS)--In 2026, China's acetone capacity expansion will enter a period of moderation, with only Shandong Ruilin Petrochemical expected to commence operations at the beginning of the year....
Plant status: China’s Sinopec Yangzi restarts LLDPE line
SINGAPORE (ICIS)--Here is a plant status report: Name: Sinopec Yangzi PC Location: Nanjing, China Product: Liner low density polyethylene (LLDPE) Capacity (tonnes/year): 260,000 Event start: 16...
China’s Zhejiang Huanyang Xinghua plans epoxy resins project
SINGAPORE (ICIS)--China’s Zhejiang Huanyang Xinghua New Materials is planning to construct a 100,000 tonne/year epoxy resins project at Ningbo in Zhejiang province, a company source said. A 100,000...
Plant status: China’s Henan Zhongyuan Dahua shuts methanol plant
SINGAPORE (ICIS)--Here is a plant status report: Name: Henan Zhongyuan Dahua Location: Puyang, Henan, China Product: Methanol Capacity (tonnes/year): 500,000 Event start: 22 Dec 2025 Event finish:...
OUTLOOK ’26: China’s phenol market supply-demand to rebalance, eyes on exports
SINGAPORE (ICIS)--The domestic phenol market in China will experience slower capacity expansions in 2026 with only one plant start-up expected, and market participants may pay more attention to...
East China acetone inventories down by 8.5% to 27,000 tonnes
SINGAPORE (ICIS)--Acetone inventories at Jiangsu ports in east China have decreased to 27,000 tonnes in the week ended 26 December, ICIS data showed on Friday. The inventories were down by 8.5% from...
East China MEG inventories decrease slightly amid limited import arrivals
SINGAPORE (ICIS)--Monoethylene glycol (MEG) inventories in east China decreased to 765,000 tonnes on 26 December, down by around 0.3% from 19 December, ICIS data showed, due to limited import...
OUTLOOK ’26: Asia MMA to see healthier supply-demand balance, PMMA supply to rise
SINGAPORE (ICIS)--Asia’s methyl methacrylate (MMA) market could see a healthier supply-demand balance in 2026, as new downstream polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) facilities boost PMMA availability...