Industry News
Chemical Industry News
PVC offtake in Middle East slows, supply overhang concerns persist
MUMBAI (ICIS)--Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) buying activity in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and East Mediterranean (East Med) markets slowed in the week ending 19 September following the completion...
China BPA average plant run rate down to 71.7% on plant shutdowns
SINGAPORE (ICIS)--China’s bisphenol A (BPA) plants posted an average run rate at 71.7% in the week ended 19 September 2025, down by 0.5 percentage points from the last reporting period, ICIS data...
India’s PVC sentiment soft as buyers hold for October offers
MUMBAI (ICIS)--Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) spot activity in India remained subdued in the week ended 19 September, with most buyers on the sidelines awaiting October shipment offers. Fresh offers in the...
Sinopec Tahe starts building new cracker, refinery expansion
SINGAPORE (ICIS)--China’s Xinjiang-based Sinopec Tahe Petrochemical kicked off construction of a new 800,000 tonne/year cracker as well as refinery expansion on 20 September, Sinopec said in a...
S Arabia’s Farabi inaugurates LAB plant in Yanbu
SINGAPORE (ICIS)--Saudi Arabia's Farabi Petrochemicals Co has inaugurated its fourth integrated linear alkyl benzene (LAB) plant in Yanbu Industrial City, the company said in a statement on 21...
China’s average run rate of PO plants falls to 65.7% on plant shutdowns
SINGAPORE (ICIS)--China’s propylene oxide (PO) plants posted an average run rate at 65.7% in the week ended 19 September 2025, down by 2.8 percentage points from the last reporting period, ICIS...
Super Typhoon Ragasa brings heavy rain, gusts to Taiwan, Philippines
SINGAPORE (ICIS)--The northern Philippines and southern Taiwan braced for heavy rain and strong gusts as Super Typhoon Ragasa, the first such designated typhoon in 2025, lashed the two regions on...
Taiwan’s CPC Corp awards toluene export tender for H2 Oct-Nov loading
SINGAPORE (ICIS)--Taiwan’s CPC Corp has sold through an export tender toluene shipment for second-half October and November lifting from Kaohsiung. The spot cargoes fetched a premium range at...
Plant status: China’s Henan Shunda in the process of restarting acetic acid unit
SINGAPORE (ICIS)--Here is a plant status report: Name: Henan Shunda Chemical Technology Location: Zhumadian, Henan, China Product: Acetic acid Capacity (tonnes/year): 400,000 Event start: 19 August...
China keeps benchmark lending rates stable for four straight months
SINGAPORE (ICIS)--China left benchmark lending rates unchanged for the fourth consecutive month in September fixing, according to the central bank. The loan prime rate (LPR) remained at 3% for 1-year...
EPCA ’25: caustic soda threatened by weak demand, tariffs on US exports
LONDON (ICIS)--The European caustic soda market remains fundamentally exposed to European, and global, weak demand in 2025, although in the short term the outlook going into the EPCA has been...
EPCA ’25: Ongoing struggles, caution likely to persist for Europe epoxy market
LONDON (ICIS)--The epoxy market in Europe is bracing for continued challenges for the remainder of the year, with the impending closure of Westlake’s Pernis site underscoring the industry's ongoing...
EPCA ’25: Little respite for European toluene in Q4
LONDON (ICIS)--As the industry prepares to gather for the European Petrochemical Association annual meeting in Berlin, the toluene market remains under pressure with little sign of structural...
EPCA ’25: European methanol market faces flat Q4 demand amid winter supply risks
LONDON (ICIS)--European methanol consumption is forecast flat for the fourth quarter across derivative markets, while supply should remain balanced despite potential production disruption linked to...
EPCA ’25: Regulation and financing continue to dominate pyrolysis oil discussions
LONDON (ICIS)--Discussions among players in the pyrolysis oil market at the European Petrochemical Association (EPCA) annual meeting 22-25 September are likely to centre-on four interlinked topics:-...
EPCA ’25: Europe butac sellers eye risk from low-cost Chinese imports
LONDON (ICIS)--Butyl acetate (butac) sellers in Europe are increasingly concerned about competitively-priced imports from China. With spot buying interest already muted across the region, domestic...
EPCA ’25: Europe MMA margin squeeze, financial challenges shape rest of 2025
LONDON (ICIS)--The ongoing margin squeeze and financial challenges are set to shape discussions the Europe methyl methacrylate (MMA) players will have at EPCA ‘25. 2026 budgets being drawn up amid...
EPCA ’25: Slow momentum for Europe polyols and downstream sectors
LONDON (ICIS)--Consumption of polyols as well as sectors downstream has generally been limited this year, and expectations for a recovery over the rest of this year remain low. Construction PMI down...
SHIPPING: Asia-US container rates mixed, face downward pressure on trade war, soft demand
HOUSTON (ICIS)--Rates for shipping containers from east Asia and China to the US were mixed this week, but a collapse on the Shanghai Containerized Freight Index (SCFI) indicates that carriers are in...
NanYa Plastics seeking price increase on US PET resins on elevated costs
HOUSTON (ICIS)--NanYa Plastics is seeking a 6 cents/lb price increase on US polyethylene terephthalate (PET) effective 1 October. The price increase can be attributed to the increased cost of energy,...