Industry News
Chemical Industry News
China’s average PTA plants’ run rate falls on operation cuts
SINGAPORE (ICIS)--China’s purified terephthalic acid (PTA) plants have posted a lower average operating rate, because Fujian Billion, Hailun Chemical and Yisheng New Material trimmed operations. In...
China’s average PX plants’ run rate drops on turnaround, operation cuts
SINGAPORE (ICIS)--China’s para-xylene (PX) plants have posted a lower average operating rate, as Qingdao Lidong shut its plant for maintenance and PetroChina Guangdong Petrochemical reduced...
China acetic acid run rate drops on plants shutdown
SINGAPORE (ICIS)--China acetic acid plants’ average run rate decreased, mainly attributed to brief shutdowns at Jiangsu Sopo and Sinopec Great Wall. Both plants have been restarted in the week....
East China acetone inventories roll over this week
SINGAPORE (ICIS)--Acetone inventories at Jiangsu ports in east China were at 40,000 tonnes in the week ended 3 April, ICIS data showed on Friday. The inventories were unchanged from 27 March,...
China underpins retirement of aging chemical plants in renewed push
SINGAPORE (ICIS)--China is pushing through the phasing out of old chemical plants and will carry out an annual review on aging facilities from 2027, a government document showed. Facilities aged over...
INSIGHT: AI baseload premium – from token arbitrage to tons arbitrage
SINGAPORE (ICIS)--When a single AI facility can drop from roughly 450 megawatt(MW) to about 40MW in 36 seconds, the problem is no longer just power supply. It is grid stability. That is why the next...
East China DEG inventories decrease on limited arrivals
SINGAPORE (ICIS)--Diethylene glycol (DEG) inventories at Jiangsu in east China fell by 22% from last Friday, as arrivals remained limited. The total inventories were at 34,200 tonnes on 3 April, down...
Plant status: China’s Huizhou Zhongxin to restart No 2 phenol/acetone unit
SINGAPORE (ICIS)--Here is a plant status report: Name: Huizhou Zhongxin Chemical Location: Huizhou, Guangdong, China Product: Phenol and acetone Capacity (tonnes/year): 280,000 and 170,000...
China BD export offers slip from historic highs on lackluster domestic markets
SINGAPORE (ICIS)--Some China producers of butadiene (BD) are starting to moderate their selling indications for export cargoes, taking into considering prevailing pricing realities in domestic...
China orders teapot refiners to maintain run rates to ensure fuel supply
SINGAPORE (ICIS)--China’s top economic planner has instructed teapot refineries (also known as independents) not to cut operating rates, in efforts to maintain domestic fuel supply, market sources...
NYMEX: US natural gas falls to new six-month low
Front-month US natural gas futures moved slightly lower on 2 April, reaching a new multimonth low on rising domestic production as crude futures moved higher The May Henry Hub contract on NYMEX...
Brazil’s Braskem mulling debt freeze as coupon deadline looms but no easy fix in sight – Moody’s
SAO PAULO (ICIS)--Braskem would reportedly be evaluating a court injunction to suspend debt payments for 60 days as a $100 million bond coupon due in July threatens to drain cash reserves further,...
CRUDE SUMMARY: Oil prices climb amid concerns of intensifying Middle East conflict
WTI May contract moves above Brent June contract following comments from Trump Trump states attacks against Iran will intensify over next two to three weeks UK holds meeting with 35 other nations to...
UK electricity demand for 2026 set to stay above previous years
UK power demand through first quarter of 2026 is above the same period in 2025 UK power prices could increase in line with higher demand, gas volatility ICIS Power Foresight shows demand is set to...
Plant status: Indorama’s Polish plant restarting but still on force majeure
LONDON (ICIS)--Here is a plant status report: Name: Indorama Ventures Wloclawek Location: Wloclawek, Poland Product: PET Capacity (tonnes/year): 230,000 Event start: 2 March 2026 Event finish:...
US trade deficit widens in February
HOUSTON (ICIS)--After falling in January, the US goods and services trade deficit rose by $2.7 billion or 4.9% month on month to $57.3 billion in February, the US Census Bureau reported on Thursday....
Plant status: Westlake Vinnolit to carry out PVC maintenance at Knapsack, Germany, in April
LONDON (ICIS)--Here is a plant status report: Name: Westlake Vinnolit Location: Knapsack, Germany Product: Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) Capacity (tonnes/year): 160,000 Event start: April Event finish:...
Mexico’s petrochemicals rebound in Q1 as Iran war reshapes global supply chains – bank
SAO PAULO (ICIS)--Mexico's petrochemical sector is entering its first-quarter earnings season with improving financial metrics and healthier demand environment, even as the ongoing conflict with Iran...
China’s Sinopec to build 300,000 tonne/year BD plant in Kazakhstan
LONDON (ICIS)--Kazakhstan’s Butadiene LLP has signed an engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract with China’s Sinopec Guangzhou Engineering for a 300,000 tonne/year butadiene (BD)...
Volatile gas prices likely to continue driving Hungarian May ’26 power contract
Uncertainty around Middle East conflict likely to continue to influence gas, power contracts Good precipitation across Balkans could pressure prices – trader Low solar forecast likely to add...