Industry News
Chemical Industry News
INSIGHT: Chemical M&A stifled by tariffs, uncertainty, bringing deal backlog to boiling point
NEW YORK (ICIS)--Hopes were high that 2025 would bring a flurry of chemical mergers and acquisitions (M&A) after years of lackluster activity. Tariffs put an end to that as heightened uncertainty...
Europe R-PET flake, pellet prices drop along with summer demand levels
LONDON (ICIS)--Several recycled polyethylene terephthalate (R-PET) flake markets saw drops in prices in the first week of August because of lower demand compared with July, with price levels...
PET bale prices drop as summer supply surge meets lower demand
LONDON (ICIS)--Colorless (C) polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bales in northwest (NWE) dropped €50/tonne over July with pressure on bale sellers to drop prices mounting as more material entered the...
Czech defense group CSG takes stake in German chemicals producer Alzchem
LONDON (ICIS)--Czechoslovak Group (CSG) has taken a 9.2% stake in German chemicals producer Alzchem. Prague-based CSG is an international industrial holding with businesses in defense, mobility,...
Germany’s gas-fired power buildout gains momentum amid new Uniper strategy, EU approval progress
Germany’s Energy Ministry says first tenders from the 20GW plan could be launched “as soon as possible” amid advanced talks with the EU Uniper to invest €5bn by 2030 in renewables and...
Japan’s DIC to build new epoxy resins plant to supply semiconductor industry
LONDON (ICIS)--Japan’s DIC Corp plans to build a new epoxy resins plant at its Chiba site in Ichihara to meet growing demand from the semiconductor industry. “With demand for semiconductors...
German chemical industry climate deteriorates amid tariffs; Henkel, SGL cut outlooks
LONDON (ICIS)--Business sentiment in Germany’s chemical industry “significantly deteriorated” in July, from June, according to the latest survey by Munich-based research group ifo on Thursday....
Low lithium levels linked to Alzheimer’s
Immune cells’ ability to degrade amyloid-beta peptides restored in mice treated with lithium salt
US June base oils and lube exports sink to 11-month low
SINGAPORE (ICIS)--US base oils and lube exports fell to an 11-month low in June after the country’s stocks slid to a multiyear low the previous month. Total US base oils and lube exports were 3.41...
India’s July lube demand rises
SINGAPORE (ICIS)--India’s lube demand rose to a four-month high in July, complicating blenders’ moves to replenish stocks. Lube consumption came to 403,000 tonnes in July, government data showed....
INSIGHT: US political tariffs on India add uncertainty to chem markets
HOUSTON (ICIS)--The US is relying increasingly on tariffs to influence the policies of other countries, which is injecting more uncertainty into chemical markets. The US is proposing tariffs of 25%...
HYDRO MONTHLY: Drier European weather outlook could offset recent rainfall yield
LONDON (ICIS)--Drier weather conditions expected through the rest of August could offset the benefits of recent rainfall on hydropower margins, meaning most countries – with the exception of the...
Long-term Egyptian LNG demand could ease amid Israeli gas deal
Egypt agrees to major increase in pipe gas supplies from Israel Could over time reduce Egypt’s LNG demand Short-term Egyptian LNG demand remains high LONDON (ICIS)—A major increase in pipeline...
Europe jet fuel prices ease on crude volatility, diesel weakness
LONDON (ICIS)--Jet fuel prices in Europe have edged lower, weighed down by falling diesel cracks, crude volatility and macroeconomic headwinds, although some of this has been offset by seasonal...
China’s domestic ammonia prices drop on soft urea
SINGAPORE (ICIS)--China’s domestic ammonia prices generally dropped this week in the face of soft urea values, following sharp gains in the past two weeks. The domestic urea market was bearish from...
China’s DAP port inventories stable at 205,000 tonnes on no arrivals
SINGAPORE (ICIS)--China’s diammonium phosphate (DAP) port inventories were around 205,000 tonnes on 7 August as there are no new cargoes arriving at the ports, ICIS data showed. The inventories...
China’s sulphur port inventories down 55,000 tonnes on more trading
SINGAPORE (ICIS)--China’s sulphur port inventories fell to around 2.53 million tonnes on 7 August, because of more trading in the domestic market, ICIS data showed. This marks a decrease of 55,000...
Brazil’s Braskem Q2 hit by trade woes, feedstock ‘mismatches’ and lower prices
MADRID (ICIS)--Braskem’s Q2 sales and earnings fell sharply as tariff-linked global trade woes and lower selling prices for its main products took their toll, the Brazilian polymers major said this...
Nobelium becomes heaviest element with identified compounds
Complexes containing hydroxide, water and dinitrogen ligands detected as researchers probe chemistry on the edge of the actinide series
‘Creative destruction’ in the chemistry lab
Some obsolete lab equipment is quickly replaced, while other items are stubbornly persistent. What modern tech will survive to the 2060s?