Industry News
Chemical Industry News
China to stay on course with next five-year plan
SINGAPORE (ICIS)--China's latest strategic blueprint indicates the world's second largest economy is staying firmly on course with its long-term economic and development goals. Outlined in a...
China’s titanium dioxide exports continue uptrend in September
SINGAPORE (ICIS)--China’s September titanium dioxide (TiO2) exports rose to 156,330 tonnes compared with August, according to the ICIS Supply and Demand Database. August exports were 138,736 tonnes...
Asia TiO2 indicative price stable as market struggles to sustain growth
SINGAPORE (ICIS)--Titanium dioxide (TiO2) spot indicative prices in Asia were stable so far on Friday. Sell indications were heard at $1,900/tonne FOB (free on board) China, unchanged compared with...
Japan Oct flash manufacturing PMI slips to 48.3 on weaker demand
SINGAPORE (ICIS)--Japan’s manufacturing purchasing managers’ index (PMI) fell to 48.3 in October from 48.5 in September on weaker customer demand, flash estimates from a private sector survey...
Plant status: China’s Shandong Jinling Chemical restarts its PO plant
SINGAPORE (ICIS)--Here is a plant status report: Name: Shandong Jinling Chemical Location: Shandong, China Product: Propylene oxide (PO) Capacity (tonnes/year): 160,000 Event start: Around 12 October...
China September PP exports fall due to weak overseas demand
SINGAPORE (ICIS)--China’s polypropylene (PP) exports fell in September due to weak overseas demand. Meanwhile, China’s offers had no competitive advantage over low-priced cargoes from other...
China September PP imports rise amid weak overseas demand
SINGAPORE (ICIS)--China’s polypropylene (PP) imports rose in September, given weak overseas demand. Overseas suppliers diverted more PP to China in September as demand was sluggish in other...
East China MEG inventories decrease on delayed import arrivals
SINGAPORE (ICIS)--Monoethylene glycol (MEG) inventories in east China decreased to 471,000 tonnes on 24 October, down by around 3.5% from 17 October, ICIS data showed, due to delayed cargo arrivals...
China major producers’ polyolefin inventories continue falling amid improving demand
SINGAPORE (ICIS)--The combined polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP) inventories of Chinese state-owned petrochemical giants Sinopec and PetroChina continued falling as demand perked up, market...
Civet coffee kopi luwak’s reputedly superior flavour may have chemical basis
Coffee beans that have passed through the gut of Asian palm civet have more compounds associated with intense tastes
J&J now faces talc cancer claims in the UK
Alongside nearly 70,000 US lawsuits, over 3000 claimants have filed joint UK legal action
Algenesis cracks diisocyanate problem to make fully bio-based polyurethane
Process combines algal fermentation with flow chemistry and avoids hazardous phosgene
South Korea benzene exports see slowdown as end-Oct looms
SINGAPORE (ICIS)--South Korea exported some 115,101 tonnes of benzene in the first 20 days of October, based on sources familiar with the market. South Korea had exported a total of 280,671 tonnes of...
Asia isocyanates under pressure from soft demand, MMDI sentiment lifts
SINGAPORE (ICIS)--Poor end-use demand weighed on polymeric methylene diphenyl diisocyanate (MDI) and toluene diisocyanate (TDI) in the Chinese domestic market, but anticipated run rate cuts lifted...
China’s September toluene exports hit yearly high on domestic supply pressure
SINGAPORE (ICIS)--China’s toluene exports in September rose to a record high for the year amid domestic supply pressure, according to data from ICIS Supply and Demand Database. The exports in...
Asia polyols weighed on by China declines; SE Asia supply tightens
SINGAPORE (ICIS)--Despite firmness in upstream costs, polyols spot prices declined in the Chinese domestic market, weighing on exports for several grades. Local supply tightened in southeast Asia as...
Asia capro demand stays soft, despite downstream expansion
SINGAPORE (ICIS)--Demand for Asia spot caprolactam (capro) was sluggish despite recent expansions in nylon capacities in China. Supply continues to outpace demand, with upstream weakness weighing on...
Asia PX markets supported by healthy gasoline, but downstream demand growth lags
SINGAPORE (ICIS)--Stronger than expected demand from gasoline markets could provide some short-term support for paraxylene (PX) prices in Asia. Healthy demand from gasoline provides better...
Plant status: S Korea Hanwha Impact to shut Ulsan No 1 PTA unit maintenance
SINGAPORE (ICIS)--Here is a plant status report: Name: Hanwha Impact Corporation Location: Ulsan, South Korea Product: Purified terephthalic acid (PTA) Capacity (tonnes/year): 400,000 Event start: H2...
Plant status: China’s Zhongjing and Zhongjiang Petrochemical shut PP units
SINGAPORE (ICIS)--Here is a plant status report: Name: Zhongjing Petrochemical & Zhongjiang Petrochemical Location: Fuqing, China Product: Polypropylene (PP) Capacity (tonnes/year): 700,000 (two...