Industry News
Chemical Industry News
Quantum entanglement makes chemical bonds measurable for the first time
Chemical bonding is one of the central organizing principles of the microscopic world. It determines how atoms combine and thereby governs a wide range of physical and chemical properties of quantum systems across many length
China factory activity decelerates in May, PMI softens
SINGAPORE (ICIS)--China’s factory activity slowed down in May, with purchasing managers’ index (PMI) for manufacturing sector easing. The official manufacturing PMI published by the National...
China’s average run rate of PO plants falls further to 59.3% on plant maintenance
SINGAPORE (ICIS)--China’s propylene oxide (PO) plants posted an average run rate at 59.3% in the week ended 29 May 2026, down by 2.4 percentage points from the last reporting period, ICIS data...
China BPA average plant run rate inches up to 64.6% on plant restart
SINGAPORE (ICIS)--The average run rate of China’s bisphenol A (BPA) plants was at around 64.6% in the week ended 29 May 2026, up by 0.5 percentage points from the last reporting period, ICIS data...
APIC ’26: Some China PVC producers opt to export upstream VCM
FUKUOKA, Japan (ICIS)--Some Chinese polyethylene polyvinyl chloride (PVC) producers are choosing to lower operating rates and export upstream vinyl chloride monomer (VCM) instead amid adverse...
US BD June contract prices decline as global prices ease
HOUSTON (ICIS)--US June butadiene (BD) contract prices settled at a decrease from prior month, as global prices continue to decline. The ICIS price is a direct average of the four producers' prices....
US sets Vietnam up for future tariffs with third 301 investigation
HOUSTON (ICIS)--The US started a third investigation into Vietnam's trade practices under Section 301, which could lead to tariffs, the US Trade Representative (USTR) said on Friday. The USTR will...
Uncertainty continues to dominate the global AS outlook
HOUSTON (ICIS)--Uncertainty continues to dominate the global ammonium sulphate (AS) outlook, driven mainly by concerns over China’s fertilizer export policy and a seasonal slowdown in crop demand...
US acetone heading for turning point by Q3 2026
HOUSTON (ICIS)--US acetone will reach a turning point soon due to lower feedstock costs, increased imports, lackluster demand and price fatigue. Spot prices have started to plateau but will stay...
NYMEX: US natural gas futures edge up on above-normal temperatures
Front-month US natural gas futures gained on 29 May on widespread warmer temperatures The July 2026 Henry Hub contract on NYMEX settled at $3.29/MMBtu, up less than 1% from the previous session The...
Asia-US container rates continue to climb, liquid tanker rates soften
ICIS (HOUSTON)--Rates for shipping containers from east Asia and China to the US surged this week, rising by double-digit percentages, according to some analysts, while rates for liquid chemical...
Brazil Q1 GDP rises 1.1% but rest of year uncertain, rates to stay high – analysts
SAO PAULO (ICIS)--Brazil's economy expanded 1.1% in Q1 2026, compared with Q4 2025, once again supported by strong agricultural output although all majors subsectors - industry and services among...
CRUDE SUMMARY: Crude prices down sharply week on week on optimism for US-Iran ceasefire deal
Crude benchmarks have steepest weekly decline since early April Bearish sentiment driven by optimism for US-Iran peace deal breakthrough Price drop could be overdone as Strait of Hormuz likely to...
OCI’s Q1 fertilizer sales volumes rise 12%; prices soften from April peaks
LONDON (ICIS)--OCI Global’s Q1 fertilizer sales volumes rose 12% year on year to 468,000 tonnes, the Netherlands-based producer of nitrogen-based fertilizers and industrial chemicals said in a...
EU spot acetone trends lower on ample supply, weak demand
LONDON (ICIS)--Europe domestic acetone spot truck prices continue to slide on lengthy supply and stalled spot demand. Prices were still quoted in a wide range. Some traders/resellers considered...
Canada on the edge of recession as Q1 GDP falls at annualized 0.1%
TORONTO (ICIS)--Canada’s GDP fell at a 0.1% annualized rate in Q1 after a downward-revised 1.0% decline in Q4 2025, indicating that the economy fell into a “technical recession”, defined as two...
Plant status: MOL puts Hungary HDPE unit in force majeure after explosion
LONDON (ICIS)--Here is a plant status report: Name: MOL Group Location: Tiszaujvaros, Hungary Product: High density polyethylene (HDPE) Capacity (tonnes/year): 420,000 tonnes total HDPE Event start:...
Europe ACN contract price softens in June on feedstock costs
LONDON (ICIS)--The formula-based Europe acrylonitrile (ACN) contract average price for June fell by €11/tonne, on a moderate decrease in the contract price of feedstock propylene and a double-digit...
EU generation capacity sufficient to meet summer demand – ENTSO-E
ENTSO-E summer outlook finds EU has sufficient capacity to cover summer demand, with limited impact from Middle East conflict This means countries can meet peak consumption when temperatures and...
Europe ethylene June contract price talks to continue Monday, propylene June contract settled
LONDON (ICIS)--June contract reference price negotiations for ethylene will continue into next week because no full settlement has been finalized. There has been some progress, with three bilateral...