Industry News
Chemical Industry News
Europe SAN contract prices increase for May
LONDON (ICIS)--Styrene acrylonitrile (SAN) contract prices have increased €90/tonne in May, driven by feedstock price movements including the €55/tonne styrene increase and the €168/tonne...
US Philadelphia region manufacturing weakens in May, after four months of expansion
HOUSTON (ICIS)--Manufacturing activity in the broader Philadelphia region weakened in May after four consecutive months of expansion, according to the latest “Manufacturing Business Outlook...
CRUDE SUMMARY: Crude prices volatile on mixed reports regarding US-Iran peace talks
Reports Iran will not send enriched uranium out of the country complicating peace talks IEA and ADNOC leaders suggest worsening impact of US-Iran war on global oil market OPEC+ expected to increase...
Europe capro faces mounting cost pressure as impact of the Middle East conflict ripples through chain
LONDON (ICIS)--European caprolactam (capro) market is entering the mid-year period under ongoing cost pressure and heightened risk of downstream demand destruction with concerns around affordability...
Europe Melamine May contract prices assessed stable-to-firm; spot prices soften on improved import supply outlook
LONDON (ICIS)--European melamine May contracts have been assessed stable to firm as the market straddles high production costs and affordability constraints within a challenging environment. European...
Brazil issues guidance clarifying parts of plastics reverse logistics rules
MEXICO CITY (ICIS)--Brazil’s environment ministry (MMA) has issued new guidance on its plastic packaging reverse logistics decree, clarifying scope and compliance structure while leaving some rules...
Fundamental driven upside risk on the French power Q4 ’26, possible market overreaction
Nuclear risks, cold snap, Hormuz closure could spur the French power Q4 '26 But, ICIS Power Foresight data shows the market could be overestimating the price Strong El Nino signals could alter the...
UP-Norfolk merger would lead to freight rail duopoly, Canadian rail exec warns
TORONTO (ICIS)--The merger between US freight railroads Union Pacific (UP) and Norfolk Southern (NS) would trigger further mergers, according to the CEO of rail carrier Canadian Pacific Kansas City...
NOAA forecasters expect below-average 2026 Atlantic hurricane season
HOUSTON (ICIS)--The US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is predicting a below-average 2026 Atlantic hurricane season, forecasting 8-14 named storms, of which 3-6 are likely to...
US officially moves to dismantle drinking water PFAS regulations
If finalised, the new rules will remove limits on four substances and give utilities longer to comply with remaining limits
Study points to ammonia contamination in water microdroplets saga
Replication effort attributes mass spectrometry peaks to ammonium not hydroxyl species
Structure-led search tool set to refine how scientists explore metabolomics data
Platform can find molecules and substructures across massive public datasets
Could lab-grown cocoa be the solution to the climate and supply chain woes plaguing chocolate?
Companies are ready to begin supplying chocolate makers with cell-based cocoa powder in early 2027
A career journey where nothing is lost and everything is transformed
What Lavoisier can teach you about career development
BASF focuses on strengthening and growing its core businesses in the next phase of its “Winning Ways” strategy
After the swift and almost complete carve-out of its standalone businesses, BASF is focusing on strengthening and growing its core businesses in the next phase of its “Winning Ways” strategy. The newly established Core Transformation
i.safe MOBILE launches production in Germany
At a press event held at its headquarters in Lauda-Koenigshofen, i.safe MOBILE officially announced the launch of its “Made in Germany” manufacturing operations. The company, which has recently been listed in WirtschaftsWoche’s World Market Leader
Innovation paves way to make ‘clean’ chemicals, plastics and food using solar energy
A new study led by Dr Lin Su of Queen Mary University of London, published in the Journal of the American Chemical Society, describes a new integrated solar reactor in which engineered Escherichia coli (E.
Enzymes as recycling heroes: Researches sustainable plastic recycling
Researchers at Leipzig University have taken another important step forward in plastic recycling research: in a study recently published in the journal Nature Communications, they specifically optimised the naturally occurring enzyme PHL7 to enable the
S Korea export prices for isomer MX soften on upstream losses
SINGAPORE (ICIS)--Spot isomer grade mixed xylenes (MX) export prices from South Korea softened on 20 May, reflecting lower discussions amid upstream price losses. ICIS data showed that isomer MX...
Asia BD buying tempo slows down amid surplus in prompt supplies
SINGAPORE (ICIS)--Spot butadiene (BD) import prices in Asia have slipped by more than 6% in the first half of May, with downstream offtake slowing down at a time when more-than-expected prompt...