Industry News
Chemical Industry News
East and south Asia LAB markets retreat as demand and feedstock slump
SINGAPORE (ICIS)--The linear alkylbenzene (LAB) market in east and south Asia remained on a downtrend on the back of a shrinkage in demand. The rapid and successive price increases in March and...
Plant status: China’s Sinopec Hainan to shut MEG plant
SINGAPORE (ICIS)--Here is a plant status report: Name: Sinopec Hainan Refining & Chemical Location: Hainan, China Product: Monoethylene glycol (MEG) Capacity (tonnes/year): 800,000 Event start:...
S Korea 1-20 May PX exports down 13.7% month on month
SINGAPORE (ICIS)--South Korea exported a total of around 190,800 tonnes of paraxylene (PX) during 1-20 May, down by 13.7% compared to the same period in the previous month, according to estimates...
Plant status: China’s Jiangsu Jiatong Energy shuts No 2 PTA plant
SINGAPORE (ICIS)--Here is a plant status report: Name: Jiangsu Jiatong Energy Location: Rudong, Jiangsu, China Product: Purified terephthalic acid(PTA) Capacity (tonnes/year): 2.5 million Event...
S Korea producer prices rise 6.9% in April, chemicals up 15.6% – central bank
SINGAPORE (ICIS)--South Korea's producer prices rose by 6.9% year on year in April, supported by higher petroleum and raw materials prices stemming from the ongoing Middle East crisis, preliminary...
Japan May flash manufacturing PMI eases to 54.1 on softer output growth
SINGAPORE (ICIS)--Japan’s manufacturing purchasing managers’ index (PMI) slipped to 54.1 in May from 55.1 in April amid slower output growth, flash estimates from a private sector survey showed...
Japan April chemical exports up 8.8%, overall shipments rise 14.8%
SINGAPORE (ICIS)--Japan’s chemical exports rose by 8.8% year on year to yen (Y) 1.14 trillion in April as overall shipments abroad expanded, preliminary official data showed on Thursday. Exports of...
Plant status: TSRC restarts SBR unit in Taiwan
SINGAPORE (ICIS)--Here is a plant status report: Name: TSRC Corp Location: Kaohsiung, Taiwan Product: Styrene butadiene rubber (SBR) Capacity (tonnes/year): 100,000 Event start: 21 April 2026 Event...
Plant status: China’s Far Eastern Union shuts MEG unit
SINGAPORE (ICIS)--Here is a plant status report: Name: Far Eastern Union Petrochemical Location: Yangzhou, Jiangsu, China Product: Monoethylene glycol (MEG) Capacity (tonnes/year): 500,000 Event...
US gasoline supplies fall amid strong demand
HOUSTON (ICIS)--US gasoline supplies declined during the week ended 15 May, as gasoline demand was high. Gasoline stocks decreased week on week, according to the US Energy Information Administration...
NYMEX: US gas futures slide from recent gains despite improved feedgas demand
US natural gas futures fell on 20 May, despite improved feedgas demand from US LNG plants The June ’26 front-month contract settled at $3.004/MMBtu, down nearly 4% from the previous settle Feedgas...
CRUDE SUMMARY: Crude dips as Iran-US negotiations keep traders on edge
Crude sheds value on Wednesday as peace proposal makes headlines Buying interest in spot market intensifies as futures market becomes hazy UK eases sanctions on Russian product imports to manage...
Trinidad’s NGC signs gas supply deal with methanol producer MHTL
SAO PAULO (ICIS)--The National Gas Company has signed a new gas sales contract with Methanol Holdings (Trinidad) Limited (MHTL), completing the renewal of all its downstream gas supply agreements,...
Plant Status: Trinseo lifts force majeure on high impact polystyrene
LONDON (ICIS)--Here is a plant status report: Name: Trinseo Location: Tessenderlo, Belgium Product: High impact grade polystyrene (HIPS) Capacity (tonnes/year): 265,000 total capacity at the plant...
EU Fertiliser Action Plan signals long-term reform; offers little immediate relief after Hormuz disruption
LONDON (ICIS)--The European Commission on 19 May announced its Fertiliser Action Plan, combining largely pre-announced measures to support farmer affordability with longer-term signals on market...
N America chemical rail traffic rises for third week, led by 2.2% increase in the US
HOUSTON (ICIS)--North American chemical railcar traffic rose 0.5% year on year, to 49,088 loadings for the week ended 16 May, for a third consecutive increase, according to freight rail...
Europe epoxy extends gains in May; but upside could lose steam as fundamentals shift
LONDON (ICIS)--Europe epoxy price rises have maintained their upward momentum in May, on the back of higher costs and finely balanced domestic supply, but the market may face more of a dilemma over...
European hexane truck prices hold steady as other solvents ease with feedstocks
LONDON (ICIS)--Average European truck prices for solvents naphtha (C9) and white spirit moved lower over the week, with quotations now clustering within a noticeably tighter range. In contrast,...
Morocco interactive fertilizer trade flow map Q1 2026
LONDON (ICIS)--Morocco's Office des Changes has released fertilizer trade data for Q1 2026. Select a product from the drop-down menu...
BASF sells silicates business to US PQ Corp
LONDON (ICIS)--BASF has agreed to sell its silicates business, including assets at its Dusseldorf/Holthausen site in Germany, to US-based global silicates company PQ Corp, it said on Wednesday. The...