Industry News
Chemical Industry News
Bullish sentiment spreads as China sulphuric acid export quota bites
LONDON (ICIS)--The effects of a sulphuric acid export quota imposed on at least six Chinese smelters and one burner are starting to emerge. Beijing, through the National Development and Reform...
Atomic physics gets its own ‘periodic table’ that covers highly charged ions
New table could help with the redefinition of the second and creation of the next generation of atomic clocks
Asia MEG prices surge by over 2% on reduced imports despite slowing demand
SINGAPORE (ICIS)--Asia’s monoethylene glycol (MEG) prices surged by 2.55% during the day on the back of reduced imports, despite slowing downstream demand. Spot deals went up to $432-453/tonne CFR...
Asia PX, PTA higher despite weak prompt fundamentals
SINGAPORE (ICIS)--Prices for paraxylene (PX) and purified terephthalic acid (PTA) were higher despite near-term weak fundamentals, supported by higher prices seen in the Chinese futures market....
To PhD or not to PhD? That is the question
Undergraduate student Umaymah Ahmad finds out what it’s like to go into academic research
ICIS TTF Early Day assessments: 22 January 2026
- Temperatures in northwest Europe drop with colder-than-average weather in the Netherlands and Germany for the week started 19 January, but return to average seasonal weather for the week starting...
Indonesia considers new state-owned textile firm to support local industry
SINGAPORE (ICIS)--Indonesia is studying the feasibility of a new state-owned enterprise (SOE) in the textile sector to support the industry amid global tariff pressures. Aim to up textile exports to...
China Dec base oils imports hit single-month low in 2025 on muted buying interest
SINGAPORE (ICIS)--China’s base oils imports in December 2025 slumped month on month to around 90,321 tonnes, hitting the single-month low in 2025, according to the ICIS Supply & Demand...
Pakistan’s gas demand for power generation weakens
High LNG import costs erode competitiveness of gas-fired power plants Solar and coal displace LNG in the generation mix amid weak demand Residential and industrial consumers increasingly shift to...
China’s Dec BD imports largely stable; exports resume
SINGAPORE (ICIS)--In December 2025, China’s butadiene (BD, HS Code: 29012410) imports reached 56,943 tonnes, almost stable month on month, data from the ICIS Supply & Demand Database showed....
Fears over US intervention in Iran dampen Mideast PP, PE trades
DUBAI (ICIS)--Polypropylene (PP) and polyethylene (PE) restocking in both the East Mediterranean (East Med) and Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) markets has been underwhelming throughout January due to...
Plant status: China’s ZPC restarts No 2 BPA plant
SINGAPORE (ICIS)--Here is a plant status report: Name: Zhejiang Petroleum & Chemical (ZPC) Location: Zhoushan, Zhejiang province, China Product: Bisphenol A (BPA) Capacity (tonnes/year): 240,000...
Compact electron accelerator for treating PFAS-contaminated water
So-called forever chemicals or PFAS compounds are a growing environmental problem. An innovative approach to treating PFAS-contaminated water and soil now comes from accelerator physics: high-energy electrons can break down PFAS molecules into harmless components
AI-driven ultrafast spectrometer-on-a-chip: A revolution in real-time sensing
For decades, the ability to visualize the chemical composition of materials, whether for diagnosing a disease, assessing food quality, or analyzing pollution, depended on large, expensive laboratory instruments called spectrometers. These devices work by taking
UWT establishes subsidiary in Poland
UWT continues to grow: the new UWT Polska branch was opened in mid-September. The branch is managed by Tadeusz Karmaza, with whose experienced team the company has been working successfully for many years. The establishment
HSH Chemie acquires two sweetener specialists
HSH Chemie Group announces a significant milestone in its growth strategy with the acquisition of Hamburg Fructose GmbH International (HFG) and No Sugar Sugar GmbH (NOSS), effective January 1, 2026. The two acquisitions further strengthen
Mexico’s Zama oil field operator appointment major milestone but majors skeptical on mixed contracts – IEA
SAO PAULO (ICIS)--Mexico achieved a major milestone in its production revival plans with the appointment of Harbour Energy as operator of the large shallow-water Zama oil field, the International...
Electricity transit between EU and non-EU countries is exempted of CBAM, expert
Traders halted transit amid uncertainty over CBAM wording Electricity transit exemption consistent with world trade rules Customs declaration prevails over TSO nominations in CBAM declaration LONDON...
China urea exports rebound in 2025 on Beijing’s policy shift
LONDON (ICIS)--Urea exports from China rebounded in 2025 to 4.9 million tonnes compared with 260,554 tonnes in 2024, according to customs data, after the government removed restrictions on exports...
Plant status: Egypt’s SIDPEC to shut HDPE production next week – sources
LONDON (ICIS)--Here is a plant status report: Name: Sidi Kerir Petrochemicals Co (Sidpec) Location: Amreya, Alexandria, Egypt Product: High density polyethylene (HDPE) Capacity (tonnes/year): 250,000...