Industry News
Chemical Industry News
Higher feedstocks and tighter supply firmly supporting US acetone
HOUSTON (ICIS)--US April Gulf Coast and Midwest truck acetone were assessed at a sharp increase as prices continued to escalate in the wake of the US-Iran conflict. Lower and higher prices were heard...
US railroads UP, NS amend merger application citing $3.5 billion in savings for shippers
HOUSTON (ICIS)--US Class 1 railroads Union Pacific (UP) and Norfolk Southern (NS) submitted an amended merger application to the Surface Transportation Board (STB) seeking approval for their merger,...
US April ’26 PG prices soar due to prolonged supply tightness
HOUSTON (ICIS)--US contract prices of industrial grade propylene glycol (PGI) and pharmaceutical grade PG (PG-USP) surged in April due to unprecedented supply tightness. Multiple market players said...
Asia-US container rates mostly stable, liquid tanker rates ex-USG steady as Iran war continues
HOUSTON (ICIS)--Rates for shipping containers from east Asia and China to the US were largely stable this week and liquid chemical tanker rates ex-US Gulf were steady as the Strait of Hormuz remains...
US April ’26 glycol ether spot prices rise for E-series and P-series due to elevated feedstock costs and supply tightness
HOUSTON (ICIS)--After experiencing stagnant pricing for much of the past year, US glycol ether spot prices have once again risen sharply for April 2026 due to ongoing supply disruptions, as well as...
LyondellBasell aims to restart Bayport PO/TBA by end of Q2
NEW YORK (ICIS)--LyondellBasell is targeting the restart of its propylene oxide (PO)/tertiary butyl alcohol (TBA) plant in Bayport, Texas, US by the end of Q2 2026, the company stated on its Q1...
Middle East crisis impact on global polyolefins to be long lasting – LyondellBasell execs
NEW YORK (ICIS)--The Middle East crisis and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz will have long lasting impacts on global polyolefins with logistics normalization taking 9-12 months even with a...
NYMEX: US gas futures rise despite reduced feedgas demand
US natural gas futures rose slightly on 1 May, despite some reduced feedgas demand The June ’26 front-month settled at $2.78/MMBtu, up less than 1% from the prior session Feedgas nominations to US...
MDI may outpace benzene costs amid trough recovery – Huntsman
HOUSTON (ICIS)--Huntsman's pricing for methylene diphenyl diisocyanate (MDI) has so far stayed ahead of upstream costs for benzene as the market recovers from trough conditions amid disruptions...
CRUDE SUMMARY: Oil prices retreat on fresh Iran peace proposal, rising fears of demand destruction
Iran said to have sent US fresh peace proposal Investors fear demand destruction, particularly in Asia, as war rumbles on US oil rig count up one to 408 – Baker Hughes LONDON (ICIS)--Oil prices...
Huntsman’s Saudi amines JV running at 50%, ships material by truck
HOUSTON (ICIS)--Huntsman estimates that its ethyleneamines joint venture in Saudi Arabia is running at about 50% of its nameplate capacity following the closure of the Strait of Hormuz through which...
Eastman’s chemical intermediates ops benefit from Middle East supply squeeze
HOUSTON (ICIS)--Eastman’s Chemical Intermediates (CI) business is advantaged as the Middle East conflict and the shipping disruptions at the Strait of Hormuz are constraining operations at...
US’ Trump threatens 25% import tariff on EU cars, trucks
SAO PAULO (ICIS)--US President Donald Trump said on Friday he would raise tariffs on cars and trucks imported from the EU from the current 15% to 25% “next week” due to the 27-country bloc's...
US May ’26 benzene contract prices surge for second straight month; higher prices seen for six consecutive months
HOUSTON (ICIS)--The May US benzene contract rose 62 cents and has settled at $4.71/gal ($1,416/tonne) FOB (free on board) US Gulf, as high energy prices from the ongoing conflict in Iran continue to...
Turkey PE prices mixed, with prompt premiums still accepted while US, China vie over LLDPE
LONDON (ICIS)--Spot polyethylene (PE) prices in Turkey were stable overall versus the previous week when looking at Middle East- and US-origin deals. However, most offers on Chinese-origin material...
Plant status: TPC Group lifts FM on US BD unit following return to normal rates in April
HOUSTON (ICIS)--Here is a plant status report: Name: TPC Group Location: Houston, Texas, US Product: Butadiene (BD) Capacity (tonnes/year): 508,000 Event start: Early January 2026 Event finish: May...
PP a ‘sleeping giant’ with significant upside margin potential – LyondellBasell execs
NEW YORK (ICIS)--Polypropylene (PP) is a “sleeping giant” with greater upside earnings potential as ripple effects from the Strait of Hormuz closure become more apparent the longer it remains...
EU Q2 TiO2 contracts up on costs, supply constraints and surcharges
LONDON (ICIS)--Q2 Europe titanium dioxide (TiO2) contract prices have risen by low triple digits, with monthly cost recovery surcharges also in the mix. This is as the market flips in favor of...
Europe May BPA contract price trends up for second month
LONDON (ICIS)--Europe bisphenol A (BPA) formula contract prices moved higher in May on upstream phenol cost rises, extending gains for the second month. That said, the April price jump was more...
ICIS POWER INSIGHT WEEK 18 NEWS IN BRIEF
This news summary was generated via Ask ICIS LONDON (ICIS)--Please find below a short summary of the key power stories ICIS published in week 18. FBMC WEEKLY: Strong renewable output to pressure...