Industry News
Chemical Industry News
US consumer confidence inches higher on Middle East ceasefire
HOUSTON (ICIS)--US consumer confidence, as measured by the US Conference Board’s Consumer Confidence Index, rose to 92.8 in April, from 92.2 in March, according to the board’s April survey...
Subdued demand cools Europe DOTP market despite supply tightness
LONDON (ICIS)--The northwest Europe (NWE) dioctyl terephthalate (DOTP) market remains largely reliant on imports, primarily from Turkey and northeast Asia, but Asian availability is tight heading...
US Sherwin-Williams eyes higher raw material costs on Iran war, but supply is stable
HOUSTON (ICIS)--Sherwin-Williams expects raw material costs to rise and remain volatile amid the Middle East conflict, but assured investors that there is certainty in supply, executives of the...
Plant status: ILBOC base oils unit planned maintenance postponed until H2 2026
LONDON (ICIS)--Here is a plant status report: Name: ILBOC Location: Cartagena, Spain Product: Base oils Group II and Group III Capacity (tonnes/year): Group II 260,000; Group III 636,283 Event start:...
European Commission backs Hankook Hungary tire expansion with €71.6 million
LONDON (ICIS)--The European Commission has approved €71.6 million in Hungarian state aid to support South Korean tire manufacturer Hankook Tire & Technology Co., Ltd's expansion in central...
GAS ALERT: Germany’s Uniper to auction storage capacities at Bierwang for storage years 2027/28 and 2028/29
LONDON (ICIS)--German energy firm Uniper announced on 28 April that it is offering a total of 2TWh (around 0.19 billion cubic meters) of gas storage capacity at the Bierwang facility for two...
Indonesia sulphur imports fall by more than a third in January-February
LONDON (ICIS)--Sulphur imports into Indonesia fell by more than a third (35.3%) to 591,441 tonnes in January-February, led a fall in shipments from some Canada and some Middle Eastern countries,...
UAE set to increase crude production after leaving OPEC+ but remains limited by Hormuz disruption
UAE to quit OPEC+ after 59 years of membership Emirati crude production poised to increase to maximum capacity of around 5 million barrels/day However, UAE will continue to struggle to export crude...
Stepan sees war-driven raw material price inflation, shortages – CEO
HOUSTON (ICIS)--US surfactants and polymers producer Stepan is seeing raw material price inflation because of the US-Iran war, CEO Luis Rojo said on Tuesday. Furthermore, raw material availability...
European naphtha may tighten further as prompt strength builds despite fragile cracks
LONDON (ICIS)--European naphtha markets are expected to tighten further into May, with prompt fundamentals strengthening on constrained global supply and improving blending demand, even as forward...
Fertilizer giant Yara’s European gas demand plummets in Q1
Yara’s European gas demand in Q1 lowest since 2023 Low demand despite falling European gas cost Yara continues to optimize global assets to reduce European costs LONDON (ICIS)--Europe’s largest...
India industrial output slows to 4.1% in March
MUMBAI (ICIS)--Factory output in India as measured by the index of industrial production (IIP) slowed to a five-month low of 4.1% in March year on year, due to subdued performance in the...
China toluene gains momentum from brisk demand, low stocks
SINGAPORE (ICIS)--China’s domestic toluene market has rebounded since 23 April, supported by solid chemical demand, elevated export volumes and low port inventories, after experiencing sharp...
Hengyi Industries declares force majeure on PX
SINGAPORE (ICIS)--Hengyi Industries has declared force majeure on its paraxylene (PX) operations on 28 April, according to sources familiar with the matter. Its refinery had an unexpected serious...
Easing geopolitical support sees LPG prices return to fundamentals, weak demand weighs
SINGAPORE (ICIS)--Since April, a ceasefire between the US and Iran has eased concerns over supply disruptions, shifting LPG market drivers from supply shocks to demand fundamentals. Despite ongoing...
Trump administration fires entire board of US’s National Science Foundation without warning
Move leaves the nation’s largest chemistry funder without a board or director
Major drug regulators advancing routes to reduce animal testing
US, UK and EU all have goals to eliminate animal testing
Fatal incident at US catalyst refiner under investigation
Two dead and 21 injured at silver reclamation facility after chemical mixture released hydrogen sulfide
How much history should there be in science education?
Understanding how previous shifts in scientific understanding occurred affects how we view current theories
Catalyst converts plastic waste into hydrogen and valuable chemical building blocks
Researchers reuse old car battery acid, simultaneously combining waste streams in move towards circular chemicals