Senior Editors for Recycling, Emily Friedman and Matt Tudball take a look at how both the US and European R-PET markets are seeing more activity around imported material, and what that means for local recyclers in the US and the EU, including: The growing numbers of imports into the US Price competitiveness of imports vs. local material Balancing recycled content with cost-saving objectives How imports stack up against legislation in Europe...
Jun 12, 2024•14 min•Ep. 1197
SINGAPORE (ICIS)--Asia recycled polymers markets were sluggish for the most part in 2023. In early 2024 too, challenges that dim the short-term outlook persist. Some legislations surrounding recycling were also put in place in the region over the last few years, but the obstacles that limit the growth of this sector still remain. In this chemical podcast, ICIS senior editor Arianne Perez and analysts Joshua Tan and Chua Xin Nee share their insights on the topic....
Jun 12, 2024•13 min•Ep. 1196
SINGAPORE (ICIS)--Propane in northeast Asia is losing its advantage over naphtha as a cracking feedstock, but the spread is expected to widen again in August-September due to higher naphtha forecast prices. Propane price spread over naphtha below $50/tonne for the first time since end -January NE Asia propane firm on year-to-date high China PDH plants run rates Crackers using imported propane require about two months to evaluate feedstock economics In this podcast, ICIS LPG analysts Yan Wang and...
Jun 12, 2024•4 min•Ep. 1195
While the butanediol (BDO) and polybutylene terephthalate (PBT) markets in Europe have benefited from challenges in importing volumes from Asia, demand remains subdued for sectors. In this podcast, ICIS Europe Engineering Plastics editor Meeta Ramnani and ICIS Europe BDO editor Yashas Mudumbai discuss the current dynamics and the outlook ahead.
Jun 11, 2024•9 min•Ep. 1194
Methanol has long-term potential as a major player in the energy transition, especially for use a marine fuel. - Methanol mainly made from coal in China, natural gas elsewhere - Used to make formaldehyde, acetic acid, in China mainly coal-based methanol to olefins (MTO) - Q2 typically peak demand for Europe construction but subdued this year - Concerns about overcapacity globally as new projects come onstream - Use a marine fuel may be a big driver of growth long term - Energy transition offers ...
Jun 11, 2024•22 min•Ep. 1193
Jumping freight rates, political changes and monsoons are all at play for June in various polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP) markets around the world, so while it is potentially a calm month on the surface, there’s a complex mix of factors to watch. Senior editors for PE and PP, Nadim Salamoun and Ben Lake join senior editor manager Vicky Ellis to discuss the June outlook for Europe, Middle East, South Asia and Africa.
Jun 06, 2024•19 min•Ep. 1192
The sentiment for most fertilizer products is bearish due to a lack of strong demand globally. Following the International Fertilizer Association (IFA) annual conference in Singapore the ICIS fertilizer team discusses the latest trends and developments in the market.
Jun 06, 2024•18 min•Ep. 1191
MOL’s €1.3bn polyols project helps move the company’s balance from transport fuels towards chemical production, according to Peter Csaszar, senior vice president, chemicals. - Long-term, Hungary’s MOL will move towards chemicals as demand for transport fuels declines - Russia-Ukraine war raised importance of energy security - Commercial scale start-up of polyols project by end summer-early autumn - On-spec commercial production expected by end 2024 - Production targeted at Europe - Europe chemic...
Jun 04, 2024•43 min•Ep. 1190
The outlook for European PVC remains challenging, as construction activity is trending below normal seasonal levels. Analyst Valentina Cherubin and Senior Editor Chris Barker discuss expectations for the rest of 2024, including the impact of the Red Sea crisis and lower-than-expected interest rate cuts later in the year.
Jun 03, 2024•6 min•Ep. 1189
LONDON (ICIS)—Supply down the oxo-alcohols value chain has improved as OQ Chemicals has restarted production and some Asian imports are available. Across markets, demand continues to be subdued by economic pressures and there has been little seasonal improvement. Oxo-alcohols market editor Nicole Simpson speaks to butyl acetate (butac) editor Marion Boakye, acrylate esters editor, Mathew Jolin Beech, and propylene glycol ethers editor, Cameron Birch, about the current conditions in these markets...
May 30, 2024•8 min•Ep. 1188
SEOUL (ICIS)--In this podcast, ICIS markets editor Josh Quah shares an update on the ethylene (C2) market in Asia based on discussions during the Asia Petrochemical Industry Conference (APIC) 2024. S Korea Jun cracker run rates may see some downward adjustment, though unlikely to be significant Jul arrival demand uncertain amid turnarounds, some recovering margins C2 export allocations to hinge on polymer profitability APIC 2024 is being held in Seoul, South Korea, from 30-31 May....
May 30, 2024•4 min•Ep. 1188
The soda ash market narrative reminds one of Dickens' A tale of two cities: "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times [...]we had everything before us, we had nothing before us." From the vertiginous highs of the post-pandemic boom to the slumbers brought in by high borrowing costs, soda ash players are navigating rougher seas with lows elongated compared to typical cyclical troughs and highs that had exhausted anyone involved in selling the molecule for over two years. Likewise, the ...
May 28, 2024•22 min•Ep. 1187
Chemical distributors are seeing signs of a sequential improvement in demand, but increasing geopolitical volatility threatens any recovery, according to the head of trade group Fecc. - Sequential improvement in demand, destocking winds down - Red Sea disruption highlights continuing fragility of supply chains - Geopolitics creates growing instability and volatility - Europe chemicals need political support - Permitting needs to speed up to enable low carbon energy transfer - South Korea chemica...
May 28, 2024•28 min•Ep. 1186
SINGAPORE (ICIS) -- Recycled polymers markets in Asia faced different market dynamics, driven by various factors like additional capacities, inflationary pressures and support from downstream demand. Asia R-PET trade to gain support from new extrusion capacities within Asia and long-haul markets Asia R-PE to continue to perform poorly in H2 in line with cheaper virgin PE prices and inflationary pressure which impacts finished goods demand Uptake from the automotive sector lends support to Asia R...
May 28, 2024•7 min•Ep. 1185
Chemical companies can gain recognition as leaders in innovation, and also evaluate their own new product pipeline by taking part in the ICIS Innovation Awards, according to last year's winner. ICIS Chemical Business deputy editor, Will Beacham, interviews David Dupont, Arkema’s vice president specialty polyamides. Click here to find out how to enter this year’s ICIS Innovation Awards. Entry deadline Friday 7 June ....
May 27, 2024•22 min•Ep. 1185
SINGAPORE (ICIS) -- Northeast Asia continued to see an oversupply of ethylene, and downstream margins remained weak. The supply-demand balance is expected to improve with a slowdown in capacity growth in China. In southeast Asia, the market is likely to continue to be under pressure in H2 2024. NE Asia in oversupply as players begin looking to H2 2024 arrivals Standalone-based derivatives margins remain weak NE Asia and US arbitrage weighs on SE Asia market, downstream demand tepid In this podca...
May 24, 2024•13 min•Ep. 1184
In this podcast, ICIS editors Hwee Hwee Tan and Jady Ma discuss current trends in Asia's acetic acid market.
May 24, 2024•5 min•Ep. 1184
SINGAPORE (ICIS)--Earlier than usual re-stocking activities of gasoline blend stocks had curbed the price gains for paraxylene (PX) in Asia, while a lack of strong demand growth in the downstream purified terephthalic acid (PTA) and polyester markets had kept market confidence low. Key PX bullish factor is the limited new capacity expansions Asia adds two new downstream PTA capacities in the first half of the year ICIS expects PX prices to be supported in Q3, but Q4 to face a downward pressure I...
May 24, 2024•4 min•Ep. 1183
The White House announced on 14 May that it would increase tariffs on $18 billion worth of imports from China to protect American workers and businesses. How will this latest development impact China’s LPG supplies from the US, which was the second largest LPG exporter to China in 2023, following the Mideast. In 2018, China raised the import tariff on US LPG from 1% to 25% in retaliation to tariffs hikes implemented by the former US president Donald Trump. In this podcast, ICIS Analyst Lillian R...
May 17, 2024•5 min•Ep. 1182
SINGAPORE (ICIS) -- The ample supply of propylene in Asia as well as some new polypropylene (PP) capacities in China is expected to weigh on discussions in SE Asia in the coming months. Asia C3 to see length from China PDH restarts, SE Asia volumes China PP exports to weigh on SE Asia discussions Asia PP prices to come under pressure in June-July In this podcast, ICIS editors Julia Tan, Jackie Wong and Lucy Shuai discuss some of the trends in the Asian propylene and PP markets and what we can ex...
May 16, 2024•8 min•Ep. 1181
SINGAPORE (ICIS) -- Asian oxo-alcohols buyers maintained a wait and watch approach, amid the possibility of added capacities in China weighing on market sentiment. The acrylonitrile (ACN) market continues to see limited spot demand in the northeast Asia market. Even as downstream acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS) has seen higher production rates recently, ACN producers were unlikely to increase operating rates. For the acrylates downstream, butyl-A market in Asia continues to take direction ...
May 15, 2024•8 min•Ep. 1180
Phosphates prices have been under pressure in India recently, while demand is expected to return strong soon. Meanwhile, the lack of ammonia spot demand globally is weighing down on the market. Phosphates editor Chris Vlachopoulos talks to senior editor Sylvia Traganida about the state of the phosphates market ahead of the International Fertilizer Association (IFA) annual conference (20-22 May).
May 15, 2024•10 min•Ep. 1180
The closure of chemical plants in Europe and elsewhere could remove essential raw material supplies, threatening the future of downstream industrial value chains. - Global oversupply, driven by China, forecast to reach over 200 million tonnes/year by 2028 - Interconnected value chains threatened if important raw materials cease production - Globally 20 million tonnes of ethylene capacity may need to be shut down by 2030 - In Europe 5.6 million tonnes/year of polypropylene (PP) capacity may need ...
May 14, 2024•21 min•Ep. 1179
It is a rarity to see sulphur or sulphuric acid take centre-stage in Europe when discussing a lack of feedstock for downstream petrochemicals - but tight supply for both has become a key talking point through the first and second quarter of 2024. ICIS' Senior Editor for sulphuric acid, Andy Hemphill, and Julia Meehan, Managing Editor of ICIS Fertilizers, discuss what caused this tightness and explore what options the industry has to counter the crippling shortages.
May 13, 2024•11 min•Ep. 1178
Join European Senior Editor/Manager Vicky Ellis, as she talks to European and African PE/PP Senior Editor Ben Lake and Turkey PE/PP Senior Editor/Manager Samantha Wright. The group discuss the coming month, as players see sentiment cool from a hectic first quarter. Senior Analyst, Lorenzo Meazza also drops in to react to Lyondell Basel's announcement that it plans to "review" all European polymer and olefin assets. Following on from announcements of closures of Exxon and Sabic crackers....
May 09, 2024•19 min•Ep. 1177
SINGAPORE (ICIS) -- Sustainable finance is a key interest for companies that are seeking to enter the market or expand their current capacities. Despite the various available financial instruments, the absence of a clear entry point often results in confusion. In this podcast, ICIS Analysts Chua Xin Nee and Joshua Tan explore the different types of sustainability related loans available and their successful use cases.
May 09, 2024•6 min•Ep. 1176
SINGAPORE (ICIS) -- Asia's propylene (C3) market will continue to see weak demand, although potentially curbed run rates in China amid weak margins could lend support. Downstream, China’s propylene oxide (PO) import demand may continue to be adversely impacted by domestic Chinese start-up capacities, while demand in the main downstream polyols sector is unlikely to recover in Q2. South Korea June-loading C3 volumes likely to increase month on month Domestic Chinese start-up capacities keep domes...
May 09, 2024•6 min•Ep. 1175
LONDON (ICIS)—Synthetic fuels, also known as e-fuels, are derived from renewable electricity, air and water. The power-to-liquid process entails chemical conversion of energy. In this latest podcast, markets editor Nazif Nazmul interviews Paddy Lowe, CEO and founder of the synthetic fuels producing company Zero Petroleum. Synthetic fuels can play a vital role in slashing emissions across the transport sector in the coming years, although the road to scaling up is fraught with obstacles and oppor...
May 08, 2024•37 min•Ep. 1174
Europe’s chemical industry stands to benefit in the long-term from the expansion of wind, solar and other low carbon methods of producing energy. - Growth in renewables means spot electricity prices can turn negative if demand dips - Europe electricity prices higher than pre-war as tied to price of natural gas, now mainly LNG - Europe has seen significant growth in solar, while wind faces delays due to supply chain issues - Decarbonizing includes reducing emissions from gas plants via carbon cap...
May 08, 2024•33 min•Ep. 1173
SINGAPORE (ICIS) – Asia's polyvinyl chloride (PVC) markets are expected to see some uncertainty in the coming months, with factors like China’s domestic demand, the impact of India’s monsoon and some trade policy changes expected to shape the landscape. June offers from Asian producers awaited next week SE Asian economies see healthy growth in Q1, expected to support PVC demand Low domestic demand in China encourages exports, especially to India In this chemical podcast, ICIS editors Jonathan Ch...
May 08, 2024•6 min•Ep. 1172
