Chemical Week What were the key themes at this year's K-show?
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Oct 28, 2025 
Mujidah Yahaya, a senior price reporter at S&P Global Commodity Insights, and Mark Thomas, a senior editor at Chemical Week with extensive industry experience, dive into the key themes from this year's K-show in Dusseldorf. They discuss the cautious mood due to low turnout but spot some optimism for the future. Topics include Europe's capacity rationalization, buyers pushing for larger discounts, and the impact of cheap imports on the region's competitiveness. They also examine the challenges facing circularity projects amid regulatory uncertainties.
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First-Time Attendee Saw Bleak Mood
- Mujidah attended her first K-Show and was surprised by lower turnout and bleak sentiment among attendees.
- She observed attendees expressed little optimism about the near-term market outlook.
Global Players Were Surprisingly Upbeat
- Mark found long-term optimism among globally trading firms despite short-term pessimism at the show.
- He noted companies with global footprints were upbeat about demand in the Americas and Asia.
Rationalization Expected To Ripple Downstream
- K-Show conversations repeatedly highlighted rationalization and consolidation across polyolefins value chains.
- Downstream players expect upstream cracker cuts to ripple into PE and PP markets and worsen supplier dynamics.