ICIS - chemical podcasts

Asia propylene (C3) market is likely to see tighter short-term supply as China propane dehydrogenation (PDH) producers are now faced with surging propane import costs due to the US-China tariff hikes. While downstream demand and end-user consumption could be negatively impacted on tariff barriers. In this chemical podcast, ICIS senior analyst Joey Zhou and analyst Seymour Chenxia discuss what changes Asian C3 market is going to embrace in the US tariff upheaval. And the topics will be focusing on: 1.     Asia propylene price trends and forecasts2.     China PDH run rate could fall below 60％ on surging costs3.     Run rate for other production routes likely to rise4.     Tariff impact to C3 derivatives and end-user consumption 

Chemical companies need a razor-sharp focus on identifying and nurturing markets and customers as the trade war pulls apart decades of established ways of doing business.  -          Cheap material being offered to Europe from Asian countries outside China-          We are witnessing the breakup of the post-World War 2 Western Alliance-          CEOs now have 90-day window of opportunity for scenario planning -          Uncertainty about tariffs makes it difficult to plan-          Focus on locating markets and customers amid the chaos -          Major economies threatened with recession-          Asset bubbles may be deflating 

Nigel Davis, a respected figure in chemicals journalism, shares insights from his 45-year career on the cusp of retirement. He discusses pivotal moments in the industry, like the impact of energy transitions and tariffs that hint at a move towards deglobalization. Davis highlights the vital role of journalism in clarifying market complexities, emphasizing the need for trusted information sources in an era of misinformation. He reflects on the shift from traditional journalism to digital and the importance of key skills for future journalists.

SINGAPORE (ICIS)—With the implementation of import tariffs by the US, aromatics trade flow from Asia might see a shift, especially on the back of disparities in tariff rates on different countries. High volumes exported in Jan-Feb, slowdown from Mar onwards South Korea, possibly affected, as one of the major exports of aromatics to the US Global macroeconomic growth to witness a slowdown amid trade war In this chemical podcast, ICIS market specialist Samuel Wong discusses the potential impact of US tariffs on the Asian aromatics markets.

Join the ICIS content team to hear about some of the key discussions had at Plastics Recycling Show Europe on 1-2 April in Amsterdam. Topics include: Impact of high feedstocks on recyclers' margins Impact of legislation across recycled polymers markets Updates on chemical recycling  Brands' positions on recycled content US tariffs - how will they impact Europe's recycled polymers markets?  If you are interested in taking part in the Regulation Test and Learn mentioned by Alexandra during the podcast, please click here to register your interest and arrange an introduction and overview of the program. 

Chemical companies all over the world will suffer if the new US tariffs trigger a full-blown trade war.-          Tariffs will be bad news for the US and for the global economy-          Europe polymers producers might get short-term relief if EU imposes tariffs on US polyethylene (PE)-          US tariffs means China may now target other countries-          Chemical industry will become more regional-          If US becomes more isolated China could move closer to Europe, form new trading bloc-          Europe’s chemical industry has its back against the wall-          3.4% of European chemicals capacity has shut down -          EU attitude to energy pricing has reversed – they now want to reduce them-          Chemical industry now has unprecedented access to high level Commissioners-          Energy demand will soar – AI will use as much as chemicals-          Electricity production needs to double to full electrify chemicals, other sectors-          Survival of EU as a free trade zone is important-          Chemicals CEOs can seize an opportunity if competitors closeIn this Think Tank podcast, ICIS journalist Will Beacham interviews Cefic director general Marco Mensink, John Richardson from the ICIS market development team and Paul Hodges, chairman of New Normal Consulting.

China’s domestic oxo-alcohols prices have recently rallied from low levels on expectations about supply reduction with the turnaround season approaching, but the sustainability and size of the price rise remains to be seen due to tepid demand recovery. 

SINGAPORE (ICIS) -- India’s PVC demand is expected to strengthen in the short term, driven by agricultural sector demand and restocking, but ample supply and policy uncertainties may weigh on market sentiment. Weak demand, high inventories pressure prices to multi-year lows ADD final findings delayed; uncertainty around implementation persists Oversupply concerns rise with new capacities, trade barriers in focus In this chemical podcast, ICIS market specialist Aswin Kondapally discusses recent market conditions, along with the near-term outlook.

Fresh from the European Coatings Show 2025 in Nuremberg, Germany, ICIS looks over the key talking points and challenges facing the key sectors.The main challenges are the ongoing sluggish demand, coupled with the wider geopolitical volatility and economic headwinds.Attending ECS '25 for ICIS and speaking on this podcast are: Mathew Jolin-Beech on acrylic acid (AA), acrylate esters, and methyl methacrylate (MMA) Jane Gibson on phenol, acetone, and refinery solvents Nick Cleeve on isopropanol (IPA), Vinyl Acetate Monomer (VAM), Methyl Isobutyl Ketone (MIBK), Methyl Ethyl Ketone (MEK) Heidi Finch on TIO2 and epoxy resins

The new European Commission talks the talk on rescuing chemicals but has not yet turned words into action as deindustrialisation gathers pace.-          Change of tone from new Commission-          New strategic dialogue with chemicals on competitiveness-          Well intentioned, but not enough detail on action plan-          Conflict between competitiveness and Green Deal objectives -          Watering down or delaying existing legislation moves the goalposts, adds legal uncertainty-          US has a patchwork of state-level and federal regulation-          EU-US regulatory alignment is moving towards divergenceThis podcast was recorded on 26 March. ICIS journalist Will Beacham interviews Thomas Delille and Peter Sellar of UK-US based law firm Squire Patton Boggs.