ICIS - chemical podcasts

BANGKOK (ICIS)--Over the past week, Asia ethylene players arrived in Bangkok, Thailand, to reflect on the industry's drift towards oversupply, and probe opportunities for continued survival as supply-demand balance changes enter the horizon.  Feedstock cost competitiveness, ethane conversion considerations still on the table Consolidation a complex question, but looking more necessary for survival  SE Asia's new supply may cause supply-demand balance changes for Indonesia In this chemical podcast, ICIS editor Josh Quah discusses some insights gleaned from the Asia Petrochemical Industry Conference (APIC) 2025, held in Bangkok, Thailand.

LONDON (ICIS)-- European acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS) and acrylonitrile (ACN) markets are facing ongoing demand weakness in 2025, as well as uncertainty for global supply dynamics and the potential impact expected from US tariffs.In this latest podcast, Europe ABS market editor Stephanie Wix and markets editor for the Europe ACN report, Nazif Nazmul, share the latest developments and expectations ahead. Demand stability at a weak level expected to continue across 2025 Macroeconomic challenges persist, players monitor US tariffs situation Impact of ongoing antidumping investigation on ABS imports from South Korea, Taiwan ABS is the largest-volume engineering thermoplastic resin and is used in automobiles, electronics and recreational products.ACN is used in the production of synthetic fibres for clothing and home furnishings, engineering plastics and elastomers.

Tom Brown, Insights Editor at ICIS News, delves into the recent US-China tariff pause, shedding light on its implications for the chemical industry. He discusses how this temporary respite allows for resumed business operations while acknowledging that CEOs must strategize for a more protectionist global landscape. Tom analyzes potential spikes in demand and logistical challenges that may arise, alongside SABIC's strategic shifts, including asset sales in Europe and delays in facility upgrades. His insights provide a comprehensive view of the shifting trade dynamics.

BANGKOK (ICIS) -- Northeast Asia ethylene and polyvinyl chloride (PVC) markets have seen a slower-than-expected tempo of spot talks for June cargoes, with the main driver of uncertainty being unclear start up timelines from new ethylene derivative expansions, particularly from Chinese PVC. Around 1.5million tonnes/year new PVC supply may face start-up postponements Import discussions on ethylene slow pending clearer demand picture  PVC demand clouded by India-Pakistan tensions amid pre-monsoon season In this chemical podcast, ICIS editors Jonathan Chou and Josh Quah discuss their findings from the Asia Petrochemical Industry Conference (APIC) 2025, held in Bangkok, Thailand.

China has cut its tariff on U.S. LPG from 125% to 10% for 90 days, sparking a significant shift in trade dynamics. This relief may allow more U.S. cargoes into the market, potentially affecting pricing and Chinese petrochemical operations. However, market participants remain hesitant, signaling cautious optimism. As run rates for propylene derivatives hint at recovery, discussions also highlight trends in domestic production and adaptive strategies among local producers amid these tariff changes.

Raphael Jaumotte, Technical Manager at PETCORE EUROPE speaks to Matt Tudball, ICIS Senior Editor, Recycling about the PETCORE EUROPE Thermoforming Conference on 27-28 May in Dijion, France. Details of the event can be found via Petcore's webiste.The theme of PETCORE EUROPE's 3rd dedicated thermoforming conference is focused on PET thermoform circularity, and asks the question ‘how can collection and sorting of PET thermoforms be improved?’ Topics discussed include: PETCORE EUROPE's work in connecting the thermoforming industry Challenges of sorting and collection Impact of regulation on the thermoforming market The need of collaboratoin in the industry  New offerings and services that have come out of industry discussions

Joining the discussion are John Richardson from ICIS, who examines the effects of declining oil prices on chemicals, Paul Hodges of New Normal Consulting, offering insights into the fundamentals driving this downturn, and Tom Brown, ICIS Insight Editor, explaining OPEC's production increase. They highlight how low oil prices could boost petrochemical demand and discuss the implications of China's transition to electric vehicles and the ongoing trade war, which may dampen overall chemical market growth.

Demand in the EU and US epoxy markets remains muted and the sentiment has become even more cautious, as players navigate the changing and complex tariff landscape.In this podcast, senior editor Heidi Finch, who covers the Europe epoxy market and fellow senior editor Tarun Raizada, who covers the US epoxy market, share insights on key topics including tariffs, effects on sentiment, demand and profitability struggles.  Europe epoxy sentiment diluted in April; as Trump tariffs add to demand caution; competition from South Korea and within Europe US epoxy price momentum slowed in April as players scrambled to assess impact on supply chain after duty/tariff fallout Profitability still a challenge; but benzene drop in Europe provides some relief Sentiment cautious in US moving forward as demand outlook far less favorable amid extended tariff uncertainty Trump tariffs cast a cloud over the downstream outlook, EU players hope trade deals will be reached  Podcast editing by Nick Cleeve

From Trump's tough tariffs talk to pivotal recycling legislation, ICIS senior analysts and editors pick their top themes from the 11th ICIS World Polyolefins Conference in Cologne.Joining senior editor manager Vicky Ellis on the podcast are senior editor Ben Lake, senior analyst for PE Lorenzo Meazza, ICIS consultant Les Bottomley, senior recycling analyst Egor Dementev and senior analyst Alex Tomczyk.They discuss highlights from the conference, including examples of tariffs from US' history, how Europe's market views the tariffs headache, one speaker's view that AI could be “better at purchasing chemicals” than human buyers, and how polyolefins must get their head out of the sand on Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) rules or lose to other packaging.

The impending trade war is already hurting consumer and business sentiment and may help cause a global recession as demand collapses amid rampant chemicals overcapacity. -          US retailers fear empty shelves, fuelling inflation-          Uncertainty, chaos is hurting business, dampening consumer sentiment-          China chemicals demand growth could be negative in 2025-          China may exempt $46 billion of US goods from tariffs including ethane, polyethylene (PE), styrene polymers -          Huge drop in May bookings for China imports through US ports-          Power back to normal in Spain after nationwide outage on 28 April, chemical plants restarting-          System should be resilient to adapt to swings in solar and wind production