ICIS - chemical podcasts

Europe's virgin polyethylene and polypropylene markets show signs of a slow start in April post-Easter break. The podcast features Matt Tudball and Vicky Ellis discussing supply/demand shifts from March, pricing trends, industry challenges, and the upcoming ICIS World Polyolefins Conference in Vienna. Insights are shared on market dynamics, changes, and the anticipation for peer interactions at the event.

Exploring how the shift to regional supply chains may benefit the ISO tank container market, fitting into shipping containers and bridging the gap between chemical parcel tankers and steel drums. With a global fleet of 850,000 ISO tanks projected for 2023, showing a fast-growing sector with a compound annual growth rate of 8.2% over 10 years.

Analyst Joshua Dill, Senior Analyst Andrea Bassetti, and Senior Market Editor Emily Friedman discuss key takeaways from the 2024 Plastics Recycling Conference, covering topics like resin pricing dynamics, chemical recycling projections, industry challenges, legislative impacts, and advancements in chemical recycling technologies.

Exploring the contrasting supply situations of ethylene and propylene in Asia, with northeast Asia seeing ample supply while southeast Asia faces tight supply. Delving into the impact of deep-sea movements and arbitrage windows opening. Analyzing the potential market shifts and challenges in Asia's olefins market, including cargo acquisitions and freight rate concerns.

SINGAPORE (ICIS) – China’s continuing real-estate sector woes ensured healthy exports, especially to the major market of India. Supply continued to be ample in the region, while market participants digested news of impending implementation of BIS regulations and the initiation of the ADD investigation. Influx of exports from China continues amid sluggish domestic consumption India’s DGTR releases notification on ADD investigation Sentiment to be swayed by elections, monsoon, potential BIS regulations In this chemical podcast, ICIS editors Damini Dabholkar and Jonathan Chou discuss recent market conditions with an outlook ahead in Asia.

SINGAPORE (ICIS) -- The importance of regulations cannot be overlooked as countries work towards their sustainability targets. However, the regulatory landscape in Asia Pacific is fragmented, resulting in a complex web of intricacies.As a result, countries may have similar policies, but implemented at different levels of maturity. For example, Southeast Asian countries tend have detailed roadmaps but lack specificity while countries in Northeast Asia tend to have matured policies that covers a wide range of applications and encourage multi-stakeholder engagement.In this podcast, ICIS Analysts Chua Xin Nee and Joshua Tan explore Asia Pacific’s regulatory landscape.

Recycled plastics experts Emily Friedman and Andrea Bassetti discuss the US R-PET market trends, chemical recycling growth, and challenges faced by recycling markets. They also highlight regional differences, pricing pressure, and market outlook for 2024.

Editors Nicole Simpson, Mathew Jolin-Beech, Marion Boakye, and Cameron Birch discuss the tight supply chains in the oxo-alcohols and derivatives markets. They cover challenges with production, force majeure declarations, rising spot prices in the butyl acetate market, limited availability of butanol derivatives in Europe, and supply challenges in the Esther markets.

Governments must do much more to protect recycled polymer producers in the West as rising oversupply in virgin markets, led by China, threatens to undermine their business model. -          Europe recycled polyethylene terephthalate (PET) producers face existential threat-          Feedstock prices soar while subdued demand, price of virgin, caps selling prices-          Growing global overcapacity depresses prices, margins for virgin plastic producers-          Recycler margins threatened, prospect of closures or bankruptcies-          EU’s single use plastics directive targets are not compulsory -          Lack of clarity on EU’s Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation-          More trade barriers needed to protect polymer recycling sectors 

Exploring the dichotomy between stock markets hitting new highs and the struggles of the chemical industry due to low demand and overcapacity. China and Middle East adding capacity, potential negative growth in China. Tech companies dominate stock markets, valuations inflated. Speculation on stock market bubble bursting, trade barriers to protect European industry, and the drag of demographics on GDP growth.