ICIS - chemical podcasts

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.

SINGAPORE (ICIS)--In this podcast, ICIS analysts Whitney Shi and Jady Ma talk about supply and demand changes in China’s Group III base oils market.

The Asian and European butanediol (BDO) markets have faced differing availability during Q1, with Europe dealing with tightness because of the difficulty in importing volumes, while Asia supply remains more than sufficient and has seen little impact from the Red Sea disruptions. But the key issue of subdued demand, which impacted global markets in 2023, is set to persist in the short term.  Europe tightness due to challenges in importing from Asia, hurting initial plans China and Asia supply adequate even with upcoming maintenances China import enquiries heard for arrival in Europe during second half of Q2 Demand from downstream sectors set to stay tepid across regions In this podcast, ICIS editors Corey Chew and Yashas Mudumbai discuss the outlook for BDO in both Asia and Europe.

Exploring the impact of high costs and Asian imports on petrochemical sites in Europe, with Indorama Ventures and BASF facing operational challenges. The shift towards cost-effective operations in Europe and Asia, the hurdles of maintaining competitive assets in a high-cost environment, and the implications of China's capacity growth on trade dynamics are discussed. Navigating global instability and strategic challenges in the chemical industry requires proactive scenario planning amidst unpredictable environments.

Market activity for technical grade urea (TGU) appears to be gathering pace in several regions like Europe and Asia, backed by growing demand for AdBlue. ICIS is planning to capture the excitement in this space with the launch of three new price quotes on 14 March, which include FOB Russia, FOB Middle East and CFR India.Nitrates and TGU markets editor Manuja Pandey talks to senior editor Sylvia Traganida about the latest developments in the market.

LONDON (ICIS)--The global PE/PP market has been rocked by the disruption to Red Sea shipping, which has sent prices soaring, following sustained periods of weakness.The question now is, how long can this continue? With early March European offers out and some suppliers approaching the market bullishly, ICIS experts sit down to discuss all the potential influences in the coming month.Senior editor/ manager Vicky Ellis, Senior editor/manager Samantha Wright and Senior Editor Ben Lake gather to discuss the variables around the European, African and Turkish markets and what the early signs are for a potentially pivotal month.

On 27 February, OQ Chemicals' oxo-alcohols unit in  Oberhausen, Germany went offline amid technical issues, further tightening supply in Europe. Asia is also likely to see tight supply as the market moves into the second quarter, as Japan embarks on its turnaround season. Asia, Europe to see tight oxo-alcohols supply into Q2 Asian demand likely stable quarter on quarter, demand from downstream plasticisers weak Asia-Europe arbitrage window could open on tighter European supply In this podcast, ICIS editors Nicole Simpson and Julia Tan discuss the outlook for oxo-alcohols in Asia and Europe.