ICIS - chemical podcasts

Join Paul Hodges, a seasoned chemicals commentator, and Tom Brown, insight editor at ICIS European News, as they dive into the chaos of the US-China trade war. They discuss how chemical companies must shift their focus to market identification amidst rising tariffs and evolving economic landscapes. The duo highlights the influx of cheap materials from Asia, the potential recession looming over major economies, and the urgent call for CEOs to strategize within a 90-day window. Tune in for insights on navigating a turbulent market and the impact on global supply chains.

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.

The podcast dives into the surge in China's oxo-alcohols prices, spurred by anticipated supply reductions amid an upcoming turnaround season. It highlights the growing domestic production capacity and the implications for market output. The discussion also addresses how multiple plant shutdowns in April are reshaping the market dynamics, revealing a delicate balance between supply constraints and sluggish demand from downstream industries. The future of pricing remains uncertain as the industry navigates these challenges.

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.

European propylene oxide (PO) and styrene monomer (SM) will remain oversupplied following the closure of LyondellBasell and Covestro’s flagship complex in the Netherlands, but the erosion of local capacity is leaving markets increasingly fragile.  In this podcast, ICIS Insight editor Tom Brown speaks to Nicole Simpson, ICIS markets editor for PO, and Fergus Jensen, senior editor for styrene, about the likely fallout from the planned shutdown. Europe PO market chronically oversupplied, operating rates remain low Further shutdowns needed for PO market to come back into balance LyondellBasell may be able to meet demand from Europe, US plants Styrene market also looks to more shutdowns, but closure further reduces Europe capacity Domestic market increasingly dependent on imports, making the market increasingly fragile Shipping delays and plant outages having a more dramatic impact Still over 700,000 tonnes excess capacity in Europe PO market PO remains difficult to transport, infrastructure limited to allow imports to Europe Players starting to invest in import facilities, but remain in early stages POSM capacity continues to exceed demand, but PO a more of a driver than styrene Three other POSM units remain in Europe