ICIS - chemical podcasts

The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) has published the August World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimate (WASDE) report, which shows the latest outlook for increased corn and soybean production with corn being calculated at 15.1 billion bushels, up 47 million bushels from the July report, while soybeans are projected to be 4.6 billion bushels, up 154 million bushels. Senior Editor Mark Milam...

Recycled Plastics analyst Corbin Olson and US Recycled Plastics senior editor Emily Friedman discuss the main takeaways from the latest round of corporate quarterly earnings calls, as they relate to the US recycled plastics industry.   Key takeaways included: Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) companies largely showed positive North American sales volumes, though some continue to see negative volumes d...

SINGAPORE (ICIS) -- The third plenary session of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) Central Committee recently concluded in July, with the CCP underlining the country’s long-term economic strategy. This session, a significant event in China’s economic planning, serves as a guide for both immediate and long-term policies.  Market balance healthier than expected on delays in capacity additions No spe...

European and Asian oxo-alcohols and plasticizers market participants expect demand will be underwhelming in H2, heightening concerns about margins and capacity utilisation. -          Macroeconomic pressures persist and key construction industry struggling -          Globally poor demand and expensive freight impact trade flows  -          Demand not able to support healthy operating rates, margin...

Recent prices skyrocketing in Asia styrene prices is because of unexpected outages at European plants and it is expected to pull up Asia benzene and downstream styrene prices in August.  

LONDON (ICIS)--Maritime security issues along the Red Sea and geopolitics-led macroeconomic challenges dominated supply and demand dynamics within the European acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS) and acrylonitrile (ACN) markets in H1 2024.  In this latest podcast, editor of the Europe ABS report, Stephanie Wix and editor of the Europe ACN report, Nazif Nazmul, share the latest developments and e...

Ethane is gaining favor as the feedstock for steam crackers in China, as its competitive prices make ethane-cracking the most profitable route for ethylene production compared to other options. 

Between 2012 and 2023, China's hydrogen production more than doubled, with 80% of its 2023 output derived from coal and natural gas. Refineries play a crucial role in the country's overall hydrogen production, and the ongoing shift towards chemical production is set to further boost demand. This trend is expected to accelerate the adoption of cleaner blue and renewable hydrogen sources in refineri...

LONDON (ICIS)--The European oxo-alcohols & derivatives markets have seen reasonably healthy levels of availability in July with market activity subdued as participants head into the summer period. Demand across key end user segments remains sluggish with the near term outlook muted with further changes concerning the interest rate picture monitored. Glycol ethers report editor Cameron Birch sp...

LONDON (ICIS)--European melamine editor Melissa Hurley, looks at the global situation for melamine with Joy Foo and Connor Phillips and what might happen in the second half of the year.  Anti-dumping investigation from US Cornerstone Chemical may levy impact on industry Q3/Q4 Chinese supply to lengthen, eyes on new capacities; signs of freight rates to SE Asia, India easing  European supply curtai...

Collapsing second quarter financial results show that the industry may face permanently low growth, driving the need for radical business model transformation.   -          Q2 financial results show persistent downturn in sales, profitability -          Europe chemicals still plagued by China-driven global overcapacity, higher production costs, poor downstream demand -          BASF reports double...

European petrochemical leaders should take inspiration from Japan, which is further ahead in reducing base chemicals while expanding in specialties and low carbon technologies.  -          Japan hit by high naphtha feedstock costs, growing global overcapacity -          70% of crackers are more than 50 years old -          More than 10% of Japan’s crackers could close -          Downstream product...

Typhoon Gaemi will test the resilience of the liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) supply chain, causing temporary shipment delays and port closures.

CHENGDU (ICIS) -- Asia’s epichlorohydrin (ECH) market has been relatively flat in recent months, a situation that has been prolonged by the persistent supply overhang in Asia and the lack of demand outlets.   Weak performance in derivative epoxy resins market to endure Reduced run rates likely to remain a key response from ECH makers Upcoming capacities to add pressure on a structurally long suppl...

SINGAPORE (ICIS) -- China's installed capacity of gas power generation is projected to surpass 150 GW by 2025, representing roughly 6% of the country's total installed power generation capacity.   This presents substantial investment prospects within China and aligns with the nation's ambition to achieve carbon neutrality by 2060.   Hydrogen, often regarded as a potential fuel for blending with na...

Senior Editor for PET, Caroline Murray , and Senior Editor for Recycling, Matt Tudball talk about the current state of the polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and recycled PET (R-PET) markets and the uncertainties both face for the rest of the year. These include: PET feedstock situation High freight costs impacting availability Capacity growth in Asia Upcoming recycled content targets for R-PET Limi...

SHANGHAI (ICIS)—In this podcast, markets reporter Shannen Ng discusses how northeast Asia’s methylene diphenyl diisocyanate (MDI) supply is expected to remain tight as Q3 progresses, however, poor demand expectations in the Asian import markets for the rest of this quarter remain. Polymeric MDI sentiment in SE Asia, India supported by tight supply Monomeric MDI particularly sluggish and expected t...

SINGAPORE (ICIS) -- In this podcast, Asia ethylene editor Josh Quah and analyst Aliena Huang discuss the factors impacting arbitrage flows of ethylene from the US to Asia. Spot arbitrage window between US and Asia closed but term arrivals for July remain healthy Storm Beryl, low affordability in Asia, may keep spot arbitrage trades closed into Aug Panama Canal traffic levels expected to return to...

SINGAPORE (ICIS) -- In this podcast, ICIS analysts Patricia Tao, Lewis Unstead and Aliena Huang delve into how the upcoming CBAM (Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism) will impact China’s export-oriented manufacturing sectors and hydrogen’s crucial role in its low-carbon economy. China's national energy law draft includes hydrogen, a shift towards low-carbon  Move comes ahead of EU's CBAM CBAM to af...

LONDON (ICIS) -- Europe’s run up to holiday season has been unusually busy for polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP) markets, including some spot prices reversing for the first time since March 2024. In this ICIS podcast, European PE and PP senior editors Vicky Ellis and Ben Lake pick out July’s big themes, from logistics (hurricane Beryl and still-spiked Asian freight rates) to the mismatch be...

The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) has published the July World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimate (WASDE) report, which shows that corn production is forecasted to increase by 240m bushels while for soybeans the outlook is for a decrease by 15m bushels. Senior editor Mark Milam talks to Sylvia Traganida about the report and the latest developments in the US market.

Rampant overcapacity in China will change as limits to refinery expansions and new plants may stifle feedstock availability.  -          Big structural reforms needed to improve China’s economy -          China petrochemical trends become more complicated  -          Country plans to cap refinery capacity at 1 billion tonnes/year from 2027-2040 -          China forging closer relations with Saudi...

Caprolactam (capro) availability in Europe has been very tight until recently due to a shortage of sulphur and low downstream demand. Slow capro demand has also helped balance the market. Senior capro editor Marta Fern talks to senior editors Julia Meehan and Sylvia Traganida about current developments in the market and what lies ahead.

The US overtook the Middle East for the first time as China’s largest supplier of propane and butane in the first half of 2024. 

SINGAPORE (ICIS)-- China is pushing ahead with plans to meet its national emissions targets by facilitating low carbon hydrogen production through regulatory reforms.   China’s hydrogen production and demand have been increasing steadily in recent years but renewable hydrogen, a critical enabler for hard-to-abate industries to reduce carbon footprints, accounted for less than 2% of China's total h...