ICIS - chemical podcasts

In the latest episode of the ICIS Sustainably Speaking podcast, PETCORE Europe’s Jose‑Antonio Alarcón talks to Matt Tudball , ICIS Senior Editor, Recycling, why PET thermoform recycling remains significantly behind bottle recycling and what must change as the EU’s Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) approaches. He outlines efforts to move from theory to real‑world compliance, including...

The Middle East conflict has affected fertilizer markets pushing prices up due to tight availability and leading to demand destruction in some regions. In this podcast, urea editor Deepika Thapliyal, sulphur editor Manuja Pandey, phosphates editor Chris Vlachopoulos, sulphuric acid editor Andy Hemphill and ammonia editor Sylvia Traganida discuss the latest market developments.   ·       Urea price...

Investment in innovation remains critical to the long-term competitiveness and sustainability of the chemical industry, despite the current geopolitical chaos and challenging macroeconomic environment. Innovation is essential for differentiation, long‑term growth and sustainability, not just short‑term commercial success Chemical companies must continue investing in R&D during uncertain period...

Asian propylene (C3) supply has been shrinking with the ongoing shipping disruption through the Strait of Hormuz amid the US-Israel-Iran conflict. Supply tightness is expected to persist and support the market as feedstock availability and cost pressure remain key problems, weighing down regional plants’ operating rates.  Downstream demand and end-use consumption, however, are facing greater uncer...

Even if the current shaky ceasefire becomes permanent, the complexities of repairing and restarting chemical plants means global markets will have to wait 12-18 months for regional operations to return to normal.  -          Restarting chemical plants is complex and requires external technical experts who will be in short supply -          Plant restarts require huge amounts of energy, which will...

LONDON (ICIS)--Butadiene prices have surged globally following Middle East supply disruptions linked to the US‑Iran conflict. Europe BD editor Melissa Hurley discusses the current market conditions and challenges facing the global market with editors Ai Teng Lim, Elaine Zhang and Senior BD analysts Gawaine Preston (Europe) and Ann Sun (Asia) and Preeti Sriram covering (US).  Asia Asian butadiene o...

LONDON (ICIS)--Europe oxo-alcohols and derivatives markets are in significant flux as volatility spikes off the back of the ongoing conflict in the Middle East and associated severe shipping disruption through the Strait of Hormuz. Supply constraints and rising costs are heavily impacting sentiment into late March with sellers pushing hard for price increases across the board. Glycol ethers editor...

Surging inflationary pressures and dwindling economic growth expectations are pushing parts of the global economy towards the kind of stagflationary footing seen during the 1970s oil crisis, while supply shocks and feedstock surges are starting to remap chemicals flows once again.    ·       European chemical markets have flipped from oversupply to tightness ·       Supply disruptions in Asia and...

SINGAPORE (ICIS)--The ongoing US and Israel-led conflict in the Middle East has disrupted crucial flows of naphtha feedstock to cracker operators across Asia. With about 60% of Asia’s naphtha imports typically sourced from the Middle East, the region remains vulnerable to widespread cracker run‑rate cuts and temporary shutdowns, with the effect cascading through the ethylene (C2) value chain. Naph...

SINGAPORE (ICIS)--The ongoing Middle East conflict has disrupted crucial flows of naphtha feedstock to cracker operators across Asia. With about 60% of Asia’s naphtha imports typically sourced from the Middle East, the region remains vulnerable to widespread cracker run‑rate cuts and temporary shutdowns, with the effect cascading through the ethylene value chain. • Naphtha shortages force Asia pro...

In this episode of ICIS Chemical Connections , we unpack how geopolitical tensions have driven sharp divergence in methanol prices across Asia—and how that volatility is feeding through into the acetic acid market. We explore why China looks structurally different, where demand is failing to keep up outside China, and what this means for producers across the region. Key takeaways Methanol shock dr...

Recycling Editors Sam Lovatt and Matt Tudball speak about the indirect impact the Middle East conflict is having on the recycled polymers markets in Europe, and why some markets such as recycled polyethylene terephthalate (rPET) and recycled low density polyethylene (rLDPE) are feeling the consequences much quicker than recycled high density polyethylene (rHDPE) and recycled polypropylene (rPP). ...

Europe sources far less of its chemical feedstocks from the Middle East than Asia, meaning it is more insulated from the direct impact of the war.  -          Europe naphtha markets much less dependent on Middle East than Asia -          Europe only gets 30% of its crude from the Middle East compared to 60% for Asia -          Opening of INEOS Project ONE ethane-based cracker may force closure of...

LONDON (ICIS)--The US-Israeli-led war against Iran has unleashed extreme volatility across chemical markets, with base oils prices rallying in the first half of March on the back of production woes, spikes in feedstock and shipping costs and supply chain disruption. The latest attacks are set to cripple the market as the hit on QatarEnergy's Pearl gas-to-liquids (GTL) facility is set to keep 2m to...

With Asian chemical producers forced to cut operating rates through lack of Middle East feedstocks, it is time for industry leaders to move to a more regional business model. -          Chemical industry has relied for decades on global supply chains -          Asia crackers forced to cut operating rates as Middle East raw materials dry up -          “Just in time” stocks need to be increased to “...

Europe acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) editor Stephanie Wix, Asia ABS Senior Editor Angeline Soh, and Senior Data Analyst Yolanda Chen discuss the impact of the recently confirmed definitive anti‑dumping duties (ADD's) on ABS imports from South Korea and Taiwan, with host Aviva Zhang, Global Lead for Styrenics and Industry Analyst for Styrene China. The team examines how the duties are resha...

SINGAPORE (ICIS)--Asia's naphtha inventories are rapidly depleting as the ongoing Middle East conflict disrupts crude flows through the Strait of Hormuz, a vital chokepoint through which around 20% of global crude supply passes. With crude oil exports from the Middle East constrained, naphtha resupply to Asia has tightened sharply. Estimates suggest Asian petrochemical producers are holding just t...

The Plastics Recycling Conference has just wrapped up at the end of February in San Diego, California, here is some key insights from the event. Podcast hosted by Senior Analyst Corbin Olson, joined by analyst team lead Andrea Bassetti and analyst Joshua Dill.  Key topics covered include:  - Shifts in supply and demand for recycled plastics  - Impacts of imported recycled plastics on the domestic...

ICIS experts discuss the immediate and longer-term impact of the Middle East conflict with rising prices likely to fuel inflation, hurting downstream demand.  -          Crude oil spike cushioned by reserves, “wait and see” attitude -          Duration of war is the key to impact on all commodities -          Oil prices could spike to triple figures, trigger talks to reopen Strait of Hormuz -     ...

SINGAPORE (ICIS)--Although upstream crude palm oil (CPO) and palm kernel oil (PKO) costs have risen in Asia, oleochemicals buyers are adopting a cautious stance, having largely stocked up prior to the Chinese New Year in mid-February, and are not under pressure to lock in near term shipments. The overlying sentiment is one where the oleochemicals prices will be under upward pressure regardless of...

SINGAPORE (ICIS) – Asia’s base oils market is in a period of adjustment, with narrowing light–heavy grade spreads, rising regional supply and evolving trade relationships reshaping sentiment. Heavy-grade premiums in Group II have sharply corrected, while upcoming turnarounds may lend short-term support to lighter grades. New capacities across Singapore, India and Saudi Arabia are set to heighten c...

LONDON (ICIS)--Europe’s oxo-alcohols and derivatives markets have largely been driven by supply factors and upstream movements, as underlying demand remains subdued on continued wider economic weakness and geopolitical tensions. Oxo-alcohols and butyl acetate reporter, Marion Boakye,  joins acrylate esters editor, Mathew Jolin-Beech, and glycol ethers editor, Cameron Birch, to discuss current cond...

Join Mark Victory , Senior Editor, Recycling at ICIS as he asks Valentijn De Neve , CEO of BlueAlp and president of industry association Chemical Recycling Europe, and Egor Dementev , ICIS EMEA recycling analytics team lead about mass balance accounting and the future of the chemical recycling industry following the publishing of the  Single Use Plastic Directive implementing act. Key topics cover...

The UK chemical industry needs more swift and powerful regulatory support to save it from further erosion as production falls by more than half compared to 2021 levels.  -          25 UK chemicals closures since 2021, country now only has one cracker -          Massive social impact of closures, often in deprived areas -          UK no longer produces some critical chemicals -          Lost UK che...

LONDON (ICIS)--European ammonia and acrylonitrile (ACN) players are facing supply and demand challenges while regulatory changes, including the recently enforced carbon border adjustment mechanism (CBAM), are further complicating the market picture.  In this podcast, European ACN editor Nicole Simpson speaks to global ammonia editor Sylvia Tranganida about the likely outlook for the markets.  ·   ...