ICIS - chemical podcasts

Join John Richardson, ICIS senior executive, business solutions group, in Episode 4 of Sustainably Speaking along with Mark Victory and Matt Tudball, senior editors for recycling Europe, and Helen McGeough, global analyst team lead for plastic recycling as they discuss the European Commission's proposals to allow mass balance for chemical recycling using a fuel-exempt accounting approach under the Single Use Plastics Directive (SUPD), and what this means for the wider recycling world. Plus, how amendments in the draft Implementing Decision allow for recyclate from outside the EU to count towards the 25% recycled content for polyethylene terephthlate (PET) beverage bottles, as well as whats going on in the wider world of recycling. Some questions answered during this episode:  Why is this draft Implementing Decision on mass balance so important, and what does ‘fuel-exempt' mean?  Will this increase investment in chemical recycling in Europe and what happens if other regions go for a ‘free allocation' approach? What's the impact on global operators working in different markets? Can recyclate made from post-consumer plastic waste placed on third country markets count towards recycled content targets? What does a ‘level playing field' for Europe look like? Will there be a sudden acceleration of chemical recycling projects as Europe's crackers close? Is chemical recycling the solution for mass-scale food contact for polyolefins in Europe by 2030?

From four-year lows for European polypropylene (PP) prices, Dow announcing the closure of its Bohlen cracker, ping-ponging crude oil prices, a key US and EU tariff deal, and some fresh anti-dumping duties in India – June and July have been action packed for PP and polyethylene (PE).ICIS senior editor manager Vicky Ellis and senior editor Ben Lake compare notes with ICIS market specialist Aswin Kondapally on how Europe and Indian markets match up in July, and what to expect in August.

HOUSTON (ICIS)—US ethylene glycol (EG) markets reporter Melissa Wheeler discusses global market dynamics and factors on the EG markets with Judith Wang, Asia EG Senior Editor, and Nicole Simpson, Europe EG Markets Editor.Market factors discussed include: News regarding China's economic policies boosted market sentiment short-term Global lack of downstream PET demand pulling MEG demand lower US EG supply disruptions due to tariffs Upcoming outages at Shell's North America sites and BASF's Belgium site

The permanent closure of Sabic's cracker and other facilities at Wilton, UK, shows how tough conditions are in Europe with recyclers also feeling the pinch. -          Closure of UK polymer recycling facilities has been a shock to the industry-          European recyclers find it hard to compete against imports, more support for local recycling needed -          Regulations are helping recycling sector, but more action needed-          Outlook for Europe recycling more positive than for base chemicals-          Chemical plant closures remove good quality jobs which are tough to replace-          Wilton, UK site is perfect for development of circular economy-          EU-US 15% tariff deal removes threat of 30% but many questions remainIn this ICIS Think Tank podcast, Will Beacham interviews James McLeary, managing director for Biffa Polymers and ICIS Insight Editor Tom Brown. 

Europe's oxo-alcohols and derivatives markets remain structurally weak, with some players beginning to feel effects of the summer slowdown.Ongoing economic weakness and geopolitical uncertainty continue to dampen sentiment, with activity expected to slow further from late July into August as summer holidays begin.Oxo-alcohols and their derivative markets are not expected to experience significant demand changes in H2 2025.Oxo-alcohols and butyl acetate reporter Marion Boakye joins acrylate esters editor Mathew Jolin-Beech and glycol ethers editor Cameron Birch to discuss current conditions along the oxo-alcohols value chain.

Slowing demand growth and a battle for market share between Saudi Arabia and the US could see crude oil prices drop significantly by the end of the year. -          High oil prices stimulate more production, low prices less-          Saudi Arabia and the US battle for market share-          Global demand for oil is around 100 million barrels/day-          Electric vehicles (EVs) have destroyed 2 million barrel/day of oil demand -          Globally around 20% of vehicle sales are EVs-          Oil prices could fall to $40-$45/barrel by the end of the year-          Oil demand growth weakest in 16 years-          Low oil price is double-edged sword for chemical markets In this ICIS Think Tank podcast, Will Beacham interviews ICIS Insight Editor Tom Brown and Paul Hodges, chairman of New Normal Consulting. 

As the existing global trading system crumbles, and overcapacity keeps growing, Europe's chemical industry must move back to a more national or regional business model.  -          Trade war shows global trading system is breaking down-          Chemical industry could move back to a national or regional business model-          Would be a return to pre-1990s industry structure-          Europe has smaller chemical plants, ideal for regional markets-          EU must now act fast to protect chemical and industrial value chains-          China chemicals has been based on 6-8% GDP growth per year-          Now real GDP growth is only 1-4%, according to unofficial estimatesIn this ICIS Think Tank podcast, Will Beacham interviews John Richardson from the ICIS market development team, ICIS Insight Editor Tom Brown and Paul Hodges, chairman of New Normal Consulting. 

With H1 2025 already in the rear-view mirror, and the summer heatwave upon us once again, the acetone and phenol, and derivative markets, continue to be blighted by difficulties.Demand, pretty much across the board in this value chain as well as for many other products, remains stubbornly weak. Supply is ample in most cases as well, leading to stagnant markets, sluggish spot activity, and contracts doing the majority of the heavy lifting in the markets. In this podcast, Europe ICIS editors Jane Gibson (acetone and phenol), Heidi Finch (bisphenol A and epoxy resins), Sam Lovatt (polycarbonate), Mathew Jolin-Beech (methyl methacrylate) and ICIS senior analyst Michele Bossi (aromatics and derivatives) discuss current market conditions, and look forward to H2 2025.

SINGAPORE (ICIS) -- Trade tensions have been in focus for the wider petrochemical markets since US Liberation Day tariffs were announced. In this podcast, propylene editor Julia Tan speaks with ethylene editor Josh Quah to examine how recent tariff developments have impacted the Asian olefins market. Ethylene support collapses with ethane resolution, new downstream demand to cushion drops  US tariff impact to trickle up from end use sectors  Zhengzhou Commodity Exchange announces propylene futures, beginning 22 July

SINGAPORE (ICIS) -- Asian methanol prices have experienced a lot of volatility over the last few weeks, due to geopolitical concerns in the Middle East. While most production returned to normal in early July, some questions still remain around demand, both in India and the rest of Asia. Production in Iran, southeast Asia returns to normal US tariffs, seasonal factors to affect demand from downstream applications MTO run rates in China may be adjusted in July, margins may narrow In this chemical podcast, ICIS editors Doris He and Damini Dabholkar discuss recent market conditions with an outlook ahead in Asia.

European politicians must decide if they want to save the region's chemical industry as the wave of energy-intensive closures continues. -          Dow to close cracker at Bohlen, Germany plus two other sites with loss of 800 jobs-          More than 5 million tonnes/year of ethylene capacity now under threat in Europe-          Industry still faces high energy costs, regulatory burdens, unfair competition-          China will continue to add capacity at least to 2030-          China chemical plants running at higher-than-expected operating rates-          Importing ethylene and propylene can be expensive-          Political support will be vital to save Europe's chemical industry-          New US tariffs may see two-tier chemical markets emerge in Asia-          Uncertainty and chaos likely to persist

LONDON (ICIS)--As geopolitical tensions have cooled, the chemicals industry did not have time to react to the spike in oil prices, and the seasonal demand drop in Europe could be more severe than the traditional summer lull. China polypropylene flooding global market, outpacing domestic demand Chemicals industry as leading indicator warns of wider economic ill health Shutdown of plants in Europe is massive crisis Vietnam 20% tariff from US will weigh on both economies Risks of US cutting social security, international relief funding Key economies not as strong as presented Climate change needs to be a priority for businesses CEO beset with challenging conditions Working patterns reshaped by climate change Stark landscape provides opportunities for innovators to thrive In this Think Tank podcast, Morgan Condon interviews John Richardson from the ICIS market development team, and Paul Hodges, chairman of New Normal Consulting.

In this podcast, market editors Zubair Adam (MX) and Miguel Rodriguez Fernandez (PX, OX) showcase the low levels of consumption in Europe.

China's expansion of its carbon market and the EU's implementation of CBAM are reshaping the landscape for high-emission industries. Steel, aluminum and cement are under increasing pressure to decarbonize, and hydrogen is emerging as a strategic solution.In this podcast, ICIS analysts Patricia Tao and Lewis Unstead compare China and Europe's approaches to decarbonizing heavy industry, and discuss the role of hydrogen in this transformation.

LONDON (ICIS)--Europe oxo-alcohols and derivatives markets continue to be blighted weak downstream demand in June with key end-use segments, including automotive, construction and paints and coatings remaining sluggish.Acrylate esters editor Mat Jolin-Beech talks with glycol ethers editor Cameron Birch and oxo-alcohols and butyl acetate editor Marion Boakye about conditions in these markets and expectations for the near future.

Europe's chemical distribution sector is bracing for the impact of multiple geopolitical and economic challenges, including the Israel/Iran conflict. -          All Iran's mono ethylene glycol (MEG), urea, ammonia and methanol facilities have been shut down -          For methanol this represents more than 9% of global capacity, for MEG it is 3%-          Brent crude spiked from $65 to almost  $75/bbl, reports of attacks on gas fields and oil infrastructure-          If Iran closes the Strait of Hormuz this will severely disrupt oil and LNG markets -          Expect extended period of volatility and instability in the Middle East-          European distributors brace for a VUCA (Volatile, Uncertain, Complex, Ambiguous) world-          Suffer prolonged period of poor demand, in tandem with producers, with no sign of an upturn-          Global overcapacity driven by China, subsequent wave of production closures across Europe both a threat and opportunity for distributors-          Suppliers and customers turn to distributors to help navigate impact of tariffs and geopolitical disruptionClick here to download the 2025 ICIS Top 100 Chemical DIstributors list.In this ICIS Think Tank podcast, Will Beacham interviews Dorothee Arns, director general of the European Association of Chemical Distributors and Paul Hodges, chairman of New Normal Consulting. 

The worst chemicals downturn in living memory is forcing ratings agencies to downgrade more companies and raising fears of bankruptcies. -          Chemical company earnings have been bottom-of-cycle since 2023-          Leverage (borrowing) is high compared to historical levels-          Low earnings increase pressure on leverage, raises risk of default-          Fitch has downgraded more chemical companies over last 12-18 months-          Extended trough in chemicals may lead to bankruptcies-          Operating rates have not recovered as they did after Global Financial Crisis-          Fitch expects gradual recovery from 2026-          A lot more closures needed to rebalance market – could delay recovery-          Ratings agencies look at company costs, strategies and compare to peers-          Diversification of geography and product helps manage riskIn this ICIS Think Tank podcast, Will Beacham interviews Guillaume Daguerre who leads Europe chemicals for ratings agency Fitch, John Richardson from the ICIS market development team, ICIS Insight Editor Tom Brown and Paul Hodges, chairman of New Normal Consulting. Click here to register for the ICIS/European Association of Chemical Distributors (Fecc) distributors CEO round table on Monday 16 June. 

HOUSTON (ICIS)—US polyethylene terephthalate (PET) Markets Reporter Melissa Wheeler, Vice President of the North America PET/Polyester Chain, Antulio Borneo, Senior Recycled Plastics Editor, Emily Friedman, Latin America PET Senior Markets Editor, Daniel Lopes discuss the implications to the virgin PET and recycled PET (R-PET) markets as a result of tariffs and anti-dumping duties.PET and R-PET market factors discussed include: US PET, R-PET demand outlook for peak summer season Canada's anti-dumping duties (ADD) investigation on China, Pakistan R-PET, PET production and capacity changes Latin America PET protectionism continues

Recent revisions of recycled content targets from major brands have led to questions about just how committed companies are to reducing their consumption of virgin plastic - but what are the underlying issues behind such decision? In this third episode of Sustainably Speaking, ICIS' Senior Executive, Business Solutions Group John Richardson is joined by Mark Victory and Matt Tudball, Senior Editors for Recycling  Europe, and Helen McGeough, Global Analyst Team Lead for Plastic Recycling at ICIS to dive deeper into this topic.  Key topics covered during the discussion include:   Revised down recycled content targets do not mean lower recyclate demand The impact on current and future investment decisions for both mechanical and chemical recycling  The importance of improving access to good quality feedstock The role of consumers and consumer pressure  Spreads between packaging and non-packaging grades remain high, particularly for recycled polyolefins  The impact of regulation on the US and European markets

As chemical producers gain access to more renewable energy, and portfolios evolve, distributors and downstream customers can look forward to more availability of low carbon, low fossil content products. -          Distributors can help communicate sustainability data up and down industrial value chains-          Full lifecycle analysis is required to truly measure a product's environmental footprint   -          Vital to have standard measurements for carbon footprint-          Chemical industry has a 25-year innovation cycle, more investment needed to accelerate this-          Wave of low carbon products expected in next 2-3 years -          Azelis is sticking to its environmental targets-          Customers drive demand for more low carbon products-          Renewable energy will cut fossil content of distributor product portfolios-          Smaller chemical companies drive low carbon innovation in Asia-          Reshoring will drive national or regional chemical value chains

LONDON (ICIS)--Europe oxo-alcohols and derivatives markets continue to face blighted downstream sentiment in May tied to ongoing US trade developments and wider domestic economic malaise pertaining to principle end user segments including automotive, constriction and wider paints & coatings business.Better availability has facilitated further price pressure in May with few signs of a let up in the short term. Supply changes remain critical for price discovery.Glycol ethers editor Cameron Birch speaks to oxo-alcohols and butyl acetate editor Marion Boakye and acrylate esters editor Mat Jolin-Beech about conditions in these markets and expectations for the near future.

As the 12 June deadline for entries to the ICIS Innovation Awards approaches, a judge and a 2024 winner describe why this topic is so important for the future of the chemical industry and society.-          Innovation breaks down silos, encourages collaboration-          Enables industrial value chains to decarbonise-          Chemical industry provides essential raw materials -          Awards are a chance to get external recognition for your innovations-          Deadline is 12 June, entry is free and quick - click here for full details

Participants at the Asia Petrochemical Industry Conference (APIC) expect chronic oversupply conditions hurting the chemical sector will start to rebalance by 2028-2030. -          China overcapacity, trade war is causing an unprecedented crisis-          Polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), paraxylene (PX) in structural oversupply-          Hopes for rebalancing by 2028-2030 as plants shut down, capacity build slows-          Demand is flat but India is the exception – a beacon of growth for the region-          Taiwan, Thailand struggle to compete against China, Middle East-          Trade war will cause “cataclysmic” changes in global trade-          Sustainability still seen as a growth driver, especially for polymers-          Growing reliance on US ethane for chemical production in Asia

Cease fires on both business and war fronts are the focus of this month's European polyethylene (PE) & polypropylene (PP) podcast, from the US and China de-escalating their eye-watering tariffs battle for 90 days, to the India-Pakistan ceasefire.Senior editors Vicky Ellis and Ben Lake look at May's price trends, how US-China trade relations are influencing sentiment in Europe, and are joined by senior editor Nadim Salamoun to discuss Trump's announcement regarding lifting sanctions on Syria, and how Pakistan's market responded to its ceasefire with India.They also highlight ICIS coverage from the latest Asia Petrochemical Industry Conference (APIC) in Thailand, including how petrochemical demand may ramp up as US lifts Syrian sanctions, how South Korea is mulling petchem rationalization, and another ICIS podcast on Asian C2 players' survival strategies.

LONDON (ICIS)--Relatively stable demand and evolving global supply dynamics are expected in European ammonia and acrylonitrile (ACN) markets in 2025.In this latest podcast, global ammonia editor Sylvia Tranganida and Europe ACN editor Nazif Nazmul share the latest developments and expectations for what lies ahead. Ammonia players are expecting European demand from the nitrates market to pick up soon Availability is due to tighten with scheduled turnarounds in Saudi Arabia and Indonesia Ammonia prices globally are softening due to a lack of major demand Geopolitics-led macroeconomic challenges dampen prospects of ACN derivatives demand resurgence Balanced-to-long ACN supply dynamics anticipated to endure

BANGKOK (ICIS) -- Asia benzene prices saw an uptrend early week. However, this gain was wiped out by a drop in crude prices by Friday.  Market gets boost from US-China trade breakthrough Early week increases of over $50/tonne eroded by crude drop at week's close Market cautious about sustainability of uptrend amid incoming European cargoes In this chemical podcast, Asia benzene editor Angeline Soh discusses the situation in the market and some insights from the Asia Petrochemical Industry Conference (APIC) 2025, held in Bangkok, Thailand.

BANGKOK (ICIS)--Over the past week, Asia ethylene players arrived in Bangkok, Thailand, to reflect on the industry's drift towards oversupply, and probe opportunities for continued survival as supply-demand balance changes enter the horizon.  Feedstock cost competitiveness, ethane conversion considerations still on the table Consolidation a complex question, but looking more necessary for survival  SE Asia's new supply may cause supply-demand balance changes for Indonesia In this chemical podcast, ICIS editor Josh Quah discusses some insights gleaned from the Asia Petrochemical Industry Conference (APIC) 2025, held in Bangkok, Thailand.

LONDON (ICIS)-- European acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS) and acrylonitrile (ACN) markets are facing ongoing demand weakness in 2025, as well as uncertainty for global supply dynamics and the potential impact expected from US tariffs.In this latest podcast, Europe ABS market editor Stephanie Wix and markets editor for the Europe ACN report, Nazif Nazmul, share the latest developments and expectations ahead. Demand stability at a weak level expected to continue across 2025 Macroeconomic challenges persist, players monitor US tariffs situation Impact of ongoing antidumping investigation on ABS imports from South Korea, Taiwan ABS is the largest-volume engineering thermoplastic resin and is used in automobiles, electronics and recreational products.ACN is used in the production of synthetic fibres for clothing and home furnishings, engineering plastics and elastomers.

The agreement to pause steep tariffs between the US and China for 90 days allows normal business to resume, but chemicals CEOs still need to plan for structural changes to global trade. -          US-China tariff pause allows trade to resume between nations-          Will benefit chemical companies around the world-          But business leaders still need to plan for a more protectionist world-          Trade resumption could see huge spike in demand, snarling up logistics-          SABIC reportedly appoints banks to prepare for sale of European assets-          Could make strategic sense from cost perspective-          But would reduce footprint in the EU with its 450 million citizens-          Upgrade and restart of SABIC's Wilton cracker reportedly delayed 

BANGKOK (ICIS) -- Northeast Asia ethylene and polyvinyl chloride (PVC) markets have seen a slower-than-expected tempo of spot talks for June cargoes, with the main driver of uncertainty being unclear start up timelines from new ethylene derivative expansions, particularly from Chinese PVC. Around 1.5million tonnes/year new PVC supply may face start-up postponements Import discussions on ethylene slow pending clearer demand picture  PVC demand clouded by India-Pakistan tensions amid pre-monsoon season In this chemical podcast, ICIS editors Jonathan Chou and Josh Quah discuss their findings from the Asia Petrochemical Industry Conference (APIC) 2025, held in Bangkok, Thailand.

China's tariff on US LPG has been cut from 125% to 10% for 90 days. Shihao, Yan, and Lilian from the ICIS China LPG team discuss what this means for US cargo flows, CFR China price trends, and China PDH operation outlook, and why market players remain cautious despite the relief.  China lowers tariffs on US LPG for 90 days What this means for trade flows and pricing PDH run rates show signs of recovery Market reaction remains cautious Related article: Our April analysis on the tariff hike

Raphael Jaumotte, Technical Manager at PETCORE EUROPE speaks to Matt Tudball, ICIS Senior Editor, Recycling about the PETCORE EUROPE Thermoforming Conference on 27-28 May in Dijion, France. Details of the event can be found via Petcore's webiste.The theme of PETCORE EUROPE's 3rd dedicated thermoforming conference is focused on PET thermoform circularity, and asks the question ‘how can collection and sorting of PET thermoforms be improved?' Topics discussed include: PETCORE EUROPE's work in connecting the thermoforming industry Challenges of sorting and collection Impact of regulation on the thermoforming market The need of collaboratoin in the industry  New offerings and services that have come out of industry discussions

As demand for transport falters, and with the Middle East fighting for market share, crude oil prices may continue their downward spiral, eventually boosting chemicals demand.  -          Low oil prices put money into consumers' pockets-          Petrochemicals demand will eventually benefit from lower oil prices -          Destocking down value chains initially masks demand boost-          But trade war will likely dampen global economy, chemicals demand-          China's move to electric vehicles will reduce crude oil demand-          Oversupply means oil price decline likely to continue-          Trade war, demand trends will drive changes in China petrochemicals

Demand in the EU and US epoxy markets remains muted and the sentiment has become even more cautious, as players navigate the changing and complex tariff landscape.In this podcast, senior editor Heidi Finch, who covers the Europe epoxy market and fellow senior editor Tarun Raizada, who covers the US epoxy market, share insights on key topics including tariffs, effects on sentiment, demand and profitability struggles.  Europe epoxy sentiment diluted in April; as Trump tariffs add to demand caution; competition from South Korea and within Europe US epoxy price momentum slowed in April as players scrambled to assess impact on supply chain after duty/tariff fallout Profitability still a challenge; but benzene drop in Europe provides some relief Sentiment cautious in US moving forward as demand outlook far less favorable amid extended tariff uncertainty Trump tariffs cast a cloud over the downstream outlook, EU players hope trade deals will be reached  Podcast editing by Nick Cleeve

From Trump's tough tariffs talk to pivotal recycling legislation, ICIS senior analysts and editors pick their top themes from the 11th ICIS World Polyolefins Conference in Cologne.Joining senior editor manager Vicky Ellis on the podcast are senior editor Ben Lake, senior analyst for PE Lorenzo Meazza, ICIS consultant Les Bottomley, senior recycling analyst Egor Dementev and senior analyst Alex Tomczyk.They discuss highlights from the conference, including examples of tariffs from US' history, how Europe's market views the tariffs headache, one speaker's view that AI could be “better at purchasing chemicals” than human buyers, and how polyolefins must get their head out of the sand on Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) rules or lose to other packaging.

The impending trade war is already hurting consumer and business sentiment and may help cause a global recession as demand collapses amid rampant chemicals overcapacity. -          US retailers fear empty shelves, fuelling inflation-          Uncertainty, chaos is hurting business, dampening consumer sentiment-          China chemicals demand growth could be negative in 2025-          China may exempt $46 billion of US goods from tariffs including ethane, polyethylene (PE), styrene polymers -          Huge drop in May bookings for China imports through US ports-          Power back to normal in Spain after nationwide outage on 28 April, chemical plants restarting-          System should be resilient to adapt to swings in solar and wind production

European oxo-alcohols and derivatives markets have been largely characterised by uncertainty and cautious market behaviour.Offtake from the coatings sector typically increases in spring, though sentiment is subdued as players struggle to plan amid ongoing global tariff uncertainty and ongoing wider economic weakness.Oxo-alcohols and butyl acetate reporter Marion Boakye speaks to acrylate esters editor Mathew Jolin-Beech and glycol ethers editor Cameron Birch about conditions down the oxo-alcohols value chain.

LONDON (ICIS)--European Melamine Editor Melissa Hurley interviews Senior Editor Sylvia Traganida, Deputy Managing Editor Deepika Thapliyal, Market Reporter Joy Foo and Connor Phillips.Market factors to consider ahead of May: Asia Melamine market grappling with weak demand and increasing supply Asia exports dropped in March but expected to flow into Europe May/June Reduced melamine supply in Europe offset by ongoing sluggish demand conditions No tariff impact on US melamine so far Global urea demand expected to slow from H2 May China not resuming urea exports yet despite the domestic season ending Subdued European Ammonia demand; waiting for nitrates market to pick up Natural gas TTF prices softened, but European fertilizer producers reluctant to ramp up production due low demand

In this podcast, ICIS analyst Jasmine Khoo and Mason Liang talk about the current situation and outlook for the methyl methacrylate (MMA) market.

Asia propylene (C3) market is likely to see tighter short-term supply as China propane dehydrogenation (PDH) producers are now faced with surging propane import costs due to the US-China tariff hikes. While downstream demand and end-user consumption could be negatively impacted on tariff barriers. In this chemical podcast, ICIS senior analyst Joey Zhou and analyst Seymour Chenxia discuss what changes Asian C3 market is going to embrace in the US tariff upheaval. And the topics will be focusing on: 1.     Asia propylene price trends and forecasts2.     China PDH run rate could fall below 60％ on surging costs3.     Run rate for other production routes likely to rise4.     Tariff impact to C3 derivatives and end-user consumption 

Chemical companies need a razor-sharp focus on identifying and nurturing markets and customers as the trade war pulls apart decades of established ways of doing business.  -          Cheap material being offered to Europe from Asian countries outside China-          We are witnessing the breakup of the post-World War 2 Western Alliance-          CEOs now have 90-day window of opportunity for scenario planning -          Uncertainty about tariffs makes it difficult to plan-          Focus on locating markets and customers amid the chaos -          Major economies threatened with recession-          Asset bubbles may be deflating 

On the eve of his retirement, ICIS Think Tank podcast stalwart Nigel Davis and colleagues pick out key chemical industry turning points and point to the future. -          Energy transition will have massive impact on chemicals-          Tariffs could drive era of deglobalization-          Chemicals journalism helps bring clarity to markets-          Editorial content and analytics explain what is happening and why-          Get past the press release and uncover the truth-          Trusted sources of information are more important in an age of fake news-          Listening, thinking, analysing are key journalistic skills -          Key turning point when China joined the World Trade Organization in 2001

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.

China's domestic oxo-alcohols prices have recently rallied from low levels on expectations about supply reduction with the turnaround season approaching, but the sustainability and size of the price rise remains to be seen due to tepid demand recovery. 

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

In episode 2 of our new Sustainably Speaking podcast, ICIS' Senior Executive, Business Solutions Group John Richardson is joined by Mark Victory, Senior Editor for Recycling, Europe, and Helen McGeough, Global Analyst Team Lead for Plastic Recycling at ICIS to talk about the importance of investment in Europe's recycling industry. Topics covered in this episode include:  Need for improvement in collection and sorting capacity Importance of high quality waste to allow chemical recycling scale up Investment needed to address Europe's structural shortages of recycled material  Imbalance between EU Member States for infrastructure investment The financial and economic cost of not investing in, and dealing with EU waste