ICIS - Search Articles by Date : February 02 2004 - February 08 2004

Aventis Continues to Search for a White Knight
The Authorite des Marche Financiers, the group that oversees the French stock market, gave an initial go-ahead last week for Sanofi-Synthelabo more
(06 February 2004 18:57)

Business in Brief
DuPont Site Gets ISO DuPont Fluoroproducts' fluorochemicals manufacturing plant in Corpus Christi, Tex., has received Internation-al more
(06 February 2004 18:57)

Cabot Signs Silica Pact in China
Cabot Corp. has signed a joint venture agreement to manufacture fumed silica in China. Last week, the company's subsidiary Cabot China Ltd. signed more
(06 February 2004 18:57)

Breaking News Roundup
Cytos in Deals With Lonza and Novartis Cytos Biotechnology AG, based in Zurich, Switzerland, has given Lonza an exclusive license to its new more
(06 February 2004 18:57)

Polypropylene Producers Announce a Further Price Increase as Propylene Skyrockets
Polypropylene (PP) producers are scrambling to raise prices in the wake of high energy costs and surging prices for propylene. Pricing for the more
(06 February 2004 18:57)

Plastics & Coatings in Brief
BASF will raise its prices in the US and Canada for all Acronal Optive acrylic emulsion polymers supplied to the architectural coatings industry by more
(06 February 2004 18:57)

Surfactant Players Discuss Margin Pressures, Regulations and Innovations
Though a harrowing year of cost pressures and slim margins gave rise to a somewhat subdued atmosphere at the recent Soap and Detergent more
(06 February 2004 18:57)

Novozymes Sees Signs of Detergent Enzymes Growth
After flat to declining growth over the past few years, detergent enzymes are stirring back to life, enjoying healthy sales in 2003. The trend more
(06 February 2004 18:57)

DuPont Raises Stakes in Chinese Automotive Coatings Ventures
DuPont has invested more deeply in its DuPont Red Lion joint ventures in Beijing and Changchun, China. The company has increased its equity more
(06 February 2004 18:57)

Falconbridge Cuts Capacity During Strike
Falconbridge, a Toronto, Canada-based mining company, says an employee strike at its Sudbury, Ontario, nickel-copper-cobalt smelter and metal mines more
(06 February 2004 18:57)

4Q Fertilizer Earnings Show Improvement
Potash Corp. of Saskatchewan posted an 84 percent increase in net income in the fourth quarter of 2003 to $26.5 million, compared to the 2002 more
(06 February 2004 18:57)

Rohm and Haas Profits Surge on Solid Growth
Specialty chemicals firms look to improved 2004. Joseph Chang reports. more
(06 February 2004 18:57)

Financial in Brief
Olin Corp. has agreed to sell 10 million shares of common stock to Morgan Stanley with the understanding that Morgan Stanley will resell the shares more
(06 February 2004 18:57)

Geo Specialty Misses Bond Payment
Strapped for cash, Cleveland, Ohio-based Geo Specialty Chemicals Inc. has again missed an interest payment on its bonds, triggering a 30-day grace more
(06 February 2004 18:57)

Counterfeit Drug Measures
The House Energy and Commerce Committee is asking five pharmaceutical companies to provide information on their efforts to prevent diversion and more
(06 February 2004 18:57)

Senate Energy Chair Plans to Jettison MTBE Clause in Revamped Energy Bill
Senate Energy Committee Chairman Pete Domenici (R-N.M.) announced plans last week to offer a revised energy bill that is less costly and does not more
(06 February 2004 18:57)

Proposed Budget Reduces the EPAFunds
The White House's proposed 2005 budget would provide the Environ-mental Protection Agency (EPA) with considerably less funding than Con-gress has more
(06 February 2004 18:57)

Pesticide Buffer Zones Near Salmon Streams Are Unnecessary, Says Industry Group
A federal judge has restricted the application of 38 pesticides along sal-mon streams in the Pacific Northwest, but an industry group says the more
(06 February 2004 18:57)

Alumina Tight, Prices Up
The global alumina market re-mains very tight, and spot pricing has surged. Spot alumina increased from an average of roughly $385 to $415 per more
(06 February 2004 18:57)

Chemical Industry Says Proposed Shipment Limitations Would Undermine Homeland Security
The District of Columbia (D.C.) is considering an antiterrorism proposal that would prohibit the transport of hazardous chemicals by rail or truck more
(06 February 2004 18:57)

Chlorine Producers Nominate Price Hike
At least three chloralkali producers have nominated price increases in re-sponse to tightening supply and in-creasing demand in anticipation of the more
(06 February 2004 18:57)

Jobs and People
Gary L. Stiles Gary L. Stiles has been appointed executive vice president and chief medical officer at Wyeth Pharmaceuticals. Dr. Stiles more
(06 February 2004 18:57)

Boehringer Ingelheim Scores Approval
German drug maker Boehringer Ingelheim (BI) scored a victory last week with the US approval of Spiriva HandiHaler (tiotropium bromide inha-lation more
(06 February 2004 18:57)

Life Sciences in Brief
AVENTIS BEHRING LLC has received approval from the European Commission for Mononine, a plasma-derived factor IX concentrate, for continuous more
(06 February 2004 18:57)

Millennium Disappoints as Titanium Dioxide Profits Plunge
Millennium Chemicals Inc. posted a wider than expected fourth quarter loss as titanium dioxide (TiO2) profitability dwindled to near-break-even more
(06 February 2004 18:57)

Leaner Ciba Cautious About Future
Ciba Specialty Chemicals is expecting stronger profits and growth after taking a series of restructuring and cost-cutting measures. In the short more
(06 February 2004 18:57)

Private Investors Shift Focus to Continent
Private equity investors could raise their share of takeovers in the European chemicals sector from around 20 to 25 percent to as much as 50 more
(06 February 2004 18:57)

To Keep Rhodia, Aventis Will Sell Wacker Stake
The European Commission (EC) has freed Aventis from an obligation to divest the majority of its 15 percent stake in Rhodia by April. The EC, more
(06 February 2004 18:57)

ICI Mulls Disposal of Uniqema and Quest
ICI indicated last week that it may consider selling its Quest fragrance and flavors operation and its Uniqema oleochemicals activity once economic more
(06 February 2004 18:57)

Shell Reports 4Q Loss
After taking impairment, restructuring and other charges of $417 million, Shell Chemicals Ltd. posted a net loss of $334 million in the fourth more
(06 February 2004 18:57)

Europe In Brief
DSM is planning additional job cuts at it nutritional products unit, the former vitamins and fine chemicals division of Swiss pharmaceuticals maker more
(06 February 2004 18:57)

News In Brief
Dow Completes Acquisition Dow Chemical Company has completed its acquisition of Celanese's acrylates business, capturing Celanese's acrylates more
(06 February 2004 18:57)

Akzo Braces for More Cuts at Diosynth
Akzo Nobel is gearing up for further restructuring measures, including possible job cuts, at its contract manufacturing arm Diosynth. The unit is more
(06 February 2004 18:57)

Tight Supply Pressures HEAR Oil Price
High erucic acid rapeseed (HEAR) oil prices continue to climb because of tight inventories resulting from a production shortfall over the last two more
(06 February 2004 18:57)

Oils in Brief
EPOXIDIZED OIL Dow Chemical Company will raise prices for Flexol plasticizer epoxidized soybean oil in North America by 5c. per pound ef-fective more
(06 February 2004 18:57)

Sabic Sees Business Improvements as NPRA Approaches
In advance of the 29th annual In-ternational Petrochemical Conference, sponsored by the National Petrochemi-cal and Refiners Association (NPRA) and more
(06 February 2004 18:57)

Petrochemicals in Brief
BTX Spot deals continue to hover in the $1.97 per gallon range for January and February. March spot prices also inched up to the $1.97 range by more
(06 February 2004 18:57)