ICIS - Search Articles by Date : February 23 2004 - February 29 2004

US anti-dumping ‘zeroing’ causes furore in Brussels
A US anti-dumping policy, which affects European chemical exporters, is being challenged by the European Union, raising the spectre of another trade.... more
(23 February 2004 14:51)

Merck aims to double portfolio
Germany’s Merck aims to double the size of its chemical portfolio over the next six years using part of the nearly $2bn intake from the sale of its.... more
(23 February 2004 14:50)

Petrochemicals In Brief
Adipic acid Invista, formerly DuPont Textiles and Interiors, will increase the off-schedule price for all packages and grades of its Adi-pure high more
(24 February 2004 16:38)

Huber Targets Growth in Pharmaceutical Excipients
Huber Engineered Materials, a business unit of J.M. Huber Corp., is hoping to tap into the strength of the market for pharmaceutical excipients to more
(24 February 2004 16:38)

Pharmaceuticals In Brief
EXELIXIS Inc. has submitted an investigational new drug application for XL647, an anticancer compound. Pending Food and Drug Administration more
(24 February 2004 16:38)

Methyl Bromide Still Needed, Say Farmers
ALTHOUGH THE Montreal Protocols require that the use of methyl bromide (MB) be phased out by January 1, 2005, the fumigant still has many more
(24 February 2004 16:38)

Consumer Specialties Corner
Kao, Kanebo Deal CollapsesKao Corp. has received notification from Kanebo Ltd. that it wishes to withdraw from negotiations to transfer its more
(24 February 2004 16:38)

Specialties Pricing
AKZO NOBEL Functional Chemicals LLC's phosphorus chemicals unit, as of March 1, will increase the off-list price of its chlorinated more
(24 February 2004 16:38)

PE, PP price rally comes to a halt
IS IT the beginning of the end or just a temporary blip in the rally? more
(23 February 2004 14:57)

Meti’s tax boost for gasoil
JAPAN’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (Meti) is to remove the consumption tax on kerosene and gasoil and slash the import tariffs on these.... more
(23 February 2004 14:57)

PIC mulls overseas downstream units
PETROCHEMICAL Indust­ries Co (PIC) is considering integrating its aromatics projects in Shuaiba, Kuwait, with purified terephthalic acid/polyethylene.... more
(23 February 2004 14:58)

Urumqi considers aromatics plant
URUMQI Petrochemical is considering building an aromatics unit at its plant site in Urumqi, Xinjiang, China more
(23 February 2004 15:00)

Kao still keen on investments
KAO, Japan’s fourth-largest cosmetics producer, will continue to prioritise investments in the cosmetics business and invest in mergers and.... more
(27 February 2004 20:46)

Snippets
LONZA has announced a deal to manufacture monoclonal antibody drugs for compatriot NovImmune. Financial terms of the contract were not.... more
(27 February 2004 20:46)

MGC’s nylon-MXD6 ready by year-end
MITSUBISHI Gas Chemical (MGC) expects to complete construction of a nylon-MXD6 plant in Richmond, Virginia, US, by the end of this year with.... more
(27 February 2004 20:46)

Philippines plastics king buys debt-ridden BPC
THE Philippines’ ‘plastics king’, William Gatchalian, has bought Bataan Polyethylene Corp (BPC) more
(27 February 2004 20:46)

Showa Denko’s organic profit
SHOWA Denko’s organic chemicals division expects to post an operating profit of Yen2.0bn–2.2bn (US$18.47m-20.32m) in 2004, compared with the Yen2bn.... more
(27 February 2004 20:46)

Consortium makes bid for KP
ONE of the two preferred bidders for KP Chemical is a consortium formed by a local company and two foreign players more
(27 February 2004 20:46)

Japanese MMA producers push for price increases
JAPANESE methyl methacrylate (MMA) producers were last week pushing for price increases of US$200-300/tonne in March over February business on.... more
(27 February 2004 20:46)

Japan tries to raise PE, PP and PS on feedstock costs
JAPANESE polyethylene (PE), polypro-pylene (PP) and polystyrene (PS) producers are attempting to force through increases in domestic prices for all.... more
(27 February 2004 20:46)

Market Trends: Naphtha going strong
Naphtha strengthens on the back of rising crude and traders expect it to stay high. Methanol prices rise as supply tightens due to maintenance.... more
(27 February 2004 20:46)

China exports methanol
METHANOL markets in Asia witnessed a strange situation last week, as supply eased in China even as it tightened elsewhere in the region due to severe.... more
(27 February 2004 20:46)

Stockpile causes toluene drop-off
ASIAN toluene price ideas fell sharply last week on weak Chinese demand due to a high build-up of buyer inventories, according to producers and.... more
(27 February 2004 20:46)

Styrene supply to tighten
STYRENE supply in Asia is expected to tighten sharply in the next two or three months, with no fewer than seven major Northeast Asian (NEA) producers.... more
(27 February 2004 20:46)

Australia’s challenge
Australia’s plastics and chemical industry is struggling to cope with imports and the country’s push towards unprotected industry. However, the.... more
(27 February 2004 20:46)

Looking up down under
The Australian economy is performing well, unlike much of the rest of the world. Advances have been made in productivity growth and economic.... more
(27 February 2004 20:46)

Global roundup
From stories supplied by the CNI and ACN teams more
(27 February 2004 20:46)

LG Chem to decide on EDC within H1
LG CHEM expects to decide within the first half of this year where it will build its ethylene dichloride (EDC) plant more
(27 February 2004 20:46)

LG Engg wins carbon-black bid
LG ENGINEERING & Construction has received unofficial approval from the Al-Zamil Group for its bid to provide turnkey services to the latter’s.... more
(27 February 2004 20:46)

Wanhua to build units to feed MDI
YANTAI Wanhua Polyurethanes is to build a formaldehyde unit and a chlor-alkali facility that will be integrated with its methyl di-p-phenylene.... more
(27 February 2004 20:46)

Shinkong reviews its Taiwan PET project
SHINKONG Synthetic Fibres has reduced the capacity of its originally planned 18 000 tonne/year polyethylene terephthalate (PET) film-grade project in.... more
(27 February 2004 20:46)

Asahi may raise acrylo capacity this year
ASAHI Kasei Chemicals has decided to expand its 250 000 tonne/year acrylonitrile plant at Mizushima, Japan, by 50 000 tonne/year more
(27 February 2004 20:46)

Asahi MMA, acrylo together?
ASAHI Kasei Chemicals could integrate its next methyl methacrylate (MMA) plant with its next acrylonitrile facility more
(27 February 2004 20:46)

New Projects Summary
As reported in ACN 23-29 February 2004 more
(27 February 2004 20:46)

Chem-wire Express Japan
Chem-wire Express Japan: Edition of 20 February Basic and Fine Chemicals Mitsubishi Chemical has developed coke production technology.... more
(23 February 2004 03:23)

Chem-wire Express Japan
Chem-wire Express Japan - edition of 23 February Basic and Fine Chemicals Tayca Corp has developed, and begun marketing, the world’s.... more
(24 February 2004 03:25)

Chem-wire Express Japan
Chem-wire Express Japan: Edition of 24 February Basic and Fine Chemicals Following on from its first polycarbonate (PC) resin plant which.... more
(25 February 2004 05:22)

Chem-wire Express Japan
Chem-wire Express Japan: Edition of 25 February Basic and Fine Chemicals Asahi Kasei has worked out R&D strategies aimed at.... more
(26 February 2004 04:03)

Chem-wire Express Japan
Chem-wire Express Japan: Edition of 26 February Basic and Fine Chemicals JSR has pioneered a photocatalyst-based coating applicable to.... more
(27 February 2004 03:31)

Rhodia: in profit by 2006
Rhodia will emerge from its current turmoil focused on two areas of production and will return to profitability in 2006, its new leadership insists more
(23 February 2004 14:51)

Akzo Nobel refutes HCH claim
Akzo Nobel has moved quickly to clarify its position after the Dutch government announced it would pursue a long-standing legal case relating to soil.... more
(23 February 2004 14:56)

Contract reform considered
European olefin producers and consumers are once again seriously contemplating a shift from quarterly to monthly contract mechanisms more
(23 February 2004 14:53)

Players target price hikes despite low PU demand
European polyurethane pro­ducers continue to push ahead with attempts to increase prices more
(23 February 2004 14:52)

Middle East must invest for petrochem feedstocks
The hydrocarbon resource profile of Middle Eastern countries will increasingly determine their petrochemical strategy, according to Nexant Chem.... more
(23 February 2004 14:53)

Rhodia managers disclose more refinancing hurdles
Rhodia must achieve €400m in gains from its divestment programme by 30 June – half in cash – to satisfy its creditor banks, according to its latest.... more
(27 February 2004 21:43)

Business in brief
BASF buys BASF has agreed to acquire the Munster, Germany-based foil coatings business of German wood coatings company Treffert. In a.... more
(27 February 2004 21:43)

DuPont on track for savings
DuPont is ‘on track’ to achieve productivity and cost-savings of $900m by 2005, the company’s top official said last week. more
(27 February 2004 21:43)

Shell to partner for Unipetrol?
Shell has invited KazMunai­Gaz (KMG), the Kazakh national oil and gas company, to inspect confidential data on Unipetrol, the Czech oil and.... more
(27 February 2004 21:43)

Clariant to slash 15% of workforce
Clariant announced last week that it plans to cut 4000 jobs over the next two years as part of a global restructuring programme aimed at boosting.... more
(27 February 2004 21:43)

Aventis files second appeal
Aventis has lodged a second appeal against the approval by French stock market regulator, Autorité des Marches Financiers (AMF), of rival.... more
(27 February 2004 21:43)