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Asian Chemical Connections

Global Chemicals Operating Rates Lowest Since 1987

By John Richardson SOMETIMES one single chart is worth many thousands of words, which is the case with the chart. Hence today’s brief post as the chart tells you a great deal of what you need to know: Based on American Chemistry Council data, and borrowed from the latest PH report, it shows that average global chemicals […]

China Jan-Feb Deflation Deepens, Growth Collapses

By John Richardson CHINA’S economy is now showing signs of extreme weakness, according official year-on-year data for January-February: Fixed asset investment, the biggest driver of growth in China’s economy, rose by 13.9% – the weakest rate of expansion since 2001. The 6.8% year-over-year growth in industrial production was “the weakest year-over-year reading ever outside the global […]

The US Shale Gas Boom Will End

Don’t follow the herd…  By John Richardson ISN’T it amazing how we keep getting caught out by the unexpected, from the global financial crisis to  China is entering a period of much-lower growth? No, not really. As long as we keep being driven by the short attention-span of financial markets and the demands of quarterly […]

Dysfunctional Oil Markets

By John Richardson “HOW do a I tell my customers that polyethylene (PE) price rises are justified by more expensive naphtha, when the market is so weak?” asked an Asia-based sales and marketing executive with a major producer earlier this month. A second executive with another producer, who has responsibility for the China market, expressed […]

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