Trade data for net US PVC exports seems to be trying to tell us something very important about the current state of the global economy. As the chart shows, based on data from Global Trade Information Services: Net exports failed to grow in 2013 (red column) versus 2012 (black) and were only up 2% versus 2011 […]
Chemicals and the Economy
A night at the Olympics
If you ever get the chance to go to an Olympic Games event, then go. The blog spent last night at the athletics finals, and saw the most amazing performances it is possible to imagine. These athletes are at their peak of their careers. They really have sacrificed everything for these few minutes of possible […]
A day at the London Olympics
The blog has spent today at the Olympic Park. The athletes, atmosphere and buildings are quite amazing – everything said about the event is true. Above is a picture of the Aquatic centre, before the heats began this morning. Left, is a picture of a Dutch Olympian, wearing their most striking uniform. A word is […]
3rd London Olympics sees UK bond yields back at 1908 levels
This week marks the opening of the 3rd London Olympics. To celebrate, the blog today looks at developments in government bond yields since the 1st London Games in 1908. On Thursday, it will look at GDP per capita changes since the 2nd London Games in 1948. In 1908, UK interest rates were the benchmark for […]
China cuts back ethylene to boost fuel
Some minor relief may be at hand for hard-pressed cracker operators, particularly those in Asia. Sinopec announced today that it will reduce ethylene output by 65 KT in June (the equivalent of 1 cracker’s output), in order to allow it to boost fuel production by 200 KT. This will be done by bringing forward planned […]
The 10th anniversary of the Asian financial crisis
2 July 2007 marks the 10th anniversary of the Asian financial crisis, which began with the devaluation of the Thai baht. Visiting the country 10 years later, the situation has changed quite dramatically from those panic-stricken days.
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