What’s the gas? Source of picture: wwww.arabianoilandgas.com By John Richardson SAUDI Arabian feedstock pricing arrangements for ethane, liquefied natural gas (LPG) and naphtha could change in 2011 – affecting the competitiveness of existing and future investments, two well-placed sources have told this blog. Ethane is currently still priced at around 75 cents/mBTU and […]
Asian Chemical Connections
Iran’s many problems
By Malini Hariharan A new problem is brewing for Iranian petrochemical producers. It appears that the government is quite keen on raising feedstock ethane prices and this issue is now under ‘hot negotiations’. “The National Iranian Oil Co (NIOC) and the petroleum ministry would like to rationalise the price of ethane according to the international […]
Western Chems: Exporting Into More Domestic Trouble?
China’s migrant workers – a risky game… Source of picture: China Daily By John Richardson THIS very disturbing Op-Ed piece by Paul Krugman in the New York Times argues that the US needs to impose a 25% tariff on Chinese imports in response to the value of the Yuan being held at […]
China Re-exports Large Volumes Of PE To Latin America
Heading for the high jump Source of picture: www.commons.wikemedia.,org By John Richardson CHINA’S polyethylene (PE) market looks as if it has gone a little pear-shaped as a result of high inventory levels and buyers anticipating the long-awaited flood of new supplies. Further factors are labour shortages affecting processors and manufacturers and anxiety over […]
Turkish Polyolefins Confront Tight Credit, China Uncertainty
Source of picture: www.turkeytravel.com By John Richardson THE economic crisis continues to force the global chemicals industry to think on its feet due to, among many other things, persistently tight credit in some regions. China has also become even more of an important market with every rumour and counter-rumour about levels of demand there […]
SEA Chemicals Need To Learn From The Past
By John Richardson THE whinging is getting almost unbearable in Southeast Asia over the Asean-China Free-Trade Agreement (ACFTA). The deal was under discussion for EIGHT years and yet chemicals and polymer producers and customers seem to have left it until after-the-fact to start raising objections. Indonesian industry association representatives have gone as far as to […]
China – An Opportunity And Threat
Source of picture: Dachangplastic.com By John Richardson WHAT a difference ten years have made in the plastics processing industry, according to a Southeast Asian converter who sees China’s machinery=manufacturing prowess as an opportunity and threat. “Ten years ago I considered buying a process machine from the US for $300,000 but it was just […]
Asia’s Polyester Producers Get Greedy
By John Richardson THE current glum mood in the Asian fibre intermediates chain is in stark contrast to the optimism in polyolefin and other petrochemical markets. A broad-based price rally has occurred following the end of the Chinese New Year (CNY) holidays belying fears, for the time being at least, that China’s credit tightening will […]
Jurgen Talks A lot Of Sense
Source of picture: http://www.referenceforbusiness.com/ By John Richardson GROWTH in Europe isn’t going to return to 2008 levels before 2012, said BASF CEO Jurgen Hambrecht on the release of the German diversified chemical giant’s financial results for last year.“ Overall, there are no signs of a self-sustaining, long-term recovery. We are still […]
THE US: Recovery, What Recovery?
Source of picture: http://www.infiniteunknown.net/ By John Richardson CORE consumer prices in the US declined for the first time in December since 1982, according to the latest American Chemistry Council (ACC) Weekl;y Chemistry and Economic Trends report. And the ACC’s latest monthly set of forecasts – compiled through averaging the predictions of “a […]
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