US LLDPE exporters made big gains in January 2022 until January 2025 thanks to their cost advantages and China’s lower import tariffs.
Asian Chemical Connections
Why Artificial Intelligence Is Not a Dot-Com Bubble Mark II
IF WE END UP in recession we need to spend more and not less on artificial intelligence
Why This Year’s NPC Meeting Seems Unlikely to Rescue Chemicals Spreads and Margins
HDPE injection grade spreads would need to rise by 133% from their 2022-2025 level to return to the spreads enjoyed during the Chemicals Supercycle.
LDPE spreads would have to rise by 43%.
LLDPE spreads would need to increase by 91%.
Beyond the China growth miracle: The three things you should do in 2025
IN ALL THE MUDDLE about demand, there are three actions you can take today to give clarity to your business plans
Don’t hide beneath the bed sheets when you see today’s first slide
PLEASE DON’T hide your head beneath the sheets and hope that this slide will go away. What are you going to do about this? Please read on.
Two connected words of the year for 2025: “Protectionism” and “China”
LOTS OF FOCUS has been on the Trump effect on the US trading relationship with China. But we need to think more broadly than this. I see a significant risk that next year we will see trade tensions increasing between other countries and China for the reasons described in today’s post
The developing world outside China to the rescue, but not for a long time
A full recovery next year? If you think this is likely, then think again
China versus the rest of the developing world: The great reordering of polymers demand
IN THE FIRST OF a special series of blog posts, I am going to examine Turkey’s chemicals and polymers demand growth prospects. This will be followed by posts on Vietnam, Mexico, India, Brazil and Indonesia.
These will be amongst the countries in the Developing World ex-China region that will eventually replace China as the main drivers of global chemicals demand.
China’s recent economic stimulus barely registers on PE margins
CHINA’S RECENT economic stimulus has failed ot turn around record low PE margins
Stop wasting time waiting for the end of the downcycle
THE TEN REASONS why this isn’t a standard chemical industry downcycle
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