Lots more empty ones like these? Source of picture: http://www.chrismartenson.com By John Richardson THE dramatic increase in China’s money supply during 2009 – the result of an estimated 10 trillion Yuan increase in lending over the previous year – might continue to support plastics and chemicals demand growth during the rest 2010, an industry source suggested […]
Asian Chemical Connections
China: Yet More Record Imports
By John Richardson The extraordinary China import story continues, raising yet more questions about where all these volumes are going at a time when the government is trying to cool the economy down. Does this mean that speculation continues apace because of all the money still sloshing around the economy thanks to last year’s record […]
US Olefins Price Falls Could Be Turning Point
Flagging-up the dangers… Source of picture: http://www.illusionsofdander.com/2007/08/car-dealerships-and-flag-companies-may.html By John Richardson THE recent 22% and 18% falls in US spot ethylene and propylene prices might be a sign that this yeat’s price rallies have been more the result of stronger crude and petrochemicals re-stocking and supply constraints than sustainable demand increases. As my colleague Nigel Davis, editor of the Insight section […]
Changing expectations
By Malini Hariharan A turnaround in petrochemical fortunes in the US, as a result of falling gas prices, means that Dow Chemical is willing to wait to get the best value for its basic chemicals business. At an earnings call last week, the company’s ceo, Andrew Liveris, was clear that while Dow was committed to […]
Was The Chinaplas Optimism Justified?
Too good to be true?,.,,,,, Source of picture: http://www.arico.tw/en/index.php By John Richardson I VISITED the Chinaplas plastics exhibition in Shanghai late last month and was greeted with a wall of unremitting optimism. Here are a few samples of the incredibly bullish comments from senior industry executives (a fuller version of what was said […]
China Chlor-alkali A Real Industry Still Struggling
By John Richardson The mood on the proverbial factory floor can be very different to that in buoyant stock and other commodity markets as the impact of the economic crisis lingers, with the chor-alkali to vinyls industry in China just one an example of a real industry that is still struggling. “From the perspective of […]
Chinaplas: Optimism, consolidation, new plant start-ups and more
By Malini Hariharan Chinaplas has just concluded and my colleagues have filed some great reports from Shanghai. Worries about a margin squeeze in the second half of the year persist but polymer producers seem to be increasingly confident about long-term growth prospects. The chairman of the China Plastics Processing Industry Association (CPPIA) talked of the […]
Reliance eyes 2014 start for Jamnagar cracker
By Malini Hariharan Reliance Industries is moving ahead with its Jamnagar cracker project and is looking at completing it in 2014, reports ICIS news. Preliminary activity on the project, which was put on hold after the 2008 economic crisis, has resumed. Discussions are on for technology selection and a firm start up date will be […]
Good Chance Of Polyolefin Trough Delay
By John Richardson THE betting remains on trough conditions arriving for polyolefins at some point later this year with new supply expected to begin to severely lengthen markets towards the end of Q2. A temporary buying strike in China that dragged on for too long – following overbuilding of local resin inventories – has helped […]
Co-Monomer Shortage Provides LLDPE Respite
By John Richardson AN enormous amount of new linear low-density polyethylene (LLDPE) output should, in theory, be destabilising Asian markets right now due to recent start-ups and increased production at plants brought on-stream last year and in early 2010. But the big question is to what extent global production is being constrained by a shortage […]
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