By Malini Hariharan Even as market players celebrate the finish of what has been an unexpectedly good year there are not many who expect a repeat performance. A key concern is Chinese demand which saved the industry in 2009. A massive government stimulus package boosted domestic consumption and imports of a wide range of petrochemicals. […]
Asian Chemical Connections
Asian PE, PP face a weak start to 2010
Polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP) producers expect trade to pick up only from the second quarter of 2010 when restocking activity will resume, writes our colleague Bee Lin. Chinese importers are unlikely to build stocks before the Lunar New Year holidays which are in February. Operating rates at plastic units would also be low during […]
China’s Data Quandary: Time To Take Up Golf?
By John Richardson Carrying on with our theme of just how difficult it is to get reliable information out of China, we heard of an overseas speciality chemicals producer seeking reliable data on growth prospects for a particular province. Pic source: destination360.com “It contacted the provincial government which put it in touch with an industry […]
China PO demand will continue to expand but slower than capacity
By John Richardson China’s capacity to produce polyethylene and polypropylene will expand at a double-digit pace next year, while demand growth is expected to ease, says Longston Li, analyst at Shanghai-based CBI. CBI expects China’s polyethylene (PE) capacity would jump by 1.99m tonnes in 2010 to 11.1m tonnes, while its polypropylene (PP) capacity would increase […]
China takes care of 2010
By Malini Hariharan After sorting out 2009 with a huge stimulus package the Chinese government is busy ensuring that there will be no slowdown next year. A number of measures have been announced to sustain growth in the domestic market. Subsidies on sales on home appliances in rural areas are being extended. The auto sector […]
Unravelling China’s polyester market
By Malini Hariharan (Malini is now joint blogger for Asian Chemical Connections) China’s immense appetite this year for all petrochemicals has been puzzling many of us. This blog has been regularly asking questions and some answeres for the polyester and PTA markets were provided by YJ Kim of PCI Xylenes & Polyesters at the Indian […]
Qatar-Shell Sing Deal Feedstock, Investment Options
Singapore’s Jurong Island Source of picture: www.pcs.com Qatar Petroleum International (QPI) sees Singapore as a good base for expanding in to the Far East, said CEO Nasser Al-Jaidah yesterday after the announcement of the new partnership with Shell. QPI and Shell signed a series of agreements on Wednesday to jointly own 50% of Petrochemical Corporation of […]
China lends guiding hand to futures markets
The Chinese government appears to have an important objective to achieve while promoting commodity futures trading in the country? A report in today’s Wall Street Journal says that the government is positioning its futures markets in setting world prices for metal, energy and farm commodities. Jiang Yang, chief futures industry policy maker and assistant chairman […]
Global Warming And The Impact On Ethylene
Please read this excellent piece from my colleague Nigel Davis, who is editor of the Insight section of ICIS news.Some further thoughts: if 46% of existing and 45% of future ethylene production is taken offline by flooding, just think of the impact on food pricing and distribution and the resulting social and economic chaos due […]
Jump to page: