China could either see average annual net imports of 5m tonnes in 2024-2030, net exports of 2m tonnes a year or be in a balanced position. A lot will depend on trade barriers.
Asian Chemical Connections
The Battle To Retain Metallocene Polyethylene Price Premiums
By John Richardson THE ABOVE chart could be a sign of a long term trend where we see metallocene linear-low density polyethylene (LLDPE) price premiums over standard, or C4 grade, LLDPE film at lower levels. We have already seen C6 metallocene premiums in Southeast Asia slip ever so slightly to an average of $113/tonne from […]
Asian Naphtha-PE Spreads Collapse By 80% As 2018 Challenges Build
By John Richardson ASIAN naphtha-to-polyethylene (PE) spreads collapsed by 80% in the first week of January compared with December last year because of the failure to pass on the rise in naphtha feedstock costs resulting from higher oil prices. In an update of the chart I’ve been running since late last year, what you see […]
US And China In 2017: Political Risk Analysis Is Essential
By John Richardson ON MONDAY, I talked about how US companies might lose out in the long term under the new Trump administration as China’s economy evolves. This post was mainly for chemicals industry strategic planners with a 5-10 year perspective. The more immediate concern for the chemicals industry centres around statements such as this one, […]
US And China: Into The Unknown on 20 January
By John Richardson WHERE would Apple be without China’s pivotal role in the globalisation of manufacturing? I think it is fair say that Apple with just 12% of the world’s smartphone sales would not account for 90% of industry profitability (Favourable tax treatment by countries such as Ireland might well be another factor here, but’ that’s […]
Mitt Romney Risks China Trade War
By John Richardson MITT Romney is playing a dangerous game with pre-election rhetoric that might end up tying him to a policy decision that results in a US-China trade war, warns Stephen Roach, the former head of Morgan Stanley Asia and senior fellow at Yale University, in this article. in yesterday’s Financial Times. The Republican presidential nominee has […]