This year continues to be a “slog,” a word when said aloud just reeks of 2020. I guess that would be onomatopoeia for those you who remember your high school literature lessons and/or author Edgar Allan Poe. Hence, it’s doubly joyful when some good news comes along such as Chevron Phillips Chemical’s (CPChem) announcement on […]
Chemical Connections
Chemical market whack-a-mole
Anyone ever play whack-a-mole? The image here comes from the 1990s, a time of ill-fitting T-shirts and no smartphones, so entertainment came from games such as whack-a-mole that sprung up (literally) to test our hand-eye coordination as well as our ability to deal with a new problem cropping up just as soon as we had […]
The US economy’s hall of mirrors
The US economic recovery from pandemic-induced shutdowns is about as disjointed an endeavour as I can recall. Recent data releases and surveys paint a quite jumbled picture. Take this week’s Beige Book release from the Federal Reserve, which distils inputs from regional Reserve bank surveys into the following summation: Employment – Up overall since falling […]
When feedstock price isn’t the loudest voice in the room
The question came over innocuously enough. “Market prices for ethylene are structurally the highest in Europe and lowest in US with Asia moving in between. … For MEG, however, my understanding is that there is not such a high difference between market prices in US and EU. What is the reason for that? Main cost […]
Consumers will experience better days, and with newer clothes
Most of the statistics bantered about right now are coronavirus-related, which means they are monotonous at best and heartbreaking at worst. Even New Zealand, which stood out as an example of how to handle the crisis, celebrated 100 days of no reported infections only to have four spring up a few days later, which spurred […]
Why a new stimulus deal could be critical for US polyethylene demand
By John Richardson GOVERNMENT stimulus is crucial for protecting polyethylene (PE) markets in the West from the worst effects of the pandemic, in my opinion. The developing world is a different story because of the rise of extreme poverty. There are other factors behind the resilience of PE demand the US and the EU such […]
Chemical Data acquisition streamlines global packaging benchmark solution
Amid these uncertain times, it’s easy for businesses to slam on the brakes on investment and focus on core operations in the hopes of riding out the economic storm. But companies rooted in strong foundations find ways to continue investing during such times, with a keen eye on growth now and accelerated growth post-crisis. That […]
Thoughts from the road on the road ahead
Just back from a road-trip holiday to Yellowstone and the Grand Tetons where my family and I escaped the Texas heat and found a way to enjoy time away from work. We maintained our social distancing, eating takeout while on the long drive to Wyoming and Montana and doing most of our sightseeing via sparsely […]
Data drives home life changes for Americans amid pandemic
Apparently, right now is a good time to take a walk or drive around that new house you’ve bought. Well, maybe not you or I, but a lot of Americans seem to be doing that according to the data. CNBC compiled into a short post five charts that tell a fascinating story about our behaviours […]
Remote-working growth yields food for thought for supply chain
What opportunities and challenges does sustained growth in remote working present to FMCGs and retailers? With economies in the throes of various stages of reopening, debate has begun surrounding when businesses dominated by white-collar workers bring their employees back into an office setting. Even in states such as Texas where I am located, many companies […]
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