ICIS Market Expert Blogs

Read our chemical and energy experts’ latest assessment of the market

Asian Chemical Connections

John Richardson’s Asian Chemicals Connections looks at Asian and global commodity chemicals and polymer pricing trends, supply and demand, macroeconomics, energy and environmental issues.

US LLDPE exports, trade tensions and the $6.8bn dollar question
1st April 2025

US LLDPE exporters made big gains in January 2022 until January 2025 thanks to their cost advantages and China's lower import tariffs.

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South Korea PP: Innovating Through Crisis and Charting a New Future
26th March 2025

The short and medium-term challenges

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China stimulus: Short-term benefits versus long-term challenges
21st March 2025

STIMULUS measures announced at this year's NPC meeting have yet to move the needle.

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A Different Kind of Downturn: Why This Cycle Won’t Simply “Right Itself”
13th March 2025

Here is Slide Three for today. See the other two earlier slides, detailing the New Petrochemicals Landscape

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Chemicals and the Economy

Guest blogger, Paul Hodges looks behind today's headlines and studies key influencers shaping the chemical industry over the next 12-18 months. He takes a closer look at oil prices, economic growth and the environment among other things, along with some light-hearted commentary along the way.

Oil prices fall out of their ‘triangle’ as Trump’s trade war risks global recession
13th April 2025

The Energy Transition is well underway California can now run for weeks at a time on 100% renewables. But President Trump’s 'drill, baby, drill' pol

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President Trump’s trade war risks crashing the global economy
6th April 2025

Clearly, the US is most at risk from all these changes. Its 'soft power' depends on its global reputation. And its 'hard power' depends on its global

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Europe may win if tariff war persists’
30th March 2025

European producers may end up seeing major benefits. Local demand is clearly set for major expansion as a result of the recent massive German and EU s

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Europe’s new defence and infrastructure spend will be a game-changer for its economy
23rd March 2025

History shows that moves towards European integration has been turbo-charged by the need to respond to crisis. Or as German philosopher, Friedrich Nie

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