Epoxy resins

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Discover the factors influencing epoxy resins markets

Demand and supply chain challenges have the potential to cause shortages in the epoxy resins market. Scarcity of supply can be caused by plant closures, extreme weather conditions, logistics issues, and increases in crude oil prices can all force downstream manufacturers to delay production or find alternatives.

The main applications for epoxy resins include adhesives, high-performance coatings into construction, protective industrial and marine coatings, electrical/electronic laminates and adhesives, and structural parts for the automotive, aerospace, and aircraft industries. They are high-performance thermosetting resins with excellent adhesion, chemical and heat resistance, plus electrical insulating properties.

ICIS epoxy resin prices provide an important benchmark. Access actionable market news in real time and view reports that place market trends in context, including the impact of supply disruptions, changes in demand or capacities and trade flow opportunities between the regions. ICIS monitors developments in key upstream markets including BPA and ECH feedstocks, and movements in crude oil, glycerine and propylene markets. We also provide analysis of downstream markets. This includes the impact of consumer trends, demand shifts and seasonal demand.

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Epoxy resins news

AFPM '24: INSIGHT: Biden ending term with regulatory bang for US chems

HOUSTON (ICIS)–The administration of US President Joe Biden is proposing a wave of regulations before its term ends in 2025, many of which will increase costs for chemical companies in the US and persist even if the nation elects a new president later this year. The prospect of such consequential policies comes as delegates head into this year's International Petrochemical Conference (IPC), hosted by the American Fuel & Petrochemical Manufacturers (AFPM). Changes to the Clean Waters Act, the Risk Management Program (RMP) and the Hazard Communication Standard are among the most consequential policies being considered by US regulators. Electric vehicles (EVs) could receive more support from federal and state governments. This would increase demand for plastics used in EVs while discouraging refiners from making further investments, which could limit US production of benzene, toluene and mixed xylenes (MX). The failure of Congress to re-authorize the nation's chemical site security program could spell its end. REGULATORY PUSH DURING ELECTION YEARSuch a regulatory push by the Biden administration was flagged last year by the Alliance for Chemical Distribution (ACD), the new name for the National Association of Chemical Distributors (NACD). The group was not crying wolf. The next nine months could rank among the worst for the chemical industry in terms of regulatory change and potential issues, said Eric Byer, president of the ACD. "Whatever it's going to be, it will come done fairly aggressively." The Biden administration has proposed several consequential policies. For the Clean Water Act, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is developing new requirements, which will require chemical producers and other companies to develop plans to address the worst possible discharge from their plants. The ACD warned that the new requirement would raise compliance costs while doing little to reduce the already small number of discharges by plants. The final rule is scheduled to be published in April 2024. For the RMP, changes could require chemical companies to share information that has been off limits since the 9/11 terrorist attacks, according to the American Chemistry Council (ACC). The concern is that the information will fall into the wrong hands, while significantly increasing costs to comply with the new requirements, according to the ACD. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is introducing changes to its Hazard Communication Standard that could create more burdens for companies. The ACD warned that some of the changes will increase costs without providing a commensurate improvement in safety. The EPA has started the multiyear process that, under the regulator's current whole-chemical approach, will lead to restrictions imposed on vinyl chloride monomer (VCM), acrylonitrile (ACN) and aniline, a chemical used to make methylene diphenyl diisocyanate (MDI). This is being done through the nation's main chemical safety program, known as the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). MORE POLICIES PROPOSED FOR EVsThe Biden administration is proposing additional polices to encourage the adoption of EVs. For chemical producers, more EVs would increase demand for plastics, resins and thermal management fluids that are designed to meet the material challenges of these automobiles. At the same time, the push towards EVs could limit sales of automobiles powered by internal combustion engines (ICEs), lowering demand for gasoline and diesel. Refiners could decide to shut down and repurpose their complexes if they expect demand for their main products will stop growing or decline. That would lower production of aromatics and other refinery chemicals and refined products. The Biden administration is moving on three fronts to encourage EV sales. The EPA is expected to decide if California can adopt its Advanced Clean Car II (ACC II), which would phase out the sale of ICE-based vehicles to 2035. If the EPA grants California's request, that would trigger similar programs in several other states. The EPA's light-duty vehicle proposal would impose stricter standards on tail pipe emissions. The US Department of Transportation (DOT) is proposing stricter efficiency standards under its Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) program. The AFPM opposes these measures. It said the EPA's light-duty vehicle proposal and DOT's new CAFE standards are so demanding, it would force automobile companies to produce a lot more EVs, plug-in hybrids and fuel-cell vehicles to meet the more ambitious requirements. LAX OVERSIGHT OF SHIPPING RATES IN WAKE OF HOUTHISThe ACD raised concerns that the US is not doing enough to address the possibility that shipping rates and delays have increased beyond what could be justified by the disruptions caused by the drought in Panama and by the Houthi attacks on vessels passing through the Red Sea to the Suez Canal. The ACD accepts that costs will rise, but it expressed concerns that shipping companies could be taking advantage of the situation by charging excessive rates on routes unaffected by the disruptions. These include routes from India and China to the western coast of the US, Byer said. "Why are you jacking up the price two or threefold?" LABOR NEGOTIATIONS FOR US EAST COASTThe work contract will expire this year for dockworkers and ports along the East Coast of the US. Byer warned of a possible strike if the talks become too contentious. On the West Coast, dockworkers and ports reached an agreement on a six-year work contract. CFATS ON LIFE SUPPORTByer expressed concerns about the future of the main chemical-site security program, called the Chemical Facility Anti-Terrorism Standards (CFATS). CFATS is overseen by the Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), which is under the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). CISA lost authority to implement CFATS on 28 July 2023, when a bill that would have re-authorized it was blocked from going to a vote in the Senate. Without CFATS, other federal and state agencies could create their own chemical-site security regulations. This process has already started in the US state of Nebraska, where State Senator Eliot Bostar introduced LB1048. Other nearby states in the plains could introduce similar bills, because they tend to follow each other's lead, Byer said. Many of these state legislatures should wrap up sessions in the next couple of months, so lawmakers still have time to propose chemical-site security bills. The ACD is most concerned about larger states creating chemical-site security programs, such as California, Illinois, New Jersey and New York. SENATE RAIL BILL REMAINS PENDINGA Senate rail safety bill has been pending for more than a year after a bipartisan group of legislators introduced it following the train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio. Congress has about 10 months to approve the bill before it lapses, Byer said. For bills in general, action during an election year could happen around the Memorial Day holiday in May, the 4 July recess, the August recess or before the end of September. After September, legislators will be focused on campaigning for the 5 November election. TEXAS BRINGS BACK TAX BREAKS FOR INDUSTRIAL PROJECTSTexas has revived a program that granted tax breaks to new chemical plants and other large industrial projects. The new program is called the Texas Jobs and Security Act, and it replaced the lapsed Chapter 313 School Value Limitation Agreement. The old program was popular with chemical companies, and their applications were among the first public disclosures of their expansion plans. The new program has already attracted applicants. Summit Next Gen is considering a plant that would convert 450 million gal/year of ethanol into 256 million gal/year of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). Hosted by the AFPM, the IPC takes place on March 24-26. Insight article by Al Greenwood Thumbnail shows a federal building. Image by Lucky-photographer

18-Mar-2024

INSIGHT: Indorama exit from PET feedstock markets to spur China PTA exports

SINGAPORE (ICIS)–Demand for China’s purified terephthalic acid (PTA) will get a boost as Indorama Ventures Ltd (IVL), a global producer of downstream polyethylene terephthalate (PET), shifts away from expensive integrated operations. IVL plant closures likely to focus on PTA – sources Tariff barriers dampen growth prospects for China PTA, PET exports China pins hopes on Belt and Road Initiative for new markets IVL cited overcapacity in China as one of the principal reasons for its new strategy – to procure cheaper feedstock from Asia, instead of running integrated facilities in the US. “A large portion of the refineries in the West are aged and losing their competitiveness. These facilities are expected to gradually close in the future,” ICIS senior analyst Jimmy Zhang said. The Thai company is the largest global PET resin producer with a 20% global market share and operates 147 production facilities in 35 countries, with its sales footprint covering over 100 countries in six regions – North America, Asia, Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA), and South America. IVL 2.0 CALLS FOR SHUTDOWN OF SOME PTA UNITS Globally, IVL has a total production capacity of around 19m tonnes/year, the bulk of which or 67% are in combined PET business, which covers integrated PET, specialty chemicals and packaging, according to Thai investment research firm Innovest Securities. Integrated olefins derivatives account for 21% of the total capacity, while fibres have a share of 12%, it added. Market players said that in the US, IVL may prioritize shutting down PTA units over monoethylene glycol (MEG) units, whose production costs are still competitive compared with other global producers, thanks to their use of shale gas. “Given the current economic and market conditions, it is a wise decision to sell the assets which could not make money to ‘save its life’,” a trader in Asia said. In Asia, IVL currently operates three PTA assets – two in Thailand and one in Indonesia. According to market sources, the company could potentially mothball one of its less cost-effective PTA units in Thailand due to old age and technical issuSes. Its operations in Indonesia can better serve India, benefitting from competitive freight rates to IVL’s key market in Asia, they said. For now, IVL’s PTA plants in Asia still hold a unique export advantage in the south Asian country, as they are certified by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS). This certification was mandated by India late last year. Currently, no Chinese PTA producers have obtained BIS certification, reducing competition for IVL from Chinese imports. Origin swaps for PTA have taken place, with lower priced China cargoes being exported into southeast Asia as well as their downstream PET asset in Egypt. This enables Indorama to push for more exports to India at a much better price netback. This will unlikely change unless China PTA producers are able to obtain the BIS certification from India. Under its new masterplan dubbed “IVL 2.0”, IVL said that it will be reviewing six operating assets in the ‘West’ for potential shutdown, as it seeks to boost competitiveness. Including the Corpus Christi Polymers (CCP) joint venture project with Alpek and Far Eastern New Century (FENC) whose construction was halted, the number of projects under review total seven. IVL chief Aloke Lohia said that feedstock prices in Western markets are expected to increase over time as peak oil demand draws closer and refineries shut down, while the reverse will occur in emerging Asian markets as capacity rises, driving feedstock costs lower. The rise in refining capacity in China and India allows IVL to buy petrochemical feedstocks cheaper than they could produce them domestically,  Lohia had told ICIS. CHINA CAN FILL IN IVL PTA NEEDS China has the ability to export PTA at much lower cost amid a domestic oversupply, with the country’s annual production capacity now at more than 70m tonnes, only a small fraction of which – around 3m tonnes – are shipped abroad, according to the ICIS Supply & Demand Database. Over the years, China has continually increased its capacity across the entire polyester chain, granting Chinese producers a significant advantage in integration and scale for paraxylene (PX), PTA and PET, Zhang said. The country is now a major PTA exporter and has swung from being the world’s biggest net importer of polyester fibres and PET resins (bottle and film grade) to being the biggest net exporter, ICIS senior Asia consultant John Richardson said. But trade barriers in several countries hamper imports from China, raising the likelihood of “more barter trading activities” in the future, Zhang said. He is referring to a process in which Chinese cargoes will move to a duty-free country, which, in turn, will re-sell the volumes. With the change of origin, the cargoes can then be sold to markets with existing trade barriers to China duty free. “For example, it is likely that China will export more PTA to South Korea, while South Korea will export more PTA to other countries who set trading barriers for China,” Zhang said. CHINA CHANGES APPROACH TO TRADEWith anti-dumping investigations curtailing direct exports of PET to certain markets, China is moving away from western markets, shifting its focus on those covered by free-trade agreements within its Belt & Road Initiative (BRI). The country’s PET export market has shrunk since mid-2023 after the EU started anti-dumping investigations, with provisional duties on Chinese material activated in November of the same year. Anti-dumping investigations against Chinese PET, meanwhile, are ongoing in Mexico in North America and South Korea in Asia. China is expanding free-trade agreements (FTAs) with Belt & Road Initiative (BRI) and non-BRI member countries to counter growing geopolitical differences with the west, potentially leading to a shift in trading patterns as Chinese apparel and non-apparel production moves offshore to these nations, ICIS’ Richardson said. Overseas plants could be supplied by China-made polyester fibres, allowing the country to retain dominance in the global polyester value chain and offset rising labour costs, Richardson said. “Offshoring to the developing world may also enable China to make up for any lost exports of finished polyester-products to the West due to increased trade tensions,” Richardson added. China had signed 21 free trade agreements with 28 countries and regions as of August 2023, according to the Chinese state-owned Xinhua news agency. More than 80 countries and international organizations had subscribed to the “initiative on promoting unimpeded trade cooperation along the Belt and Road”, which is part of the BRI, it said. Source: Mercator Institute for China Studies (MERICS) Insight article by Nurluqman Suratman With contributions from Judith Wang and Samuel Wong Thumbnail image: Canal Container Transport, Huai'an, China – 12 March 2024 (Costfoto/NurPhoto/Shutterstock)

15-Mar-2024

BLOG: China PX net annual average imports may fall to 700,000 tonnes in 2024-2030

SINGAPORE (ICIS)–Click here to see the latest blog post on Asian Chemical Connections by John Richardson: Only a few people thought that China would reach self-sufficiency in purified terephthalic acid (PTA). I was among the few. Now China is a major PTA exporter. This followed China swinging from being the world’s biggest net importer of polyester fibres and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) resins (bottle and film grade) to being the biggest net exporter. Paraxylene (PX) could be the next shoe to drop as today’s post discusses. Given China’s total domination of global PX net imports – and the concentration of major PX exports in just a small number of countries and companies – the potential disruption to the global business is huge. The ICIS Base Case assumes China’s PX demand growth will average 1% per annum in 2024-2030 with the local operating rate at 82%. Such an outcome would lead to China’s net PX imports at annual average of 7.4m tonnes in 2024-2030. This would compare with 2023 net imports of 9.1m tonnes. Downside Scenario 1 sees demand growth the same as in the base case. But under Downside Scenario 1, I raise the local operating rate to 88%, the same as the 1993-2023 average. I also add 6.2m tonnes/year to China’s capacity, which comprises unconfirmed plants in our database. Downside 1 would result in net imports dropping to a 2024-2030 annual average of just 1.5m tonnes/year. Downside Scenario 2 again sees demand growth the same as in the base case, an operating rate of 90% and 6.2m tonnes/year of unconfirmed capacity Net imports would fall to an annual average of just 700,000 tonnes a year. As an important 26 February 2024 Financial Times article explores, China continues to build free-trade agreements with Belt & Road Initiative (BRI) and non-BRI member countries as a hedge against growing geopolitical differences with the West. We could thus see a significant shift in trading patterns as more Chinese apparel and non-apparel production moves offshore to these countries, with the overseas plants fed by China-made polyester fibres. China could thus maintain its dominance of the global polyester value chain via this offshoring process, thereby compensating for its rising labour costs. Offshoring to the developing world may also enable China to make up for any lost exports of finished polyester-products to the West due to increased trade tensions. This shift in downstream investments and trade flows could provide economic justification for just about complete PX and mono-ethylene glycols (MEG) self-sufficiency, which will be the subject of a future post. These are the only two missing pieces in China’s polyester jigsaw puzzle. Editor’s note: This blog post is an opinion piece. The views expressed are those of the author, and do not necessarily represent those of ICIS.

13-Mar-2024

India’s Chemplast Sanmar starts up specialty paste PVC plant

MUMBAI (ICIS)–India’s Chemplast Sanmar began commercial production at its new 41,000 tonne/year specialty paste polyvinyl chloride (PVC) resin facility at Cuddalore in the southern Tamil Nadu state on 27 February. The new plant, which was set up at an investment of Rs3.6bn ($43m), has increased the company’s paste PVC capacity to 107,000 tonnes/year, a company source said. At Mettur in the same state, the company operates a 66,000 tonne/year specialty PVC paste plant. “The domestic demand for paste PVC is currently estimated at 160,000 tonnes/year," the source said. "Post expansion, the company will account for 83% of the domestic capacity and we expect to have a 66% share of the Indian market,” he added. Key applications for specialty PVC paste in India include synthetic leather for apparel, footwear and automotive upholstery. It is also used to make vinyl gloves. “There is a strong demand growth in PVC from the infrastructure and real estate sectors,” the source said. “We expect this healthy demand to drive the recovery in prices and margins over the next two to three quarters,” he said, adding that India is currently heavily dependent on imports. Separately, the company commissioned the first phase of its custom manufactured chemicals division (CMCD) in September 2023 and expects to bring the second phase on stream by June 2025, a company source said. The CMCD project at Berigai in Tamil Nadu is being set up in two phases at a cost of Rs6.8bn, and will produce advanced intermediates for the agrochemical, pharmaceuticals and fine chemicals segments. This project is expected to help the company expand into fine chemicals and pharmaceuticals, broaden its portfolio and access new markets and customers, the company source said. “We commercialized three new products in September 2023 and more products are under various stages of development,” he added. Despite the downturn in the global agrochemicals industry, Chemplast Sanmar expects reasonable growth from its CMCD business during the year, the source said. Chemplast’s wholly-owned subsidiary Chemplast Cuddalore Vinyls Ltd operates 331,000 tonnes/year of suspension PVC capacity in Tamil Nadu. The company also produces caustic soda, chlorochemicals, hydrogen peroxide at its three manufacturing facilities in the Tamil Nadu state and in Karaikal in the union territory of Puducherry. ($1 = Rs82.89)

04-Mar-2024

India’s DCM Shriram plans epoxy resins plant; to start up ECH, caustic soda lines

MUMBAI (ICIS)–India’s DCM Shriram plans to expand into the production of advanced materials through a greenfield epoxy resins plant, while its new epichlorohydrin (ECH) and caustic soda plants are due to start up in the next four months. “The company is planning to invest Rs10bn ($120.6m) over the next few years to set up a greenfield state-of the-art epoxy manufacturing plant,” it said in a statement on 28 February. Details on capacity, timeline and location of the plant were not provided. “We are bullish about this entry into the advanced materials space. We already have some of the key raw materials like ECH and caustic in our portfolio which paves a logical way forward into the epoxy and value-added products,” DCM Shriram chair and senior managing director Ajay Shriram said. “Advanced materials products like liquid epoxy resins, hardeners, reactive diluents and formulated resins are finding increasing applications in sectors such as wind-blades, EVs [electric vehicles], aeronautics, electronics, fire-proofing … [among other] industries,” it added. DMC Shriram expects to begin operations at its 51,000 tonne/year ECH plant at Jhagadia in Bharuch in the western Gujarat state between April and June 2024. It noted that more than “80% of the ECH produced globally is used in the manufacture of epoxy”. Separately, the company expects to begin operations at its expanded caustic soda at Bharuch in March, a company source said. Post expansion, the company’s caustic soda and chlorine capacities at the site will both be 60% higher at 813,000 tonnes/year and 715,696 tonnes/year, respectively, based on the company’s report submitted for environmental clearance in November 2019. “Our caustic soda project should come online in this quarter,” the source said. “We expect to take two years to ramp up capacity to full at the plant beginning with 50% capacity utilization in financial year 2024-25 and a gradual increase to around 90% by the end of fiscal 2025-26,” he added. India’s fiscal year ends in March. ($1 = Rs82.89)

04-Mar-2024

Americas top stories: weekly summary

HOUSTON (ICIS)–Here are the top stories from ICIS News from the week ended 23 February. LyondellBasell to lease California plant to produce recycled resins from waste LyondellBasell has acquired a recycling plant in California from PreZero in which it plans to produce post-consumer recycled resins from plastic waste, the US chemicals major said on Tuesday. Brazil’s Unigel gets green light from creditors for debt restructuring Unigel has agreed a Brazilian reais (R) 3.9 billion ($791 million) debt restructuring with its creditors, which has saved the beleaguered styrenics, acrylics and fertilizer producer from filing for bankruptcy for the time being. Mexico's Orbia to pause PVC investments after weak Q4 results Orbia will be pausing polyvinyl chloride (PVC) capacity expansion due to weak market economics which weighed on its 2023 earnings, the Mexico-based producer said. US Huntsman expects gradual recovery, seeks to boost prices and volume Huntsman expects a gradual recovery to take hold in 2024, in which the company will attempt to pursue higher prices and recover share, the CEO said on Thursday. Pembina to supply Dow Canada net-zero petchem project with ethane Canadian midstream energy firm Pembina Pipeline has entered into long-term agreements to supply Dow’s upcoming net-zero petrochemicals project at Fort Saskatchewan in Alberta province with 50,000 bbl/day of ethane.

26-Feb-2024

Latin America stories: weekly summary

SAO PAULO (ICIS)–Here are some of the stories from ICIS Latin America for the week ended on 23 February. NEWS Argentina manufacturing output falls 12% in December Argentina’s recession is hitting the petrochemicals-intensive manufacturing sectors hard, with output down 11.9% in December, year on year, the country’s statistics body Indec said late on Thursday. Mexico’s secondary activities output up 1.2% year on year in December Output in Mexico’s petrochemicals-intensive secondary activities rose in December by 1.2%, year on year, the country’s statistics office Inegi said this week. Pause in PVC projects ‘prudent’ until prices rise to $1,200/tonne – Orbia CEO Depressed global polyvinyl chloride (PVC) prices prompted Orbia to take the “prudent” decision to put new projects on hold, the CEO of the Mexican chemical producer said on Thursday. Petrochemicals margins could worsen in 2024 – Mexico’s Alpek Mexican chemicals producer Alpek’s stock was falling more than 3% on Wednesday afternoon after the company issued a downbeat guidance for 2024 in which petrochemicals margins could worsen from the already weak 2023 averages. Brazil's Braskem Q4 main chemicals, resins sales fall on lower demand Braskem’s main chemicals and resins sales in its domestic market fell by 15% and 9%, respectively, in the fourth quarter, year on year, on the back of persistent poor demand, the Brazilian petrochemicals major said this week. Brazil’s Unigel gets green light from creditors for debt restructuring Unigel has agreed a Brazilian reais (R) 3.9 billion ($791 million) debt restructuring with its creditors, which has saved the beleaguered styrenics, acrylics and fertilizer producer from filing for bankruptcy for the time being. US Stepan recovering LatAm surfactants market share, margins – CEO Stepan is recovering its share in the Latin American surfactants market following supply chain disruptions in the second half of 2022, Scott Behrens, CEO of the US-based company, said on Tuesday. PRICINGLat Am PP domestic prices fall in Colombia on cheaper imports Domestic polypropylene (PP) prices were down in Colombia due to more competitive prices for imported products. In other Latin American countries, prices were steady. Lat Am PE buyers on the sidelines waiting for March prices Domestic, international polyethylene (PE) prices were assessed unchanged this week across Latin American countries. Mexico PET industry expecting stable sales during the upcoming peak bottle season Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) prices in Mexico held steady this week, with weak demand and ample supply in February. Brazil ethanol sales continue to face positive results in 2024 According to Unica, Brazil's ethanol sales grew by 38.22% in January over the same time frame in 2023. With this achievement, sales volume has surpassed its highest point since October 2020.

26-Feb-2024

LyondellBasell to lease California plant to produce recycled resins from waste

SAO PAULO (ICIS)–LyondellBasell has acquired a recycling plant in California from PreZero in which it plans to produce post-consumer recycled resins from plastic waste, the US chemicals major said on Tuesday. Financial details were not disclosed. The plant will be fully taken over by LyondellBasell in 2025. It will have a production capacity of 50 million pounds/year (25,000 tonnes/year) of recycled resins. “The transaction includes leasing the processing facility in Jurupa Valley, California … LYB will offer these recycled polymers under its CirculenRecover brand, part of the company's Circulen portfolio of products that enable the circular economy,” it added. LyondellBasell’s Executive Vice-President for the circular economy, Yvonne van der Laan, added the company was aiming to “build upon our existing experience in plastic recycling in Europe” to meet US’ growing demand for recycled products. In October 2023, LyondellBasell acquired a 25% stake in Cyclyx, a joint venture between energy major ExxonMobil and Agilyx. Additional reporting by Emily Friedman Thumbnail shows bales of recycled plastic. Image by Shutterstock. 

20-Feb-2024

INSIGHT: 2023 marks first year as US net plastic scrap importer, driven by PET imports increasing 33% year on year

HOUSTON (ICIS)–2023 was a year of record changes within US plastic scrap trade. While some relationships remain steadfast, such as the plastic scrap trade between North American partners Canada, Mexico and the US, other relationships are growing in strength, such as US importing activity from Asia, particularly for polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plastic scrap. US becomes net importer of plastic scrap for the first time US PET scrap imported increase 33% year on year Canada, Mexico comprise 55% of US scrap exports, 58% of US scrap imports Full year trade data from the US Census Bureau shows US imports of plastic scrap – noted by the HS code 3915- continue to increase, having jumped 5% year on year to a total of 446,778 tonnes in 2023. Plastic scrap imports include items such as used bottles, but also other forms of recycled feedstock such as purge, leftover pairings and now also flake material. This comes at a time when domestic market conditions for recycled plastics are mixed. Many grades of plastic which are used for cost-sensitive applications, such as those which go into construction materials or durable good and packaging, have seen a severe withdrawal of demand, as low cost virgin material continues to flood the market. Even grades of sustainability driven recycled plastics, such as those going into consumer goods applications like beverages and personal care, have seen weaker market conditions domestically, as customers switch to imported recycled resin. Supporting the increase in imported scrap plastic, US recyclers who continue to have strong order volumes were heard to be supplementing their operations with imported feedstock. Several recyclers now purchase cheap spot or imported R-PET flake to process into their food grade pellet product and redirect their internally produced flake from high cost domestic bale feedstock to sell directly to customers. In the long term, the US will seek imports of bale or flake feedstock not just due to the cost driver but to feed growing plastic recycling capacities amid stagnant plastic collection rates domestically. Intra-North American recycled plastic trade relationships continue to show strength, as Canada and Mexico not only dominate as the origin location of plastic scrap import but also as top export destinations for US plastic scrap exports. 58% of the plastic scrap imported by the US came from Canada and Mexico combined, though Mexico's volumes notably dropped year on year, down 35% compared to 2022. Picking up the slack, US plastic scrap imports from Thailand increased by 103% year on year. Thailand is now the third largest country of imported plastic scrap origin. PET imports show tremendous growth The majority of plastic scrap received from Thailand was of the PET subcategory, coming in at 23,346 tonnes, a 157% increase year on year from Thailand alone. PET imports from Thailand now make up 11% of the total US PET plastic scrap imports, trailing Canada at 29%. Thailand's PET scrap export activity to the US has grown significantly, increasing 415% by volume in comparison to 2019. Similarly, Ecuador has step-wise increased the volume of PET scrap being sold to the US market, jumping 63% year on year and 414% since 2019. Market participants confirm they have seen a notable rise in imported recycled polyethylene terephthalate (R-PET) activity from Asia and Latin America, particularly due to their cost-competitive position in light of cheaper ocean freight rates in 2023. Imported PET scrap from Canada also saw a large change, increasing 21% by volume year on year to 59,247 tonnes. When looking at the geographic regions of the top 10 origin countries of US PET scrap imports, Mexico and Canada make up 34% of volume, tied with Asian countries at 34%, then followed by Latin America at 15%, Africa 5% and non-top 10 countries at 12%. In general, PET scrap imports increased substantially in 2023, jumping 33% year on year to a record setting 204,278 tonnes in 2023. When looking at the data by comparing quarters year-on-year, it is clear the market continues to face increased volatility. This is showcased by the wide swings in import volumes since 2020, when prior, quarterly import volumes were much more stable. Polyethylene (PE) also continues to be a leading polymer type for US plastic scrap imports, coming in at 63,206 tonnes in 2023. Of that volume, Canada is by far the largest contributor at 72%. On the other hand, PE scrap exports have fallen 16% year on year, likely due to lessened manufacturing activity amid macroeconomic pressure in 2023. Plastic scrap imports continue historic downward trend Similarly , PET scrap exports fell 14% year on year to 65,556 tonnes, which was mainly driven by decreased export activity to Germany. Volumes of PET scrap sent to Germany dropped 40% year on year, down to 6,156 tonnes. This is likely attributed to the fact that both the US and European recycled plastics markets saw lackluster demand in 2023, paired with fierce competition from lower cost virgin cargoes. Contrary to that trend, exported of PET scrap to Mexico increased 15% year on year, making up 54% of all US PET scrap exports. At present, aggressive buying activity from Mexican recyclers continues to drive up US PET bale prices. Exports to Mexico have always made up a small portion of US PET bale sales from southern California or states like Texas, though the current activity has been notably strong. This is likely due to increased PET recycling capacity now in Mexico within the last year, as well as increased demand in Mexico from brand companies sourcing R-PET locally. Similar to the US, this time of year when the weather is cooler results in lower consumption of beverages and thus a tighter supply of bottles available for collection. In general, US plastic scrap exports continue to follow a downward trend since 2017, dropping another 4% year on year. This trend has resulted in the US becoming a net plastic scrap importer, as total scrap trade is import positive at 26,408 tonnes. To reinforce how significant this change is, as of 2014 the US was net exporting 1,765,917 tonnes. Among the top destination countries for US plastic scrap exports were Canada, Mexico and India, Malaysia and Vietnam, with Canada and Mexico accounting for 55% of the overall volume in 2023.

16-Feb-2024

PODCAST: Sustainability, "cautiously-optimistic" outlook among key takeaways at The Packaging Conference

HOUSTON (ICIS)–Industry giants along the packaging value chain converged at The Packaging Conference this week, hoping to gain better insight into critical issues impacting the packaging space this year. Among the key topics, presenters and attendees continued to discuss innovation in sustainability, advocacy within legislation and market drivers that will steer 2024. Several presentations gave updates on innovative plastic recycling or sustainable solutions including novel recycling technologies as well as ground breaking packaging products which will enhance recyclability. Recycling processes included methanolysis, pyrolysis, enzymatic recycling and many others, including solutions for plastic waste sortation. Both presenters and attendees passionately advocated for more participation from the industry in ongoing policy talks, both at the state level in regards to extended producer legislation (EPR) which has been passed in four states and is proposed in five other states, as well as on the global stage in relation to the rapidly approaching United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) INC 4 meeting in Ottawa Canada, happening 23-29 April 2024. When talking on market dynamics, attendees shared that they are cautiously optimistic on 2024 packaging demand. Some presenters shared statistics reinforcing the market softness felt last year, such as the fact that both carbonated soft drinks and packaged alcoholic beverage sales volumes were down, though bottled water sales volumes grew, reaching over 16 billion gallons in 2023. This is supported by the continued weakness in consumer purchasing activity when it comes to convenience stores (C-stores), which were 6% down year on year  in December and 7.5% down in January year on year, according to the latest US Census data. Though 2023 packaging sales volumes were down, resin volume sales were hit even harder, as many in the chain worked through excess inventory throughout the year. That bsaid, destocking is largely agreed to be finished and so market players see 2024 as a year of similar underlying consumer demand but potentially better sales through the value chain. Tempering these predictions of a stronger year for packaging was the fact that global markets, particularly within the chemical industry, continue to show volatility, added with the fact that freight issues have laid a familiar blanket of uncertainty over the market in terms of material availability and rising costs. For more information on these topics, as well as other insights exchanged during the event, please reach out to Emily Friedman (emily.friedman@icis.com) or Antulio Borneo (Antulio.borneo@icis.com) The Packaging Conference was hosted 12-14 February 2024 at the AT&T Hotel and Conference Center in Austin, Texas.

16-Feb-2024

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