Americas top stories: weekly summary

HOUSTON (ICIS)–Here are the top stories from ICIS News from the week ended 17 November:

APLA ’17: Mexico to prosper with or without NAFTA – execs
A free-trade agreement among Mexico, the US and Canada should survive the current round of renegotiations, an executive said.

APLA ’17: Demand recovery will determine pace of new chem projects in Brazil
Domestic demand in Brazil will need to continue recovering before companies can start considering new projects in the country, the CEO of Braskem said on Monday.

Brazil Braskem expects to finish Camacari ethane project by end of year
Braskem plans to complete its ethane flexibility project at its complex in Camacari in Bahia state by the end of the year, an executive for the Brazilian polyolefins producer said on Monday.

APLA ’17: Petrochemicals should embrace carbon pricing – World Bank
A World Bank official on Tuesday called on the petrochemicals industry to embrace carbon pricing as a way to fight climate change.

Oil demand for petchems to rocket, polymers to suffer overcapacity short-term – IEA
The petrochemical world to come in the next two decades will continue to be dependent on crude oil, with consumption projected to rise by 40% to 16m bbl/day in 2040, while global overcapacities in polymers are to haunt the industry in the short term, according to the petrochemical analyst at the International Energy Agency (IEA).

Brazilian recovery, Argentine projects among APLA highlights
The economic recoveries in Brazil and Argentina are trickling down to the nation’s chemical industries, which are seeing demand rise and – in Argentina – the possibility of new capacity.

US Nov MEG contracts fall on better supply, slower demand but Dec could turn bullish
An improved supply picture and slowing demand conditions led to a decrease in the  US November ethylene glycol industrial-grade (EGI), or monoethylene glycol (MEG), contract prices, but exports from the US are expected to pressure prices up for December.