Americas top stories: weekly summary

HOUSTON (ICIS)–Here are the top stories from ICIS News from the week ended 1 June

Braskem, others may shut down operations at Sao Paulo industrial park
Braskem and several other chemical companies and distributors may begin to shut down their operations on Monday at the Grande ABC industrial park in Sao Paulo state, Brazil, just as a trucking union agreed to call off a strike that had crippled the nation.

Enterprise, Navigator begin construction on US ethylene export terminal
Enterprise Products Partners and Navigator Holdings announced on Tuesday that construction is now under way on their joint venture ethylene export terminal.

Trucker strike disrupts Brazil operations for Braskem, AkzoNobel
Braskem confirmed on Tuesday that it has lowered rates at its industrial units in all of Brazil following a recent trucker strike that crippled the country.

BASF plants in Brazil partially paralysed on trucker strike
BASF said on Tuesday that its plants in Brazil are partially paralysed because of a recent truck-driver strike.

Brazil refinery workers go on 72-hour strike
The Federation of Petroleum Workers (FUP) went on a 72-hour strike on Wednesday, targeting all but three of the refineries of state-producer Petrobras.

INTERACTIVE: US May propylene contracts settle up 5 cents/lb on higher spot, upstream
US May propylene contracts settled for a majority of participants at an increase of 5 cents/lb ($110/tonne) from the prior month, although the settlement was not marketwide, sources said on Tuesday and Wednesday.

US steel, aluminium tariffs risk retaliation from allies – ACC
The American Chemistry Council (ACC) on Thursday warned of the potentially damaging economic effects that will result from steel and aluminium tariffs, which US President Donald Trump recently augmented to include Canada, Mexico and the EU.

MOVES: Brazil Petrobras CEO resigns in wake of trucker strike
The CEO of Petrobras has asked to be dismissed of his duties, following a tumultuous week marked by nationwide strikes protesting against rising fuel prices, the Brazilian state energy producer said on Friday.