Asia top stories – weekly summary

ICIS Editorial

11-Feb-2019

SINGAPORE (ICIS)–Here are the top stories from ICIS News Asia and the Middle East for the week ended 8 February 2019.

Asia’s VAM may find support in March on supply, feedstock factors
Asia’s vinyl acetate monomer (VAM) spot prices may find support in March from supply, demand and feedstock factors.

Asia benzene up on trade-talk optimism, some see demand buoyant after holiday
Asia benzene was firm this week on the back of optimism over the ongoing trade talks between the US and China, even though overnight news suggests that serious issues remain unresolved.

Asia BD may halt falls; Korea cracker outage to constrain supply
Asia’s butadiene (BD) spot prices may stop falling as supply could be constrained following an unexpected outage at Lotte Chemical’s plant in Yeosu, South Korea.

Asia ADA may rise post-holiday on re-stocking, feedstock gains
Asia’s adipic acid (ADA) may firm after the Lunar New Year holidays in the region on the back of re-stocking activities and firmer cost of feedstock benzene.

Methanol market bullish in India and SE Asia; muted in China and Taiwan
Methanol spot discussions were firmer in India and southeast (SE) Asia on the back of bullish sentiments that is likely to persist, while the key China market and Taiwan were muted because of the Lunar New Year holidays.

India toluene stable on firm demand-supply, long term direction unclear
India’s domestic toluene prices have remained stable on the back of strong demand-supply fundamentals as sellers continued to successfully raise their offers, but it remained unclear how long this trend will remain sustainable.

INTERACTIVE – Asia manufacturing sector moving closer to stagnation in Jan
Asia’s manufacturing sector moved closer to stagnation in January as stress caused by the trade war between US and China continued to weigh on sentiment amid increasing concerns about a substantial global growth slowdown or even a recession.

India, SE Asia toluene demand may support activity in Asia amid holidays
Asia’s toluene market is likely to record limited activity due to the holiday period in northeast Asia. However, some market players are expecting the continued emergence of import buying interest from India and some parts of southeast Asia.

Asia’s petrochemical tells a rosy tale post-Lunar New Year
Some petrochemical markets in China are underpinned by prospects of restocking following the Lunar New Year, as inventory drawdowns and steadily firm demand will continue to prevail.

Thailand looks to expand commercial use of B20 biodiesel
Thailand’s government is aiming to increase consumption of B20 biodiesel fuel by introducing discounts for drivers of some heavy vehicles who pump the blended fuel into their tanks from 1 February, according to market sources.

Asia ECH prices recovering on supply constraints
Asia’s epichlorohydrin (ECH) prices look set to recover from recent year-low levels, once spot availabilities dry up amid an upcoming, heavy, wave of regional plant turnarounds.

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