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.
Global News + ICIS Chemical Business (ICB)
See the full picture, with unlimited access to ICIS chemicals news across all markets and regions, plus ICB, the industry-leading magazine for the chemicals industry.
Contact us
Now, more than ever, dynamic insights are key to navigating complex, volatile commodity markets. Access to expert insights on the latest industry developments and tracking market changes are vital in making sustainable business decisions.
Want to learn about how we can work together to bring you actionable insight and support your business decisions?
Need Help?