Europe top stories: weekly summary

LONDON (ICIS)–Here are some of the top stories from ICIS Europe for the week ended 14 April.

US PE imports into Europe scarce for prompt delivery, but later offers made
US polyethylene (PE) imports into Europe are not so freely available for prompt delivery, but new offers are being made for delivery in June and July.

Spain’s new cabinet should widen industrial focus, energy costs still a drag – FEIQUE
Spanish politicians have finally realised the country needs to step up its industrial game to be globally competitive and chemicals firms are hopeful long-held demands are to become law in the next parliamentary term, according to the president of trade group FEIQUE

INTERACTIVE: OPEC production falls to four-year lows in March
OPEC crude production fell 534,000 bbl/day month on month in March to the lowest level since February 2015 as economic turmoil in Venezuela added to the impact of planned supply cuts among member states, the cartel said on Wednesday.

EU chemicals output down 3.5% in Q4, down 0.7% in 2018, trade deficit with China grows
EU chemicals output dropped sharply in the second half of 2018, falling by 1.2% in third quarter and 3.5% in the fourth quarter year on year, Cefic said on Thursday.

Germany’s auto sector decisive for manufacturing in 2019 – bank
The performance of Germany’s large chemical-intensive automotive industry will be decisive for the country’s manufacturing in 2019, analysts at investment bank Deutsche Bank said on Tuesday.

Germany chems see downside from political situation – survey
A vast majority (94%) of chemical firms in Germany’s Rhineland-Palatinate state see the political situation in Europe as a negative for their business this year, according to a survey by regional chemical trade group Chemieverbande Rheinland-Pfalz.

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