Asia top stories – weekly summary

ICIS Editorial

11-Nov-2019

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

China ECH prices ease as buying fizzles out; import sentiment weak
Chinese yuan-denominated discussions for epichlorohydrin (ECH) trended down this week, as thinning buying interest started to wear down bullish offers.

SE Asia PME exports slow down amid seasonal lull, gasoil gains
Southeast Asia’s palm methyl ester (PME) biodiesel exports are expected to be slow in the coming weeks, amid a seasonal lull in demand and as recent gains in gasoil prices have resulted in an unfavourable palm oil-gasoil spread

China SBR stable on limited spot availability; downward pressure looms
China’s styrene butadiene rubber (SBR) market still faces downward pressure owing to weak downstream demand and cheaper feedstock costs, though for now it is stable because of limited spot availability.

Asia naphtha jumps 4% on crude gains; turnarounds to curb supply
Asia’s naphtha prices jumped by 4% on Monday, driven by strong gains in global crude oil futures on 1 November, with demand steady and refinery turnarounds expected to curb supply.

SE Asia PP block copolymer prices fall below that of homopolymer flat yarn
Copolymer block polypropylene (PP) dutiable spot prices in southeast (SE) Asia have fallen below that of homopolymer flat yarn for the first time in over six years, with spreads likely to remain negative in the near term.

Asia BDO market faces year-end lull, weak downstream PBT demand
A steady increase in China’s production of 1,4-butanediol (BDO) since mid-October will likely weigh on market sentiment at the end of the year.

Singapore industry outlook remains dim after Oct contraction
The outlook for Singapore’s manufacturing economy remains dim after contracting again in October but could be approaching a trough, according to analysts.

READ MORE

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?

Need Help?