Europe top stories: weekly summary

LONDON (ICIS)–Here are some of the top stories from ICIS Europe for the week ended 8 November.

Caustic soda capacity growth makes Spain new battleground in Europe
The Spanish caustic soda market has become a market share battleground for European producers as the country’s capacity has recovered from its nadir in 2017 and contract prices have plummeted.

Sulphuric acid demand outlook mixed for 2020 as contract talks continue
As sulphuric acid players prepare to assemble in Rome for this year’s second European Sulphuric Acid Association general meeting, buyers, traders and producers’ outlooks on demand for next year remain sharply divided.

Europe new PE offers spook market but volumes unclear
Some very low-priced spot polyethylene (PE) prices have been offered for US imports this week, from US traders, but the actual volume available behind these offers is not clear.

Global IPEX falls 2% in October on Asian market woes
Sharp falls in producer pricing in Asia amid the ongoing global industrial downturn and the cooling effect of the US-China trade war drove down the global ICIS Petrochemical Index (IPEX) in October.

Abu Dhabi’s Borouge joins ocean plastic waste programme Project STOP
Borouge, the Abu Dhabi polymers producer, has joined Project STOP, the programme co-founded by parent company Borealis to prevent ocean plastic leakage.

Recycled polymers nudge market toward sustainable alternatives in styrenics chain
With awareness of sustainability evermore increasing, players in the styrenics markets are exploring  the merits and drawbacks of sustainable solutions and recycled materials in the value chain.

Eurozone October manufacturing remains mired in contraction
The eurozone’s industrial sector showed few signs of a rebound in October, with output remaining in contraction and few signs of increased momentum from September, according to data from IHS Markit on Monday.