Americas top stories: weekly summary

HOUSTON (ICIS)–Here are the top stories from ICIS News from the week ended 5 June.

Latin America PP faces high degree of demand risks amid rising feedstocks
Latin America polypropylene (PP) continues to face a high degree of uncertainty stemming from pandemic-related impacts.

US chem shares rise amid upbeat jobs report
Most US-listed shares of chemical companies rose on Friday, buoyed by release of a better-than-expected May jobs report.

VIDEO: US benzene rebounds as economy reopens and crude prices strengthen
Markets Reporter, Adam Burkin, discusses the dynamics facing US benzene markets during the coronavirus pandemic

US industrial ethanol demand remains strong, expected to be a long-term trend
Heightened demand for sanitizers, and consequently industrial ethanol, is expected to be a long-term trend even if a coronavirus vaccine is made.

US chem shares rise, breaking from oil, general market
Many US-listed shares of chemical companies rose on Thursday, even as the general stock market was mixed and oil prices rose slightly.

ICIS WEBINAR: PE demand surprisingly strong
North American polyethylene (PE) producers saw stronger demand amid the coronavirus crisis than producers of many other chemicals and resins.

INSIGHT: Chemicals industry faces volatile backdrop on road to recovery
The coronavirus crisis may simply accelerate key macro trends already underway, creating a volatile backdrop for chemical companies to navigate on the road to recovery.

ICIS WEBINAR: Chinese coal-based PVC, MEG losing competitiveness to ethylene-based routes
Chinese coal-based capacities for polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and monoethylene glycol (MEG) are losing competitiveness relative to ethylene-based alternatives in a lower priced ethylene environment.

ICIS WEBINAR: Pandemic to accelerate US chem differentiation
The coronavirus pandemic is set to accelerate the US chemical industry’s differentiation into specialties.

ICIS WEBINAR: Ethane remains the most favoured cracker feedstock
Although the global ethylene cash cost curve has been flattened in recent weeks due to the impacts of the coronavirus outbreak, ethane remains the most favoured cracker feedstock.

ICIS WEBINAR: BD demand remains weak but markets to rebalance
Demand weakness for butadiene (BD) will linger, but the changes experienced by the market are not structural in the long term.

New trends show companies reshoring supply chains, sustainability on hold
Recent supply chain disruptions have prompted companies to seek out raw material providers closer to home.

Most US chem shares rise amid easing lockdown measures, news of reopenings
Despite social unrest and race protests in many US states, the market found optimism in news of lockdown rollbacks and economies reopening.

ICIS Webinar: Improved margins for heavy cracking, weak demand pressure US BD prices lower
Improved margins for cracking heavier feedstocks such as naphtha and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) along with weaker demand have pressured prices for US butadiene (BD).

US May ethylene contracts settle up after six-month decline
US May ethylene contracts settled for the majority of participants at an increase of 3.5 cents/lb on higher spot prices and cash costs.

ICIS WEBINAR: Weak chem demand through 2020, but 2021 will be better
This year will be “a bit of a write-off” in terms of global chemical demand but 2021 should see a pickup – assuming there are no second waves of coronavirus.

Braskem expects to start-up new US PP plant in Q3 2020
Braskem is continuing with construction activities and plans to start-up its new 450,000 tonnes/year polypropylene (PP) plant in La Porte, Texas, by Q3, a company spokesperson said on Monday.

US chem stocks rise with general market
US-listed shares of chemical companies rose on Monday as the major indices also increased.

PODCAST: US BD demand challenges to continue in 2020 on coronavirus impact
Demand challenges will be the biggest factor for the US butadiene (BD) market for the remainder of 2020.