Europe top stories: weekly summary

LONDON (ICIS)–Here are some of the top stories from ICIS Europe for the week ended 19 February.

INSIGHT: European chloralkali markets remain divided as high PVC crushes caustic soda
The European chloralkali markets remain starkly divided, as some polyvinyl chloride (PVC) prices are at record highs whilst caustic soda is historically low.

US Gulf Coast chems paralysis continues amid widespread blackouts
Chemicals production in the key US Gulf Coast producing hub continued as Texas residents dealt with another day of freezing conditions, with little clarity when power will be restored in the state.

Vopak to expand capacity for waste feedstocks at Rotterdam
Vopak is to expand its capacity in Rotterdam for the storage of waste-based feedstocks for production of biofuels, the Dutch chemicals storage and logistics provider said on Wednesday.

EU, eurozone construction output slumps in December
The EU’s petrochemicals-intensive construction sector productivity slumped both month on month and year on year in December, with falls equally pronounced across the building and civil engineering sectors, Eurostat said on Wednesday.

EU January passenger car sales collapse on mobility restrictions, CO2 tax
The petrochemical-intensive automotive sector has started 2020 with a monthly fall of 24%, year on year, according to the European Automobile Manufacturers Association (ACEA) on Wednesday.

Eurozone Q4 GDP down 0.6% on lockdown measures, falls nearly 7% in 2020
Eurozone GDP contracted by 0.6% in the fourth quarter, as major economies in the 19-country currency union established lockdown measures to control a spike in the coronavirus pandemic.