Americas top stories: weekly summary

HOUSTON (ICIS)–Here are the top stories from ICIS News from the week ended 21 June.

Brazil’s authorities’ response to floods decent, society’s humbling – Abiquim CEO
Brazil’s authorities’ response to the devastating floods in Rio Grande do Sul was appropriate, while that of civic society was “marvelous and exemplary”, according to the CEO at chemicals trade group Abiquim.

PPG sees strong sustainability demand pull for coatings, race to adapt to new processes – exec
US-based coatings producer PPG is seeing robust demand for sustainable products from customers, some of which rely on new, more energy efficient processes, said an executive on Monday.

For drought-stricken area, rain in Mexico’s Altamiras could help end petchem crisis – analyst
Rains this week in the area where the Altamira petrochemicals hub is located, in Mexico’s state of Tamaulipas, could start fixing the weeks-long drought which has hit companies in the area hard, according to an analyst at supply chain consultancy Everstream.

Tropical Storm Alberto floods beaches amid storm surge, high tide, but plant ops unaffected so far
Tropical Storm Alberto, the first named storm of the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season, continues to push toward the Mexico coast and a combination of storm surge and high tides are already flooding some Texas coastal communities.

Canada chemical industry flags concerns about ‘greenwashing’ amendment
Canada’s chemical industry is concerned about the impacts from a legislative amendment to address “greenwashing”, an industry executive said on Friday.

Chile’s crusade against plastics prompting stronger sustainability push by firms – trade group
Chile remains at the forefront of restrictive plastics regulations in Latin America as the whole political spectrum tries to capitalize in rules which resonate with public opinion, according to the CEO at the country’s trade group Asipla.