Europe top stories: weekly summary

LONDON (ICIS)–Here are some of the top stories from ICIS Europe for the week ended 30 July.

OUTLOOK: Europe nylon tightness to remain on healthy downstream demand
LONDON (ICIS)–European nylon 6 and 6,6 demand is set to rise in the second half of 2021 on the back of positive outlooks for downstream applications like automotive, construction, and packaging.

OUTLOOK: Europe PE, PP prices remain high despite long-awaited crash
European polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP) prices are still holding well and there are not many signs of market player expectations that a crash is on the way.

OUTLOOK: Europe POM demand to remain beefy against tight supply
Supply of polyacetal (POM) in Europe is expected to remain tight while demand stays firm in the second half of 2021.

Automotive sector chip shortage woes may be bigger than expected – BASF CEO
The impact of the semiconductor chip shortage on automotive production could be even greater than expected, BASF CEO Martin Brudermuller said on Wednesday, with supply times from car makers continuing to lengthen.

OUTLOOK: Europe construction strong on demand, supply constraints
Construction in Europe is set to rebound in the rest of 2021 from the decline in 2020, bolstered by financial support from the EU, according to a report by analysts at Oxford Economics published on Tuesday.

Rhine open to traffic but knock-on logistics impact could last months
The River Rhine is now fully open to barge shipping but petrochemicals players in northwest Europe have said the knock-on impact on logistics could last months, as demand for rail or road alternatives is not being met by supply.