Europe top stories: weekly summary

LONDON (ICIS)–Here are some of the top stories from ICIS Europe for the week ended 18 October.

Turkey PP grades slide as sellers rush to sell before November
Spot prices for all grades of polypropylene (PP) in Turkey suffered sizeable decreases this week as sellers made a strong push to offload material.

FAKUMA ’24: Foggy path ahead for Europe polymers
A thick morning mist hung over Lake Constance, as thousands gathered at the lakeside city of Friedrichshafen, Germany, for the Fakuma plastics trade fair. It is a fitting metaphor for the challenge facing the polymer industry in Europe: impossible to see more than few feet in front of you. Or, for the more pessimistically minded, the risk of a plunge into icy waters if you don’t watch your step.

EPCA ’24: Europe MMA moving past pessimism but uncertainty remains
The Europe methyl methacrylate (MMA) market is moving past the pessimism seen in previous years, with there being some hope about demand improvements – although this remains clouded in uncertainty.

FAKUMA ’24: ICIS experts predict top talking points at plastics fair
A turbulent 2024 for plastics markets – from Europe’s rocky road to economic recovery to Red Sea attacks spiking shipping costs and throwing trade flows out of whack – has posed big questions for demand, supply and optimism for the year to come.

IPEX: Global spot index rises again on increases in NE Asia
The global spot ICIS Petrochemical Index (IPEX) rose for the second consecutive week in the week ended 11 October, by 0.3%, again due to price increases in northeast Asia.