Americas top stories: weekly summary

HOUSTON (ICIS)–Here are the top stories from ICIS News from the week ended 24 January.

Hard freeze to hit chem plants on US Gulf Coast, threatens operations
Temperatures along the US Gulf Coast should fall well below freezing later in the week and remain there for a prolonged stretch, threatening operations at chemical plants and refineries.

US President Trump proposes no tariffs on first day in office
US President Donald Trump proposed no new tariffs on his first day of office, and instead instructed his administration to investigate the nation’s trade deficit and other areas of trade policy.

INSIGHT: US tariffs slower to materialize as Trump assumes the US Presidency
A US Presidential inauguration day packed with fresh legislation saw few of the expected moves on tariffs and trade policy.

UPDATE: US Gulf Coast chemical plants reel from cold snap
Cold weather in the US Gulf Coast on Tuesday is expected to disrupt petrochemicals operations in Texas and Louisiana as companies take preventive measures.

INSIGHT: Trump’s first-day orders lay groundwork for future tariffs
US President Donald Trump did not propose any new tariffs on his first day in office, but he did issue an executive order that calls for his administration to conduct the investigations needed to impose them under several sections of the law – in many cases, repeating the same playbook Trump used during his first term in office.

UPDATE: US freeze shuts numerous chem plants, major ports
Winter storm Enzo, which caused a hard freeze along the US Gulf Coast, led to widespread shutdowns among chemical plants and refineries.

INSIGHT: Trump’s moratorium on federal wind projects may have little effect on epoxy
The moratorium on federal permits for wind projects will likely have little effect on the US industry and on the epoxy resins it consumes because most turbines are built on private land.

US ExxonMobil may build cracker, PE plant in Texas
ExxonMobil may build an ethane cracker and polyethylene (PE) plant near Corpus Christi, Texas, the company said in an application for a tax break.