Europe top stories: weekly summary

LONDON (ICIS)–Here are some of the top stories from ICIS Europe for the week ended 2 July.

Europe styrene faces production concerns, spot spikes ahead of July contract
European styrene spot numbers for July have jumped more than $100/tonne so far this week amid rising concerns over some possible production issues in the region, sources said on Friday.

Europe PP volumes hold up despite lower propylene expectations
Polypropylene (PP) volumes are holding up well in June, and business is continuing in spite of expectations of a lower propylene contract for July, sources said on Thursday.

Triple-digit hikes expected in ongoing Europe Q3 BDO contract talks
Third-quarter European butanediol (BDO) contract negotiations continue, with triple-digit increases expected by some players on both sides of the market, sources said on Wednesday. 

Europe chem markets mull growing impact of additional capacity from Sadara
Several European chemical markets have been anticipating news of the Sadara plant start-ups, which are coming on-line in a staggered fashion.

Rhine’s low levels forcing large barges to load at 65% capacity – authority
Low water levels on the River Rhine are preventing the largest barges to fully load, a spokesperson for the Rhine Shipping Authority (WSA) said on Monday.

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