Yi-Jeng Huang
Senior Market Development Specialist - Asia 
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October 15, 2018 00:01 UTC 
(2)
The global plastics supply chain is changing as the US-China trade war intensifies, and Vietnam’s plastic resin end-users are poised to benefit. While Vietnam is already a manufacturing hub for plastic finished goods due to its low labor costs and business-friendly environment, the recent trade war between global giants is providing an additional boost as key resin costs decline. |
Annette Hugh
Director, Americas Market Development
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March 27, 2018 11:01 UTC
(1)
Global trade set the tone and official theme for this year’s American Fuel and Petrochemicals Manufacturers International Petrochemical Conference in San Antonio this week, as chemical interests from around the world met to conduct business and exchange information. The official conference theme of global trade is underpinned by the resurgence of the US market’s growth in exports in crude, refined products as well as petrochemicals and plastics. Topics of interest were around investment in new plant buildouts both in the US and around the world, and what competitive factors could make or break those projects, including the future curve for crude oil. › Continue Reading |
Shashank Shekhar
Editor
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October 5, 2017 15:00 UTC
(6)
Middle Eastern petrochemical companies are known for their lavish hospitality, but at a cocktail party organized by a major Saudi company in Berlin recently, the atmosphere was quite somber. A conversation with one of the hosts on the impact of shale gas went some way to explaining this. “We are worried that the Americans will be able to sell their products [polymers] into China at prices cheaper than we can,” he fretted. |
Hetain Mistry
Analyst
|
September 7, 2017 14:00 UTC
(8)
Worldwide polyethylene capacity is seen to grow from 108.3 million mt in 2016 to 150 million mt by 2027, with around 10 million mt of speculative capacity included into our forecasts post 2024. Platts Analytics expects production to grow from 93 million mt in 2016 to 133.6 million mt by 2027. Global operating rates are expected to average 85.3% in that time period. However, during the period of excessive capacity additions led by the US, China and Iran between 2017 and 2023, rates are expected to average just below 83%, dropping to as low as 81.9% in 2020 to balance the market. |
Kristen Hays
Senior petrochemicals editor
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August 8, 2017 05:01 UTC
(2)
Two North Texas joint ventures between resin packaging companies and railroads that aim to move some of the looming swell in US Gulf Coast polyethylene output to California for export have been delayed to 2018, the companies said. |
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Kristen Hays
Senior petrochemicals editor
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August 4, 2017 05:01 UTC
(3)
US petrochemical producers scored a big win from the Texas Legislature this year with a new law that allows trucks to move export-bound containers filled to the brim to Port Houston’s pair of container terminals. The law signed by Governor Greg Abbott in late May establishes a $6,000 annual permit for so-called “heavy haul” on designated routes within 30 miles of international ports and bridges. It means trucks carrying plastic pellets to Port Houston for export can reach a gross weight of up to 100,000 lb, up 19% from the port’s current limit of 84,000 lb — the first increase since the 1970s. |
Tamsin Carlisle
Senior Editor 
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July 31, 2017 04:01 UTC
(3)
The world’s largest gas field is at the nexus of a political stalemate between Qatar and three of its immediate Arab neighbors in the Persian Gulf region—Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and the UAE, along with Saudi ally Egypt. Qatar’s huge offshore gas and condensate field, known in that country as North Field, straddles its maritime border with Iran, which calls the field South Pars. Together, the two sides of the field contain as much as 1.4 Tcf of proven gas reserves, making it the world’s largest conventional non-associated gas field. |
Nida Qureshi
Senior pricing specialist, Americas petrochemicals
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July 27, 2017 05:01 UTC
(3)
The US propylene market is looking bearish for the second half of 2017 as a major capacity addition in the US Gulf Coast is expected to further lengthen supply and lead to more exports, which have already been on the rise. |
Daria Campbell
Senior pricing specialist, Americas petrochemicals
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July 18, 2017 14:18 UTC
(3)
The expected startup of new methanol capacity during the second half of the year is prompting a bearish outlook for some market participants heading into the third quarter. US capacity is set to hit 7.5 million/mt with the startup of a 1.75 million mt/year methanol plant in Beaumont, Texas. The OCI Natgasoline venture, owned jointly by OCI and G2X Energy, was slated to begin production in the July-August period, but sources have suggested startup may not happen until late Q4. |
Phillipe Craig
Senior pricing specialist, Americas petrochemicals
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July 12, 2017 15:22 UTC
(1)
After opening 2017 with renewed optimism amid signs of economic recovery and an improved political landscape, Latin American polymer market participants now find themselves stuck with some of the same issues they had hoped to shed as they enter the second half of the year. Lackluster demand in key markets has persisted, and renewed political and currency concerns in Brazil are leading to a pessimistic outlook for the region, sources said. |
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