LONDON (ICIS)–Here are some of the top stories
from ICIS Europe for the week ended 31 March.
March
Europe soda ash prices soften further on gas
prices, weaker fundamentals
European soda ash prices continue to fall in
March in northwest Europe, tracking the
downtrend in gas prices, and reflecting softer
fundamentals.
EU
investigates PET anti-dumping allegations
against China
The European Commission announced the
initiation of an anti-dumping investigation
concerning imports of certain polyethylene
terephthalate (PET) originating from China.
Industry ‘needs to
redouble efforts’ to grow chemical recycling –
INEOS exec
Industry must adapt to see waste as a new
feedstock and needs to ‘redouble’ its efforts,
but policy certainty will be key for investment
decisions, according to an industry executive.
EU
electricity proposals ‘not satisfactory’ to
keep chemicals competitive – Spain’s
Feique
The latest EU proposals to reform the
electricity market fall short of guaranteeing
the competitiveness of energy-intensive sectors
such as chemicals, Spain’s trade group Feique
said on Wednesday.
Depressed demand for
durable goods hitting petrochemicals hard –
SABIC exec
High inflation continues making consumers weary
of big-ticket, durable-goods purchases and that
is slowing down the recovery in the
petrochemicals industry, according to an
executive at SABIC.
INSIGHT: Europe styrene
firmer on supply concerns as Q1 ends on weak
note
Europe styrene spot prices firmed last week
amid supply jitters surrounding domestic
production issues. But it remains to be seen
how long this uptrend will last, with some
players pointing to a continuation of softer
demand and lengthier supply rather than the
improvement some had expected near the end of
the first quarter.
