Global urea prices are seen as stable for the next few weeks with India absorbing 2.2m tonnes of excess supply in the market. The question now is what happens next. ICIS editors Julia Meehan and Deepika Thapliyal discuss the medium term outlook for the market and the factors that will influence prices in 2020-2021.

China is expected to unveil far-reaching plans which will impact the chemical industry around the world at this week’s Fifth Plenum meeting.
- China could come to dominate global plastics recycling technology
- Could dominate global renewable energy and electric vehicles
- Build global alliance of countries which believe human activity creates climate change
- Big strides in cleaning up China’s environment
- More petrochemical self-sufficiency
- Expansion of Belt and Road initiative
- Rapid action on pandemic, allies to receive vaccines
- Growth of domestic self-sufficiency and poverty reduction
Podcast interview with Paul Hodges, chairman New Normal Consulting; Nigel Davis, ICIS Insight editor and John Richardson, ICIS senior consultant, Asia.

The European Commission’s new Chemical Strategy for Sustainability should help Europe meet the aim of climate neutrality, the head of the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) says.
- Legislation should give a push towards climate neutrality goal
- Regionalisation of trade may reduce spread of gold standards like Reach
- ECHA calls for better linking of Reach to other regulations linked to cosmetics and food additives
- ECHA could partner with the industry to help define which chemicals we want for 2050
Listen to this podcast interview with ECHA executive director, Bjorn Hansen.

Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) has tightened globally as a result of two new force majeure declarations in Europe, in an already snug situation following worldwide production issues.

Senior Editor Manager Bill Bowen and Senior Editor Chris Barker discuss the potential consequences for the market and the outlook for Q4.

The UK chemical sector and its EU27 trading partners must face up to the reality of severe disruption to trade with or without a free trade deal coming into force.
- With or without a deal, cross-channel trade will be disrupted
- New hurdles will include customs declarations and Rules of Origin
- EU27 customers may stop sourcing from UK
- Brand owners now spending 35-40% of time on redesigning packaging for recyclability
- Danger of switch to other types of packaging if industry does not act fast enough
- Petrochemical sector must shift to recycled feedstocks or face consumer backlash
- As oil refineries close, less conventional feedstocks will be available

LONDON (ICIS)--Tightness in the European propylene oxide (PO) chain has led to demand surges and price increases in its derivatives; polyols, mono propylene glycol (MPG) and propylene glycol ethers.

Listen to ICIS editors Jane Gibson, Fergus Jensen and Eashani Chavda discuss the latest developments in these markets.

Demand for hand sanitisers has added a permanent demand uplift of 60-70,000 tonnes/year to Europe's isopropanol and ethanol markets.

- Hand sanitisers and disinfectants create up to 60-70,000 tonnes/year new demand for IPA in 2020, or 14-16%
- Renewed appeal of IPA versus ethanol as feedstock for these products could boost demand uptick further
- Players eye automotive sector or and phenol/acetone production to gauge IPA imports from Asia into Europe
- Potential for growth on higher IPA grades (cosmetics, biocide, pharma, electronics) in 2021
- Industrial 99% ethanol getting short again due to supply issues
- Could lead to shortages if new wave of pandemic hits
- Ethanol supply - especially in France - may be impacted by poor sugar beet harvest
- Peak demand season for beverage 96% ethanol and good demand from bioethanol fuel may impact industrial 99%
- Ethanol imports may ease industrial 99% shortages

Listen to this podcast interview with ICIS market experts Anne-Sophie Briant-Vaghela and Nazif Nazmul.

How to capture growth from sustainability amid rapid changes to end use markets and the energy mix topped the agenda at this year’s virtual European Petrochemical Association (EPCA) meeting.
- Industry must change rapidly to meet need for low carbon, sustainable Europe
- With oil refineries closing, less naphtha availability may drive recycling
- Coronavirus has accelerated existing paradigm shifts
- BASF’s troubles reflect industry situation in Europe
- Polyethylene (PE) demand could fall rapidly if furlough schemes cut
Listen to this podcast with Caroline Ciuciu CEO, EPCA; John Richardson, ICIS senior consultant, Asia;
Paul Hodges, chairman New Normal Consulting and ICIS Insight editor, Nigel Davis.