The Indian tender has come as a shock for the urea market. MMTC was able to buy only 550,000 tonnes of urea, as China refused to sell. Shippers are also showing reluctance to send vessels to India because of the surging coronavirus outbreak.
ICIS editors Julia Meehan, Mark Milam and Deepika Thapliyal discuss the outlook for the global market and what to expect in India, China and the US.

LONDON (ICIS)--ICIS editors Jane Gibson, Tarun Raizada and Angeline Soh discuss global phenol and acetone markets, which continue to face supply limitations, impacting trade flows around the world.

Nick Cleeve, editor of the butanediol (BDO) report, discusses the Q2 price settlements in Europe with Zubair Adam, editor of the engineering plastics report which includes downstream polybutylene terephthalate (PBT).

Nick Cleeve, editor of the butanediol (BDO) report, discusses the Q2 price settlements in Europe with Zubair Adam, editor of the engineering plastics report which includes downstream polybutylene terephthalate (PBT).

As supply improves in Asia and the US, and panic buying eases in some European markets, new ideas are needed to ensure supply chains will be more robust in the future.
- Change of sentiment in downstream markets as supply eases
- Panic buying phase may be drawing to a close
- China economy and chemicals demand growth are slowing
- Southeast Asia demand faltering, especially India
- China polyolefins prices fell four weeks in a row
- Container crisis, semiconductor shortages hurt China exports
- China self-sufficiency in HDPE, styrene, PP, PX, EG could deflate global prices
- Chemical companies enjoyed stellar first quarter
- Prices, volumes, capacity utilisation all rose strongly
- Supply chains need to become more robust

European oxo-alcohol prices have stabilised in recent weeks following consistent price increases, while derivative pricing has stabilised and even softened in some cases.

European butyl acetate (butac) editor Nick Cleeve discusses conditions across the oxo-alcohols chain with report editor Nicole Simpson, acrylate esters editor Mathew Jolin-Beech and glycol ethers editor Eashani Chavda.

LONDON (ICIS)--European and Asian editors Heidi Finch and Julia Tan discuss persistent short supply in the European and Asian bisphenol A (BPA) markets, but signs of diverging sentiment, as demand changes in Asia.
• China market turns bearish, as demand dips on high prices
• India market impacted by spiking coronavirus cases
• Upstream phenol constraints, peak coatings season could cap Asia BPA supply
• Europe spot remains at record highs on persistent short supply
• Europe supply strain could extend into Q3, on low stocks, robust demand

The merger of Russia’s Sibur and TAIF would create a top 10 global player in ethylene, rubber and plastics; and could help inject new life into the country’s petrochemical sector.
- Merger of Sibur and TAIF would create a global top 10 player in ethylene, rubber and plastics
- Merger could help rejuvenate Russia’s petrochemical sector
- China’s economy lost momentum between Q4 2020 and Q1 2021
- China styrene, polypropylene (PP), polyethylene (PE) demand fell in Q1 2021
- Container crisis, semiconductor shortage could stifle China exports
- Joe Biden’s earth summit brings tipping point for chemical industry
- Fast adoption of recycling, circular economy now required
- Chemical recycling and local recycling, production networks

ICIS editors Linda Naylor and Ben Lake discuss polyethylene and polypropylene markets, as record high prices continue in Europe, while Turkish prices ease on buyers resistance.