Petrochemical Industry Market Highlights

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Maleic Anhydride • Acrylic Acid
(View a sample of the Maleic Anhydride • Acrylic Acid Chemical Business Focus)
5 November 2008 Issue Number 211

• Benzene values crash, trigger major reduction in Asian MAn prices
• North American, European MAn prices dragged down by n-butane
• MAn capacity measures implemented in all regions on low demand
• Hexion-Huntsman merger hits more trouble as banks refuse funds
• Producers evaluating more cuts in acrylic acid and esters capacity
• Acid and acrylates prices under pressure, Asian propylene crashes

Acetic Acid • Vinyl Acetate
(View a sample of the Acetic Acid • VAM Chemical Business Focus)
4 November 2008 Issue Number 254

• Producers trimming acetic acid output on poor demand
• Acetic acid prices in China continue rapid decline
• US VAM market still sees disruptions caused by hurricane
• Anhydride remains bright spot for global acetyls producers
• US, Asia methanol contracts ease lower for November
• Crude oil trading below $70/bbl as energy prices slide

Phthalates • Oxo Alcohols
(View a sample of the Phthalates • Oxo alcohols Chemical Business Focus) 
31 October 2008 Issue Number 322

• Some October price erosion noted for US phthalates
• European phthalates pricing falls in line with feedstock
• Phthalates prices in Asia decrease sharply
• October US 2-EH prices come off a few cents
• Perstorp in Sweden will cut Q4 2-EH production by up to 30%
• Traded spot 2-EH prices in Asia go into freefall

VCM & PVC
(View a sample of the VCM & PVC Chemical Business Focus)
31 October 2008 Issue Number 338

• Return of Georgia Gulf’s VCM plant reduces spot EDC availability
• Outcome of Sartor/Syndial, Sartor/Ineos Italia negotiations awaited
• Asian EDC price in free-fall with an unconfirmed deal at $150/ton cfr
• United States VCM supply returns to normal but spot demand eases
• In NE Asia VCM bids as low as $500/ton for October but no deals
• NW European PVC assessed Euro50/ton lower for October business

Polyamide & Intermediates
(View a sample of the Polyamide & Intermediates Chemical Business Focus)
27 October 2008 Issue Number 342

• Governments worldwide provide massive bailouts for banks
• Crude oil prices fall dramatically, driving down chemical intermediates
• Ammonia prices fall in Europe, US expected to follow
• Phenol demand from caprolactam sector down
• Outlook for polyamide fibre in West Europe improves
• Chinese market sentiment reaches new low as inventories rise

Polyester & Intermediates
(View a sample of the Polyester & Intermediates Chemical Business Focus)
24 October 2008 Issue Number 342

• MEG lobal/SABIC at $900/ton for Asia contract price November; Shell at $950/ton
• Spot MEG prices in China drop below $600/ton as demand lull persists
• Asian PTA in freefall with spot falling below $700/ton
• Polyester filament output hits historical low in Taiwan
• Widespread PET Resin production cuts
• Invista shutters Greer and puts European DMT/PET plants up for sale

PET Packaging Resin
(View a sample of the PET Packaging Resin Chemical Business Focus)
24 October 2008  Issue Number 144

• MEGlobal/SA BIC at $900/ton for Asia MEG November; Shell at $950/ton
• MEG Spot prices in Asia in mid-October sink below $550/ton
• Asian PTA in freefall too, with spot falling below $700/ton
• Global PET prices continue falling in response to weak demand
• Widespread Resin production cuts
• Invista shutters Greer and puts European PET/DMT plants up for sale

Unsaturated Polyester Resin
(View a sample of the Unsaturated Polyester Resin Chemical Business Focus)
24 October 2008 Issue Number 004

• Resins industry starts sharp cost cuts, as demand grinds to a halt
• UPR margins decrease in quarter three, bleak forecasts for 2009
• MAn prices flat in US/Europe, Middle East and Asia down fast
• PAn prices dropping in Europe and Asia, US numbers holding
• Styrene monomer prices in freefall as polymer demand freezes
• Glycols stay tight in the US/Europe, prices start sinking in Asia

Paraxylene
(View a sample of the Paraxylene Chemical Business Focus) 
23 October 2008 Issue Number 358

• North American Mixed Xylenes spot at around $2.50/gal
• Asian PX spot prices plummet to below $800/ton cfr Taiwan
• First Europe October PX settlement heard at Euro740/ton
• North America’s September PX settlement disconnects with Asia at 66.00 c/lb
• Asian PTA in freefall too, with spot falling below $700/ton
• Invista puts its European polyester assets up for sale

Ethylene Glycol
(View a sample of the Ethylene Glycol Chemical Business Focus)
21 October 2008 Issue Number 245

• MEGlobal/SA BIC at $900/ton for Asia contract price November; Shell at $950/ton
• European October MEG contract price down Euro70/ton at Euro805/ton in partial settlement
• Spot MEG prices in China drop below $600/ton as demand lull persists
• TEG market in European tightens after Dow shuts Terneuzen glycols
• DEG extremely tight in US after production outages cut supply
• Di-ethanolamine prices in Asia continue to fall as glyphosate demand drops off

Phenol • Acetone • Cumene
(View a sample of the Phenol • Acetone • Cumene Chemical Business Focus)
21 October 2008 Issue Number 166

• Phenol demand down from caprolactam sector
• China spot market closed for phenol and acetone
• Phenolic resin demand driven lower by problems in automotive industry
• Acetone demand down from Asian MMA plants
• Acetone demand from West European and North American MM A plant remains good
• BPA prices ease globally, but current margins improve on lower feedstock costs

Orthoxylene • Phthalic Anhydride
(View a sample of the OX•PA Chemical Business Focus)
20 September 2008 Issue Number 358

• US mixed xylenes values follow crude/gasoline pricing down
• 8 cents comes off US October OX contract
• European October OX contract falls Euro80/ton
• Margin price increases being attempted in slow US phthalic market
• European phthalic pricing comes down in line with OX
• Phthalic pricing in China dives sharply

Soda • Chlorine
(View a sample of the Soda Chlorine Chemical Business Focus) 
17 October 2008 Issue Number 332

• LII Europe releases statement confirming that it has started insolvency proceedings
• Solvay confirms plans to convert part of its Tavaux site in France to membrane
• Ineos Chlor is given the go-ahead for a waste incinerator power plant at Runcorn
• Bayer announces plans to expand its TDI and MDI operations in Germany by 2013
• Hydro and Vale announce plans to build a new large scale alumina plant in Brazil
• EU producers will not be given free carbon dioxide allowances under ETS scheme

Urethane Chemicals
(View a sample of the Urethane Chemicals Chemical Business Focus)
17 October 2008 Issue Number 155

• Raw materials price slump sets the stage for a challenging quarter four
• Fallout from hurricanes Gustav and Ike is affecting US MPG supplies
• China launching anti-dumping probe into Saudi and Taiwanese BDO
• BayerMaterialScience invests Euro300 million in isocyanates to 2013
• Hexion is adding more cash to fund Hunstman deal after court rulings
• Lubrizol set to acquire SK Chemical’s TPUs and conductive polymers

Acrylonitrile • Acrylic Fibre
(View a sample of the Acrylonitrile • Acrylic Fibre Chemical Business Focus)
17 October 2008 Issue Number 342

• Governments worldwide provide massive bailouts for banks
• Ammonia price levels out in US and start reducing in Europe
• US propylene contract faces split settlement once again
• US and Asian acrylonitrile producers cut production on weak demand
• Margins improve for acrylic fibre manufacturers in China
• Asian ABS prices plunge as producers and traders rush to clear excess inventory

NEW PUBLICATION -Engineering Thermoplastics
(View a sample of the Engineering Thermoplastics Chemical Business Focus)
10 October 2008 Issue Number 003

• POLYAMIDE 6 & 66
  Apart from the damage caused by hurricanes, the biggest concern in the US polyamide polymer
  market is the parlous state of the economy...
• POLYCARBONATE
  As the market in North America weakens, a forecast puts 2008 polycarbonate resin production at
  much the same level as last year at around 1.7-1.8 billion lbs...
• POLYACETAL
  Polyacetal market dynamics have shifted rapidly in the last two months as global economies have
  slowed faster than expected...
• PBT
  The cost pressure on polymer producers and compounders has continued to tighten, as US producers failed to get the price increases they wanted, and European prices settled at a rollover with demand sharply down...
• ABS & SAN
  US ABS producers experienced restrictions on butadiene supply in the wake of Hurricane Ike,
  which caused major problems in shipping chemical intermediates into and out of the affected parts of Texas after it hit landfall on 13 September...

Synthetic Fibres
(View a sample of the Synthetic Fibres Chemical Business Focus)
13 October 2008 Issue Number 290

• Governments worldwide provide massive bailouts for banks
• BASF makes offer for Ciba
• Margins improve for acrylic fibre manufacturers in China
• Outlook for polyamide in West Europe improves
• Polyester filament output hits historical low in Taiwan
• Demand for polypropylene fibre improves in North America

Methanol
(View a sample of the Methanol Chemical Business Focus)
13 October 2008 Issue Number 320

• Hurricane Ike hits acetic acid, MTBE output in US Gulf Coast
• Trinidad’s MHTL declares force majeure on M5000 shutdown
• European methanol contract price settles at uneasy rollover
• US barge contract prices decrease in October as demand dips
• Total begins operations at MTO demonstration plant in Belgium
• Crude oil, natural gas prices drop amid ongoing economic woes