More chemical industry leaders are making bold strategic decisions to combat a multi-year downturn, driving their companies to focus on areas where they can seize a competitive advantage.

- China-driven overcapacity could imbalance global supply/demand until 2030

- Need for large-scale capacity closures to balance market

- Companies can choose to focus on commodities or become specialty/low carbon players

- CEOs waking up to the need for a radical examination of their assets and strategies

- A trickle of announcements about closures and restructurings turning into a flood

- Leaders such as BASF, Dow, LyondellBasell, Versalis take bold steps to reduce their commodity footprint in Europe

This is the audio podcast version of a special ICIS Think Tank Live webinar recorded on 30 October.

LONDON (ICIS)--Throughout October, demand in the European oxo-alcohols and derivatives markets has been slow-paced and below initial expectations.

Sluggishness is expected to persist throughout the remainder of Q4, influenced by various factors including wider economic weakness, geopolitical tensions, and end-of-year destocking.

Butyl acetate reporter Marion Boakye speaks to oxo-alcohols reporter Nicole Simpson, glycol ethers reporter Cameron Birch and acrylate esters reporter Mathew Jolin-Beech about market dynamics down the oxo-alcohols value chain.

LONDON (ICIS)--Demand in EU and US epoxy markets remains sluggish, in a still difficult climate, but players are eagerly awaiting anti-dumping duty (ADD) decisions which could provide some domestic demand support into 2025.

Senior editor Heidi Finch, who covers the Europe epoxy market, and fellow senior editor Tarun Raizada, who covers the US epoxy market, share insights on key topics discussed at a recent industry event, current market sentiment and near-term expectations.

• Markets muted in Q4 so far, still fragile climate
• US market subdued ahead of November duty announcements
• US players in wait-and-watch mode, no major supply/demand forecasting taking place
• Slight degree of optimism in US epoxy for 2025, but year-over-year growth expectations tempered
• EU likely to gain share into 2025, due to the ADD case
• EU macroeconomics improving slowly, but fundamental recovery likely to take longer, geopolitics major risk

Podcast editing by Will Beacham