Participants at the Asia Petrochemical Industry Conference (APIC) expect chronic oversupply conditions hurting the chemical sector will start to rebalance by 2028-2030.

- China overcapacity, trade war is causing an unprecedented crisis

- Polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), paraxylene (PX) in structural oversupply

- Hopes for rebalancing by 2028-2030 as plants shut down, capacity build slows

- Demand is flat but India is the exception – a beacon of growth for the region

- Taiwan, Thailand struggle to compete against China, Middle East

- Trade war will cause “cataclysmic” changes in global trade

- Sustainability still seen as a growth driver, especially for polymers

- Growing reliance on US ethane for chemical production in Asia

Cease fires on both business and war fronts are the focus of this month’s European polyethylene (PE) & polypropylene (PP) podcast, from the US and China de-escalating their eye-watering tariffs battle for 90 days, to the India-Pakistan ceasefire.

Senior editors Vicky Ellis and Ben Lake look at May’s price trends, how US-China trade relations are influencing sentiment in Europe, and are joined by senior editor Nadim Salamoun to discuss Trump's announcement regarding lifting sanctions on Syria, and how Pakistan’s market responded to its ceasefire with India.

They also highlight ICIS coverage from the latest Asia Petrochemical Industry Conference (APIC) in Thailand, including how petrochemical demand may ramp up as US lifts Syrian sanctions, how South Korea is mulling petchem rationalization, and another ICIS podcast on Asian C2 players’ survival strategies.

LONDON (ICIS)--Relatively stable demand and evolving global supply dynamics are expected in European ammonia and acrylonitrile (ACN) markets in 2025.

In this latest podcast, global ammonia editor Sylvia Tranganida and Europe ACN editor Nazif Nazmul share the latest developments and expectations for what lies ahead.

• Ammonia players are expecting European demand from the nitrates market to pick up soon
• Availability is due to tighten with scheduled turnarounds in Saudi Arabia and Indonesia
• Ammonia prices globally are softening due to a lack of major demand
• Geopolitics-led macroeconomic challenges dampen prospects of ACN derivatives demand resurgence
• Balanced-to-long ACN supply dynamics anticipated to endure

BANGKOK (ICIS) -- Asia benzene prices saw an uptrend early week. However, this gain was wiped out by a drop in crude prices by Friday.

• Market gets boost from US-China trade breakthrough
• Early week increases of over $50/tonne eroded by crude drop at week's close
• Market cautious about sustainability of uptrend amid incoming European cargoes

In this chemical podcast, Asia benzene editor Angeline Soh discusses the situation in the market and some insights from the Asia Petrochemical Industry Conference (APIC) 2025, held in Bangkok, Thailand.

BANGKOK (ICIS)--Over the past week, Asia ethylene players arrived in Bangkok, Thailand, to reflect on the industry's drift towards oversupply, and probe opportunities for continued survival as supply-demand balance changes enter the horizon.

• Feedstock cost competitiveness, ethane conversion considerations still on the table
• Consolidation a complex question, but looking more necessary for survival
• SE Asia's new supply may cause supply-demand balance changes for Indonesia

In this chemical podcast, ICIS editor Josh Quah discusses some insights gleaned from the Asia Petrochemical Industry Conference (APIC) 2025, held in Bangkok, Thailand.

LONDON (ICIS)-- European acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS) and acrylonitrile (ACN) markets are facing ongoing demand weakness in 2025, as well as uncertainty for global supply dynamics and the potential impact expected from US tariffs.

In this latest podcast, Europe ABS market editor Stephanie Wix and markets editor for the Europe ACN report, Nazif Nazmul, share the latest developments and expectations ahead.

• Demand stability at a weak level expected to continue across 2025
• Macroeconomic challenges persist, players monitor US tariffs situation
• Impact of ongoing antidumping investigation on ABS imports from South Korea, Taiwan

ABS is the largest-volume engineering thermoplastic resin and is used in automobiles, electronics and recreational products.

ACN is used in the production of synthetic fibres for clothing and home furnishings, engineering plastics and elastomers.

The agreement to pause steep tariffs between the US and China for 90 days allows normal business to resume, but chemicals CEOs still need to plan for structural changes to global trade.

- US-China tariff pause allows trade to resume between nations

- Will benefit chemical companies around the world

- But business leaders still need to plan for a more protectionist world

- Trade resumption could see huge spike in demand, snarling up logistics

- SABIC reportedly appoints banks to prepare for sale of European assets

- Could make strategic sense from cost perspective

- But would reduce footprint in the EU with its 450 million citizens
- Upgrade and restart of SABIC’s Wilton cracker reportedly delayed

BANGKOK (ICIS) -- Northeast Asia ethylene and polyvinyl chloride (PVC) markets have seen a slower-than-expected tempo of spot talks for June cargoes, with the main driver of uncertainty being unclear start up timelines from new ethylene derivative expansions, particularly from Chinese PVC.

• Around 1.5million tonnes/year new PVC supply may face start-up postponements
• Import discussions on ethylene slow pending clearer demand picture
• PVC demand clouded by India-Pakistan tensions amid pre-monsoon season

In this chemical podcast, ICIS editors Jonathan Chou and Josh Quah discuss their findings from the Asia Petrochemical Industry Conference (APIC) 2025, held in Bangkok, Thailand.