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Dec 15th, 2009
Asia Rubber-Tyre Makers Seek Bargains; Supply Up in Thailand
Tyre makers hoped to strike a bargain after rubber prices dropped more than 4 percent on weaker Tokyo futures and improving supplies in main producer Thailand, dealers said on Monday.
A few cargoes changed hands at as high as $2.75 a kg for January shipment last week but consumers, including top buyer China, had yet to...
Dec 10th, 2009
Asian Spot Propylene Market Turns Direction
In the Asian propylene market, following relentless increases during the months of October and November, the bullish trend has fizzled out this week. A sustained upward trend that had pushed prices upwards by a total of approximately $100/ton since the beginning of November changed course at the start of this week. According to players’ reports,...
Jul 27th, 2009
Prices for Synthetic Diamond Products to Decline According to Merchant Research & Consulting Ltd.
World industrial diamond consumption will continue to grow. Constant dollar prices for synthetic diamond products, including CVD diamond films, will decline due to more cost effective production technologies and high competition between low-cost producers in China and Russia.
Today industrial diamond is produced in 31 countries. Total industrial diamond output worldwide is estimated to be around...
Jul 24th, 2009
China to Stay a Major Barite Source for U.S. Drillers According to Merchant Research & Consulting Ltd.
London - China remains a major source of barite for U.S. drillers. Due to buoyant demand for barite from China, the lower-grade reserves are being mined. In spite of a great number of small Chinese mining companies, only a few key traders and direct exporters supply the main consumers from Europe and North America.
Chinese production...
Jul 23rd, 2009
USA Keeps the Leading Position in Crude Gypsum Production According to Merchant Research and Consulting Ltd.
London - The United States remained the largest producer of crude gypsum, followed by Spain. Spain, where it is estimated that gypsum deposits underlay 12% of the surface area, is the largest European producer of crude gypsum. Iran was third in gypsum production, followed by Canada, Thailand, and Mexico. North American production accounted for almost...
Jul 23rd, 2009
World Industrial Diamond Consumption will Continue to Increase.
Diamond is best known as a gemstone, but some of its unique properties make it ideal for many industrial and research applications as well. Diamond that does not meet gem-quality standards for clarity, color, shape, or size is used as industrial-grade diamond.
Both synthetic and natural diamonds have industrial uses. Synthetic industrial diamond is superior to...
Jul 22nd, 2009
The Leading Use of Gypsum is in the Production of Cement and Concrete.
The United States remained the largest producer of crude gypsum, followed by Spain. Spain, where it is estimated that gypsum deposits underlay 12% of the surface area, is the largest European producer of crude gypsum. Iran was third in gypsum production, followed by Canada, Thailand, and Mexico. North American production accounted for almost 32% of...
Jul 22nd, 2009
Potash Market in 2009: Outlines, Prices, Behavior of Key Players
Potash Market in 2009: Outlines, Prices, Behavior of Key Players
Three international companies, BelarussianPotashCo., Israel Chemicals Ltd. and Arab Potash Co, proposed to supply Indian buyers with potash at around US$460/mt for the summer-autumn 2009 season. This price offer has been largely affected by the recent contract between Russian potash manufacturer Silvinit (represented by IPC, Russia)...
Jul 20th, 2009
The Ukrainian Government to Curb Russian and Belarusian Export of Phosphate Fertilizers to Ukraine: Summer 2009 Trends
LONDON - Summer 2009, the Ukrainian government proposed to impose antidumping duties against phosphate fertilizers exported from Russia and Belarus to Ukraine. Another possible measure is to quote phosphate fertilizers import to Ukraine from these countries.
Representatives of Gomel Chemical Plant, the largest Belarusian manufacturer of phosphate fertilizers, appealed to the Ukrainian government to restrain from...
Jul 14th, 2009
Polypropylene Industry to 2015
The Asia Pacific region has more than ten million tons of planned capacity additions accounting for more than 50% of the global planned capacity additions until 2015, as per Global Markets Direct. The demand growth in rapidly developing economies of China and India are the reasons for the rapid capacity build up in the region....
Jul 13th, 2009
Polyethylene (LDPE, HDPE, LLDPE) - The European Polyethylene Market: Summer Trends 2009
The European polyethylene (LDPE, HDPE, LLDPE) market in summer 2009 was characterized by price rises (by an average of 10% or by €100/tonne), tight supply paralleled by fairly large exports, reduced operating rates coupled by a number plant operational failures (primarily, at Polimeri Europa’s PE facilities in Gela and Priolo, Italy).
Low density polyethylene price...
Jul 10th, 2009
The European Isocyanate Market: Summer 2009 Trends
The European isocyanate market (MDI and TDI) in summer 2009 was characterized by price rises (by an average of €50-80/tonne) and plant operational issues (primarily, at Bayer). Isocyanate feedstock prices showed an upward trend exerting pressure on the market. MDI price stood at €1,450-1,500/ton FD (NWE), TDI - €1,850-1,930/ton FD (NWE). Opinions regarding isocyanate demand...
Jul 9th, 2009
Price Trends of Oil, Polymer Feedstock and Commodity Polymers in Asia
CRUDE OIL
Bleak unemployment figures from USA and Europe have sunk oil prices to US$66/barrel. Weak jobs figures suggest tepid consumption that will dampen crude demand. A Labor Department report indicated 467,000 jobs were lost in June - a larger than expected drop that has pushed up unemployment rate to 9.5% at 26 year highs. Unemployment...
Jul 8th, 2009
Asian Propylene Rangebound Although Oil Prices Continue to Fall
Asia’s propylene FOB Korea price benchmark held steady for a third day at $982.50/mt Wednesday even as crude oil prices continued to fall for a fifth consecutive day.
The most competitive propylene offer was $1,000/mt FOB Korea for a 1,500 mt cargo to be loaded in August. Buying interest was at $970/mt FOB Korea
The protracted downturn...
Jul 7th, 2009
BASF, Sinopec Get Govt Nod for Expansion
The Chinese central government has approved the Joint Feasibility Study Report submitted by BASF and SINOPEC for the expansion of their joint venture, BASF-YPC Co., Ltd. (BYC), in Nanjing, China, as of July 1, 2009.
BASF and Sinopec will jointly invest approximately $1.4 billion in state-of-the-art technologies to produce downstream specialty chemicals for the Chinese market,...
Jul 6th, 2009
India’s Hydrocarbon Profile Sees a Sea Change
Daily gas production has already crossed oil production figures.
India’s hydrocarbon profile is on the cusp of a major change — the country is becoming more of a natural gas producer than a crude oil producer.
Consider this: While India’s current oil production is around 660,000 barrels a day, that of gas has touched 676,000 barrels of...
Jul 1st, 2009
Price Trends of Oil, Polymer Feedstock and Commodity Polymers in Asia
CRUDE OIL
For the second consecutive week, crude oil prices have finished in the red, settling below US$70 in the week of June 29, 2009. Light sweet crude oil for August delivery settled at US$69.1, down by over one dollar for the week amid rough trading. The Energy Information Administration data indicated a 3.8 mln barrel...
Jun 30th, 2009
Abolishing Export Tariff on Fertilizers Eases Difficulties of Enterprises in Central and Western Regions
China will abolish the special export tariff on some fertilizer products including yellow phosphorus, phosphate ore, synthetic ammonia, phosphoric acid, ammonium chloride, triple superphosphate and binary compound fertilizer. Meanwhile, the provisional export tariff on products including fine French chalk, small and medium-sized profiled bars, as well as some nonferrous metals and their semi-finished products will...
Jun 29th, 2009
Global Plastics Additive Market Expected to Grow at CAGR of 4.1% pa Till 2014
The global market for plastics additives is expected to increase from US$36.2 bln in 2008 to an estimated US$37.4 bln in 2009, and US$45.8 bln in 2014, at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 4.1% as per a report by Reportlinker. Property modifiers have the largest share of the market, worth US$18.2 billion in...
Jun 26th, 2009
Petrochemicals: Hike Import Duty on Polymers
Petrochemicals are chemicals manufactured from petroleum feed stocks.
Petrochemical manufacturing involves manufacture of building blocks by cracking or reforming operation; conversion of building blocks into intermediates such as fibre intermediates (Acrylonitrile, Caprolactam, Dimethyl Terephthalate/Purified Terephthalic Acid, Mono Ethylene Glycol); precursors (Styrene, Ethylene Dichloride, Vinyl Chloride Monomer, etc) and other chemical intermediates; production of synthetic fibres, plastics,...