Supplies of acetone remain tight. Acetone is primarily used for the production of methyl methacrylate (MMA) monomers, demand for which began to recover last year. Ramped up MMA production operations have thus led to greater demand for acetone as well. Acetone supplies have expanded in the U.S., leading to a surplus of phenol, another product...
Market
China’s New Environmental Regulations Drive up Phosphorus Ore Prices
Market prices for phosphorus ore are increasing in China, a primary producer of this primary phosphoric acid resource. This is due to the fact that distribution volume is now limited, as the government’s environmental regulations have forced mining businesses not owned by the state to stop operations. This has made for a tighter supply–demand balance...
China Increases Benzene Imports by 80% for First Half of 2017
China has already imported more than 1 million tons of benzene this year through the months of January through May. The amount for the entire year of 2016 was just over 1.5 million tons. Continued problems with equipment for producing styrene monomers (SM), benzene’s primary derivative, arose in the U.S. last October. With this leading...
Amino Acid Suppliers Increase Capital Investments on Back of Market Growth for Feed Additives – Part 3
Amino acids play an important role in animal feed, serving to increase the nutritional value of corn, wheat and other similarly based feed. Improving the balance of amino acids in feed serves to lower surplus consumption of both amino acids and protein, ultimately reducing the cost of such feed. In pig diets, the second limiting...
Amino Acid Suppliers Increase Capital Investments on Back of Market Growth for Feed Additives – Part 1
Amino acids play an important role as additives in animal feed, where they are able to increase the nutritional value of corn, wheat and other similarly based feed. In addition, improved balance of amino acids in feed serves to lower surplus consumption of both amino acids and protein, thereby reducing costs. Such additives play an...
Fuji Keizai Study: Over 6 Million Electric Cars on Road Globally by 2035
The global electric vehicle (EV) market is forecast to grow to 6.3 million units by 2035, up 13.4 times over figures for 2016. This is expected to come largely from increased demand in China, according to a recent study by Fuji Keizai Co. Ltd. Europe is forecast to maintain the largest share of plug-in hybrid...
Diplomatic Rift Between Arab Powers Could Destabilize Helium Supply From Qatar
Industry insiders are worried about the supply stability of helium gas out of Qatar. Export routes have been disrupted by diplomatic issues between Qatar and four Middle Eastern nations, including Saudia Arabia and the UAE. Qatar is the world’s second largest exporter of helium after the U.S., holding 40 percent of the global market share....
Needle Coke Prices Shoot up Amid Surging Chinese Demand
Supply for needle coke is growing tight. This comes amid healthy demand in China for the product as an anode material for batteries in electric vehicles (EVs) and the country’s tighter clampdown on illegal iron and steel production. The result has been overseas market conditions trending upward, with needle coke prices rising by over 50...
FPSO Market Set for Swift Recovery Amid Tight Crude Concerns
The market for floating production, storage and offloading (FPSO) systems seems set for a swift recovery this year. Projects in Brazil and other locations worldwide are expected to start taking shape, with tendering for several already under way. The FPSO segment has been stagnant for the last two years due to the slump in crude...
Asia Could See Large Influx of US Shale-Derived Ethylene
U.S. shale-derived ethylene is expected to increase in the Asian market, with a number of companies planning the construction of ethylene export terminals. For such projects, 10,000-ton class tanks require billions of yen (1 billion yen = $87.87 million) in investment, making the plans appear to be targeted at recruiting long-term customers primarily from Asian...
Chinese Rare Earth Suppliers Regroup to Capitalize on Market Recovery
The international rare earth market is gradually recovering, with supply having tightened due to supplier integration in China. Exports have also seen a rise from an increase in consumer demand both in Japan and abroad. As part of this trend, major Chinese suppliers have established a system that periodically sets the trading value of light...
Falloff in Chinese Carbon Black Imports Causes Feedstock Procurement Headaches – Part 2
A drop in import volume in the carbon black market seems to have aroused particular concern recently. While Japan’s carbon black output has been declining over the past few years, import volume has remained high, primarily emanating from China. These imports helped make up for supply instability in the wake of the Great East Japan...
Falloff in Chinese Carbon Black Imports Causes Feedstock Procurement Headaches – Part 1
A drop in import volume in the carbon black market seems to have aroused particular concern recently. While output in Japan has been declining over the past few years, import volume has remained high, primarily emanating from China. These imports helped make up for supply instability in the wake of the Great East Japan Earthquake...
China Again Extends Anti-Dumping Duties on Chloroprene Rubber Imports
China’s Ministry of Commerce (MOC) has decided to extend its existing anti-dumping (AD) duties on chloroprene rubber (CR) originating in Japan, the U.S. and Europe. Duties ranging from 10.2 to 151 percent will be imposed for a five-year period starting on May 10. Responding to requests by Chinese manufacturers, the MOC launched an anti-dumping review...
More Problems for Japan’s Oil Refining Industry as IMO Toughens Regulations – Part 2
Despite already facing issues regarding the structural reduction of a shrinking domestic market, Japan’s oil refining industry is now being confronted with another problem. The International Maritime Organization (IMO) has launched a policy strengthening the regulation of sulfur in Class C heavy marine oil. Such a regulation will hurt the oil refining industry, as demand...
China Extends Scope of Chemical Plant Regulations, Potentially Squeezing Supply – Part 2
China is reportedly extending its environmental policy-based regulations on chemical factory operations into the long term. The Ministry of Environmental Protection is dispatching a special investigation team to factory sites to conduct regular inspections over the coming three years. More than half of the sites visited thus far have been issued orders for improvement, and...
More Problems for Japan’s Oil Refining Industry as IMO Toughens Regulations – Part 1
With Japan’s oil refining industry facing issues regarding the structural reduction of the domestic market, yet another problem has arisen. The International Maritime Organization (IMO) has launched a policy strengthening the regulation of sulfur in Class C heavy marine oil. Depending on how the marine shipping industry responds to this development, the production balance of...
China Extends Scope of Chemical Plant Regulations, Potentially Squeezing Supply – Part 1
China appears to be extending its environmental policy-based regulations on chemical factory operations into the long term. A special inspection team dispatched to factory sites by the Ministry of Environmental Protection is being given an expanded nationwide scope of operation, and will conduct regular inspections over the coming three years. More than half of the...
China’s Coal Chemical Industry Stands at a Crossroads – Part 5
By Yohei Tada, Correspondent of The Chemical Daily in Shanghai, China. China is facing stagnating crude oil prices and worsening environmental problems, which are expected to cause a competitive slump in the country’s coal chemical industry. With China’s new plants showing low operation rates, Japanese general trading companies have stopped showing interest. But as development...
China’s Coal Chemical Industry Stands at a Crossroads – Part 4
By Yohei Tada, Correspondent of The Chemical Daily in Shanghai, China. China’s coal chemical industry is expected to see a competitive slump due to stagnating crude oil prices and worsening environmental problems. And with China’s new plants currently have low operation rates, Japanese general trading companies are no longer showing interest in the sector. However,...
