The margin between paraxylene (PX) and naphtha has been rising as of late. This comes as PX inventories – which had been piling up over the April–June period – began...
market conditions
Japanese Chemical Manufacturers Ride Wave of South Korea’s Electronics Boom
Business in South Korea is growing for Japanese manufacturers, coming in conjunction with the country’s expansion of LCD and OLED screens, semiconductors and smartphones as primary sectors. South Korea’s economic...
Synthetic Rubber Prices Poised to Continue Upward Trend
Synthetic rubber prices in Japan are continuing to rise, driven largely by an across-the-board increase in raw material costs. This has included naphtha, butadiene, styrene monomer and acrylonitrile (AN), each...
China’s First-Half Ethylene Production Hits 9M Tons
New figures from China’s National Bureau of Statistics show the country’s ethylene production as having risen 0.5 percent year-on-year to 9 million tons for the first half of calendar 2018....
Domestic Supply–Demand Balance Tightens for PG, DPG
Propylene glycol (PG) supply and demand within Japan is tightening, with demand remaining solid while a clutch of plant shutdowns for periodic maintenance has limited the supply of raw material...
POM Prices Set to Continue Upward
Polyacetal (POM) prices are on the rise. Amid opaque short-term prospects for remedying the overwhelming shortage of capacity to supply global demand, the feeling runs deep among industry watchers that...
Acetic Acid Prices Reach New High in Asia
Acetic acid prices have hit a new high in the Asian market. Coming in at $850 per ton, current prices are approximately 15 percent higher than those in early April....
Asian Market Grows Anxious Over Increasingly Tight Hydroquinone Supplies
An increasing sense of tightness is developing in Asia around the supply and demand of hydroquinone. Prices have increased by as much as 20 percent over last year, and the...
Styrene Monomer Prices Soar in Asia
The price of styrene monomers (SM) has risen above $1,500 per ton. Factors behind the increase include steeply higher crude oil and naphtha prices, delayed starts to routine maintenance and...
Business Continues to Boom for Engineering Plastics in Southeast Asia
Engineering plastics is a thriving business in Southeast Asia. Nearly all products, including polycarbonate (PC), polyacetylene (POM) and polybutylene (PBT), are in tight supply. The reason is that while sectors...
Titanium Dioxide Prices Continue to Rise in Asia
Titanium dioxide prices are on the rise in Asia. Current prices are around $3,000 per ton, representing an increase of more than 10 percent since March. Since the beginning of...
Acetic Acid Supply and Demand Remains Tight in Japan
Supply and demend of acetic acid remains tight in Japan. Despite Kyodo Sakusan Co. Ltd. operating at nearly full capacity and the country’s imports increasing since last year, solid demand...
Tightrope Dance Continues for Asian Supply and Demand of Caustic Soda
The supply–demand balance for caustic soda is standing tight in Asia. Demand in Southeast Asia came in at an estimated 2.7 million tons for 2017. By application, demand was particularly...
Acrylic Acid Maintains High Price Point in Asia
Asian market prices for acrylic acid continue to sit at a high point, with the chemical currently trading for around $1,300–1,400 per ton. Privately owned Chinese firms have been reducing...
Interview: Evonik Asia Pacific South President Peter Meinshausen Comments on Shifting Asia–Pacific Market
German-based Evonik Industries AG is looking at a number of new initiatives to navigate upcoming challenges and opportunities in the Asia–Pacific market. Peter Meinshausen, president of Evonik Asia Pacific South, recently...
Modec Rides Wave of FPSO Market Recovery
The market for floating production, storage and offloading (FPSO) units is making a rapid recovery. With new projects being planned around the world, Modec Inc. (TYO:6269) alone has 11 inquiries...
Chinese Environmental Regulations Impact Asian Chemicals Market
Tougher environmental regulations enacted by China from 2016 onward are lowering utilization rates at factories throughout the country, forming a major impact on the Asian chemicals market. One product for...
Global Polycarbonate Prices Continue Upward
The international market for polycarbonate (PC) is continuing its upward trend. Prices for general grade PC in the Asian market have reached about $3,800–$3,900 per ton. Compared with two months...
Interview: Mitsubishi Engineering-Plastics CEO Discusses Booming Resin Operations
Mitsubishi Engineering-Plastics Corp. (MEP) appears to be enjoying success across the board of late, with major resin lines largely exceeding expectations. President and CEO Yasushi Kosaka recently took some time...
Interview: Mitsubishi Gas Chemical President Toshikiyo Kurai Talks Diversification, Risk Containment
Mitsubishi Gas Chemical Co. Inc. (TYO:4182) has been making pivots on numerous fronts of late as it looks to keep ahead of the game. President Toshikiyo Kurai recently sat down...
