4 min read
MDI and TDI in 2026: When Tight Supply Masks Weak Demand
MDI and TDI markets have been shaped by an unusual combination of forces in 2026. Demand recovery has remained uneven, with several important...
Chemical Market
3 min read
UPR Margins Under Pressure as Styrene Volatility Meets Weak Demand
Unsaturated polyester resin (UPR) producers have faced a difficult combination in 2026: volatile raw material costs and persistently weak downstream...
Glycols: 2027 Negotiations Will Begin amid Tight Markets and Elevated Prices
Asian glycol markets are expected to remain fundamentally tight in the coming weeks. Low import availability, improving but still low operating...
The European PET Market Is Looking for a Clear Direction
Expectations for lower PET prices have not materialized, as rising uncertainty continues to support higher raw material costs. There is limited room...
3 min read
Cost Competitiveness Moves Back to Center Stage in Chemicals Market
Across several major chemicals markets, competitiveness is becoming a more important driver of pricing and market balance than demand growth alone....
4 min read
Oleochemicals at 2026 Mid-Year: Trade Action, Biofuel Competition and Geopolitics Redraw the Market
Global oleochemical markets entered 2026 with weak and uneven demand, but the first seven months have delivered far more than a routine cyclical...
3 min read
Connect with Chemical Industry Leaders at the 46th Annual APLA Meeting
The Latin American petrochemical and chemical industry is preparing to gather in Buenos Aires for one of the region’s most important annual business...
1 min read
Asia Aromatics Outlook 2026: Benzene, Toluene, Xylenes and Styrene Rebound
Asian aromatics markets rose sharply in July as crude strengthened, regional supply tightened and export opportunities improved, although downstream...
1 min read
China Nylon 6 and Methanol Outlook 2026: Inventory and Import Risk Dominate
China’s nylon 6 and methanol markets experienced sharp cost-driven swings, but weak demand and high inventories continue to constrain upside.
1 min read
East Asia Olefins and Derivatives: Feedstock Volatility Reshapes July 2026 Pricing
East Asian olefins and derivatives reversed early-summer declines in July as crude and feedstock costs increased, even as downstream markets entered...
1 min read
China Phenol Chain Outlook 2026: Overcapacity Caps the Oil-Driven Rebound
Higher oil prices lifted China’s phenol chain again in July, but the response was far more restrained than in March because overcapacity and weak...
1 min read
China Plasticizers, Chlor-Alkali and Polyols: Weak Demand Limits Cost-Led Rallies
Across Chinese plasticizers, chlor-alkali and polyols, rising feedstock costs created short-term price support, but weak downstream demand remains...