European polymer prices were mixed over the week to 24th March. There were increases of between 5 and 30 EUR per tonne reported in the prices of LDPE, LLDPE and Polypropylene. There was a reduction of 50 EUR per tonne noted in the price of ABS. In the UK, prices rose across most grades as […]

US companies are “more negative than they’ve been in a long time” about doing business in China, according to the president of the American Chamber of Commerce in China (AmCham China).   As tensions continue to grow between the world’s two biggest economies, Michael Hart says that the rivalry has “made business very challenging”.   […]

Bank shares across Europe have fallen sharply as worries over the financial strength of the sector return.   Shares in Germany’s Deutsche Bank fell by 14% at one point on Friday, with other lenders also seeing big losses.   Investors have already been spooked by the collapse of two US banks and the rushed takeover […]

Sri Lanka has secured a $3bn bailout from the International Monetary Fund as it faces its worst economic crisis since independence.   The deal has been nearly a year in the making and a lifeline for the country that has billions of dollars in loans.   Foreign minister, Ali Sabry, told the BBC the government […]

European polymer prices were mixed over the week to 17th March. There were reductions of 10 and 80 EUR per tonne reported in the prices of ABS and Polystyrene. There was an increase of 10 EUR per tonne noted in the price of LLDPE. In the UK, prices fell across most grades as the Pound […]

Ratings giant Moody’s has warned of more pain ahead for the US banking system after a run on deposits led to the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank.   Moody’s cut its outlook for the sector to “negative” from stable, warning of “a rapid deterioration in the operating environment”.   The downgrade came as banking shares […]

US President, Joe Biden has approved a major oil and gas drilling project in Alaska that faced strong opposition from environmental activists.   The company behind the Willow project, ConocoPhillips, says it will create local investment and thousands of jobs.   But the $8bn proposal faced a torrent of online activism in recent weeks, particularly […]

Jobs growth in the US remained strong last month, as the world’s largest economy continued to defy expectations of a slowdown.   Employers added 311,000 jobs in February, more than expected, with bars and restaurants driving the gains.   The unemployment rate edged higher, to 3.6%, from 3.4% in January, which had been the lowest […]

European polymer prices rose over the week to 10th March. There were increases of between 10 and 20 EUR per tonne reported in the prices of LDPE, LLDPE, Polypropylene and PVC. In the UK, prices rose across most grades as the Pound lost value against the Euro.   Asian polymers were mixed with reductions of […]

The UK economy grew by 0.3% in January as school attendance picked up and Premier League football returned after the World Cup, official figures show.   Gross domestic product bounced back from a sharp fall in December.   Growth was helped by a recovery in school attendance after more parents kept children home at the […]