The US has announced new rules targeting firms from China and other countries that are routing shipments of steel and aluminium through Mexico to try to evade tariffs.   The White House said firms shipping via Mexico must now prove the origins of their products if they want to avoid the border taxes.   The […]

European polymer prices continued to fall over the week to 5th July. There were reductions of 40 and 105 EUR per tonne reported in the prices of ABS and Polystyrene.   Asian polymers were mixed with increases of between 5 and 30 USD per tonne reported in the prices of LLDPE, PET, ABS and Polystyrene. […]

Samsung Electronics expects its profits for the three months to June 2024 to jump 15-fold compared to the same period last year.   An artificial intelligence (AI) boom has lifted the prices of advanced chips, driving up the firm’s forecast for the second quarter.   The South Korean tech giant is the world’s largest maker […]

The European Union has raised tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles, as Brussels takes action to protect the bloc’s motor industry.   The new tariffs on individual manufactures range from 17.4% to 37.6%, which is on top of a 10% duty that was already in place for all electric cars imported from China.   This could […]

Tesla sales, hit by a significant slump earlier this year, are showing signs of revival.   Elon Musk’s electric car-maker delivered nearly 444,000 vehicles in the three months ended 30 June, up more than 14% from the prior quarter.   That was far more than most analysts had expected, though still down nearly 5% from […]

European polymer prices continued to fall over the week to 28th June. There were reductions of between 10 and 25 EUR per tonne reported in the prices of Polypropylene, PVC and Polystyrene. In the UK, prices rose against some grades as the Pound lost value against the Euro.   Asian polymers were mixed with reductions […]

China Petroleum & Chemical Corporation (Sinopec SNP) recently signed a memorandum of understanding with LyondellBasell Industries N.V. LYB to create a new 50-50 joint venture for developing a new propylene oxide and styrene monomer unit. This is a second such joint venture between the two companies.   The new unit will likely have an annual […]

INEOS Olefins & Polymers Europe claims it has become the ‘first polymer producer in the world’ to successfully commission a new pilot line to co-develop recyclable flexible packaging films with customers.   The company states that the multi-million euro investment could help to prevent around one million tonnes of waste from being sent to landfill […]

The UK economy grew by more than initially estimated in the first three months of 2024 as the country emerged from recession, revised official figures show.   Between January and March, the economy grew by 0.7% the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said.   Figures released last month initially estimated growth had been 0.6%.   […]

European polymer prices continued to fall over the week to 21st June. There were reductions of between 10 and 30 EUR per tonne reported in the prices of HDPE, LDPE and PVC. In the UK, prices fell against most grades as the Pound gained value against the Euro.   Asian polymers were mixed with increases […]