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SHANGHAI (ICIS)--Since the outbreak of the Middle East conflict in late February, attention has increasingly focused on its impact on energy and petrochemical markets. A steep rise in crude oil and naphtha prices has driven a rapid increase in prices across aromatics and their derivatives. According to ICIS data, as of 22 April, prices of downstream polymer products derived from aromatics in China, including polyester fibre, polyethylene terephthalate (PET), acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), polystyrene (PS) and expandable polystyrene (EPS) have risen by 25–40% compared with pre‑conflict levels. This inevitably raises questions about whether end-industry companies can withstand such immense price pressure, what their current countermeasures are, and how these dynamics may feed back into upstream markets. In this podcast, Asian Senior Aromatics Analysts Jenny Yi, Jimmy Zhang, and Yoland Chen discuss how the Middle East conflict is affecting demand across China's aromatics end-use industries and share their views on near- and medium-term implications. The 38th China International Plastics & Rubber Industry Exhibition (Chinaplas) - the world's leading trade fair for the sector - is taking place from April 21 to 24 April in Shanghai, China. ICIS held extensive discussions with market participants attending the event, with key insights shared in today's podcast. End-use industry performance is mixed: nylon, PET resin demand grows, home appliance demand slows, textile and clothing demand may decline ABS demand growth in China is expected to be lower this year than in 2025, while EPS and PS demand is forecast to slow in 2026 before rebounding in 2027 China's polyester fiber consumption and production are set to decline this year, while PET resin demand remains strong, prompting integrated producers to prioritize PET resin output

With the Iran war now in its eighth week, we can expect more serious consequences for chemicals from rising inflation, demand destruction and a prolonged post-war recovery period.  -          43 force majeures in Middle East and Asia, Europe prices hitting record highs -          Sanctioned Russian and Iranian crude oil stored on ships is nearly depleted, exposing markets to greater shortages  -          5-10% of global oil and gas supply is unavailable -          Prepare for demand destruction as global economy adapts to shortages -          Food price inflation likely to hurt poorer nations most, but all economies will suffer -          Inflation may spike to 5-10% as supply shortages impact downstream consumer marketsIn this Think Tank podcast, Will Beacham interviews ICIS Insight Editor Tom Brown and Paul Hodges, chairman of New Normal Consulting. 

LONDON (ICIS)--Europe oxo-alcohols and derivatives markets have seen prices spike in the wake of the US-Iran war, although they have started to stablize through the month of April. With a challenging two months since the start of the US-Iran war pushing prices up dramatically and tightening the global supply chain, the European markets have been hit hard. However, there are some signs that prices are starting to stabilize, even if supply remains tight and prices high. Acrylate esters editor Mathew Jolin-Beech speaks to oxo-alcohols and butyl acetate editor Marion Boakye and glycol ethers editor Cameron Birch about how each sector has been hit and impacted by the war.

In the latest episode of the ICIS Sustainably Speaking podcast, PETCORE Europe’s Jose‑Antonio Alarcón talks to Matt Tudball, ICIS Senior Editor, Recycling, why PET thermoform recycling remains significantly behind bottle recycling and what must change as the EU’s Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) approaches. He outlines efforts to move from theory to real‑world compliance, including tray‑to‑tray recycling demonstrators and the development of functional barrier technologies under Regulation (EU) 2022/1616. Alarcón also warns that progress will depend heavily on earlier investment and stronger engagement from packers and retailers, despite growing technological readiness across the recycling value chain.The PETCORE Europe Thermoforms Conference on 18-19 June 2026 in Valencia, Spain.Key topics discussed: PET thermoform recycling lags far behind bottles PPWR demands proven, scalable recycling solutions Tray‑to‑tray recycling is achievable, not theoretical Functional barriers critical for food‑contact approval Packers and retailers remain key bottleneck Early action and enforcement needed to meet targets

The Middle East conflict has affected fertilizer markets pushing prices up due to tight availability and leading to demand destruction in some regions. In this podcast, urea editor Deepika Thapliyal, sulphur editor Manuja Pandey, phosphates editor Chris Vlachopoulos, sulphuric acid editor Andy Hemphill and ammonia editor Sylvia Traganida discuss the latest market developments.   ·       Urea prices jump on tight availability, drop in demand on low affordability ·       Sulphur supply tightness leads to two-tier market for industrial users and fertilizer producers ·       China export ban of sulphuric acid pushes prices to record highs ·       Concerns arise in Europe on farmer affordability leading to phosphates demand destruction ·       Lack of ammonia availability from the Middle East pushes Asian prices up and makes buyers look eastward for product 

Investment in innovation remains critical to the long-term competitiveness and sustainability of the chemical industry, despite the current geopolitical chaos and challenging macroeconomic environment. Innovation is essential for differentiation, long‑term growth and sustainability, not just short‑term commercial success Chemical companies must continue investing in R&D during uncertain periods rather than adopting a “stop‑and‑go” approach Sustainability‑driven innovation is increasingly central to business resilience, customer trust and regulatory compliance Open innovation and partnerships with customers, suppliers, academics and startups are becoming more important than internal R&D alone Digitalisation and AI can help structure vast amounts of unstructured data and support faster, more informed decision‑making Product‑level carbon transparency and credible sustainability data are emerging as competitive necessities New materials enabling recyclability – such as debondable adhesives – illustrate how innovation can link performance and circularity Shifts away from fossil feedstocks towards recycling, renewable raw materials and CO2 utilisation will accelerate over the next decade Regionalisation of supply chains and circular economy solutions are likely to gain momentum amid geopolitical fragmentation Entering innovation awards helps companies benchmark progress, gain credibility and increase the visibility of their innovations Enter the ICIS Innovation Awards! Deadline 12 June.  In this Think Tank podcast, Will Beacham interviews ICIS Innovation awards judges Alessia Ielo, global sustainable solutions manager for Brenntag; Denis Bortzmeyer, scientific director for open innovation at Arkema and Eric de Deckere, executive director innovation at Cefic (European Chemical Industry Council). 

Asian propylene (C3) supply has been shrinking with the ongoing shipping disruption through the Strait of Hormuz amid the US-Israel-Iran conflict. Supply tightness is expected to persist and support the market as feedstock availability and cost pressure remain key problems, weighing down regional plants’ operating rates.  Downstream demand and end-use consumption, however, are facing greater uncertainties as the geopolitical tensions weaken the global economic outlook, which could cloud the upside potential of propylene. In this podcast, ICIS editors Seymour Chenxia and Joy Foo, together with ICIS senior analyst Joey Zhou, Doris He and Lillian Ren revisit Asian propylene price trends since the Middle East conflicts, discuss price forecast, supply/demand conditions and outlook and trade flow changes. 

Even if the current shaky ceasefire becomes permanent, the complexities of repairing and restarting chemical plants means global markets will have to wait 12-18 months for regional operations to return to normal.  -          Restarting chemical plants is complex and requires external technical experts who will be in short supply -          Plant restarts require huge amounts of energy, which will overstretch power networks if multiple plants try to fire up -          Logistics logjams will add further delays to restart plans -          Personnel are no longer on site and will have to return -          It will take 12-18 months for Middle East production to ramp up -          Europe and Asia will be lucky to receive Middle East trade flows by the end of the year  -          Europe’s chemical industry could see a renaissance if industrial customers return to local sourcing -          Europe is becoming cost-competitive again

LONDON (ICIS)--Butadiene prices have surged globally following Middle East supply disruptions linked to the US‑Iran conflict. Europe BD editor Melissa Hurley discusses the current market conditions and challenges facing the global market with editors Ai Teng Lim, Elaine Zhang and Senior BD analysts Gawaine Preston (Europe) and Ann Sun (Asia) and Preeti Sriram covering (US).  Asia Asian butadiene output losses could to deepen into April and beyond, as the ongoing Middle East conflict shows no sign of easing, limiting any near‑term recovery in regional BD production. Synthetic rubber producers considering further production cuts in April given the ongoing tight supply and higher BD prices Europe Soaring naphtha costs pushed BD producer margins negative in March, resulting in a sharp triple‑digit rise in the April contract price - up 50% month-on-month  Export prices surged around 80% month on month in March Tight availability amid planned BD/cracker turnarounds making it challenging to export volumes towards Asia US market US BD prices also rising, but spot export supply remains tight due to outages and turnarounds

LONDON (ICIS)--Europe oxo-alcohols and derivatives markets are in significant flux as volatility spikes off the back of the ongoing conflict in the Middle East and associated severe shipping disruption through the Strait of Hormuz. Supply constraints and rising costs are heavily impacting sentiment into late March with sellers pushing hard for price increases across the board. Glycol ethers editor Cameron Birch speaks to oxo-alcohols and butyl acetate editor Marion Boakye and acrylate esters editor Mathew Jolin-Beech about market conditions and expectations for the near future.

Surging inflationary pressures and dwindling economic growth expectations are pushing parts of the global economy towards the kind of stagflationary footing seen during the 1970s oil crisis, while supply shocks and feedstock surges are starting to remap chemicals flows once again.  ·       European chemical markets have flipped from oversupply to tightness ·       Supply disruptions in Asia and the need to source material may reduce flows to Europe ·       China is better-equipped to deal with the Strait of Hormuz closure than many of its neighbours ·       The crisis could prompt Asia Pacific players to re-evaluate their heavy reliance on Middle Eastern feedstocks ·       The US chemical industry is comparatively insulated and profiting from the turmoil: with abundant domestic oil, gas and cheap ethane ·       Economic sentiment is weakening as conflict-driven costs ripple through the global economy

SINGAPORE (ICIS)--The ongoing US and Israel-led conflict in the Middle East has disrupted crucial flows of naphtha feedstock to cracker operators across Asia. With about 60% of Asia’s naphtha imports typically sourced from the Middle East, the region remains vulnerable to widespread cracker run‑rate cuts and temporary shutdowns, with the effect cascading through the ethylene (C2) value chain. Naphtha shortages force Asia producers to cut C2, PE op rates Market participants look to China for alternative SM supply amid tightening availability PVC margins hold firm on adequate inventories, steady downstream demand This is the second installment of a two-part podcast. In part one, ICIS senior editors Josh Quah and Izham Ahmad examine how tightening feedstock availability is pressuring cracker operating rates and reshaping sentiment in the C2 and polyethylene (PE) markets. In part two, ICIS senior editor Luffy Wu and ICIS market analyst Jonathan Chou discuss how the disruption is filtering downstream into the styrene monomer (SM) and polyvinyl chloride (PVC) markets, and what participants can expect in the weeks ahead.

SINGAPORE (ICIS)--The ongoing Middle East conflict has disrupted crucial flows of naphtha feedstock to cracker operators across Asia. With about 60% of Asia’s naphtha imports typically sourced from the Middle East, the region remains vulnerable to widespread cracker run‑rate cuts and temporary shutdowns, with the effect cascading through the ethylene value chain.• Naphtha shortages force Asia producers to cut C2 and PE operating rates• Market participants look to China for alternative SM supply amid tightening availability• PVC margins hold firm on adequate inventories and steady downstream demand In part one of this podcast, market editors Josh Quah and Izham Ahmad examine how tightening feedstock availability is pressuring cracker operating rates and reshaping sentiment in the ethylene (C2) and polyethylene (PE) markets. In part two, market editors Luffy Wu and Jonathan Chou discuss how the disruption is filtering downstream into the styrene monomer (SM) and polyvinyl chloride (PVC) markets, and what participants can expect in the weeks ahead.

In this episode of ICIS Chemical Connections, we unpack how geopolitical tensions have driven sharp divergence in methanol prices across Asia—and how that volatility is feeding through into the acetic acid market. We explore why China looks structurally different, where demand is failing to keep up outside China, and what this means for producers across the region. Key takeaways Methanol shock drives regional divergence Supply exposure explains the widening price gap: China’s coal‑based methanol production has cushioned the shock, while import‑dependent markets in Northeast and Southeast Asia have seen faster and sharper price spikes. Acetic acid rally is cost‑push, not demand‑led In China, acetic acid prices have lagged methanol as supply remains resilient and margins stay positive; outside China, higher offers linked to methanol are running into resistance from weak downstream demand—especially in VAM. Asia ex‑China faces limited outlets as India demand strains Spot volumes freed up by VAM run cuts have flowed into India, but panic buying is fading, gas curtailments are weighing on downstream demand, and narrowing China–India arbitrage raises the risk of broader run‑rate adjustments.

Recycling Editors Sam Lovatt and Matt Tudball speak about the indirect impact the Middle East conflict is having on the recycled polymers markets in Europe, and why some markets such as recycled polyethylene terephthalate (rPET) and recycled low density polyethylene (rLDPE) are feeling the consequences much quicker than recycled high density polyethylene (rHDPE) and recycled polypropylene (rPP). Topics covered include: Indirect impact of virgin polymer price rises Reaction from recycled market participants  How rising fuel costs factor into recycled markets Concerns about higher energy and production costs Longer-term impact of the conflict on consumer spending