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Increasing pressure caused by high energy costs and rising exports from China will force Europe into difficult decisions over which strategic chemical value chains to save.  - Chinese ethylene capacity forecast to rise from 60 million tonnes/year in 2025 to 81m tonnes/year by 2030 - Chinese producers are exporting more, shifting towards specialties  - Europe must identify strategically important value chains - Regional chemicals champions can be built around major production hubs- Iran crisis initially lifted European operating rates and margins - High oil and gas prices now squeeze cracker margins and downstream buyers - ICIS expects Middle East disruption to last into 2028 - Crude inventories have fallen from five-year highs to lows - Europe is less exposed to Middle East supply than Asia - Commission may adapt Chinese EV import quotas for chemicals In this ICIS Think Tank podcast, Will Beacham interviews ICIS senior analyst for olefins James Wilson and Paul Hodges, chairman of New Normal Consulting.

Recycling technology company ReVentas is building three quarters of a million tonnes of dissolution recycling capacity, directly and through technology licensing, with European regulatory targets in mind. But what is dissolution? How does it compare to traditional mechanical and chemical recycling? And is there enough demand to justify this build-out? ReVentas CEO Tom Rose discusses these topics and more with recycling markets editor Sam Lovatt on the ICIS Sustainably Speaking podcast.

Europe’s petrochemical industry needs to find innovative ways to evaluate decarbonizing technologies amidst an increasingly tough global competitive environment. Decarbonization must improve competitiveness, not simply cut emissions A competitiveness ladder can prioritise decarbonization investments Cost and intensity of electricity, best use of limited green electrons, value in market, water use and toxicity determine technology attractiveness Mechanical and chemical recycling offer opportunities today Electrified crackers could become globally competitive Scarce renewable carbon should favor highest-value applications Europe needs far lower industrial electricity prices Europe needs integrated industrial policy across manufacturing sectors China combines chemical self-sufficiency with clean technology ambitions In this ICIS Think Tank podcast, Will Beacham interviews Rafael Cayuela, former corporate chief economist plus strategy and sustainability lead for Dow  EMEAI (Europe, Middle East, Africa, and India).

LONDON (ICIS)--The oxo-alcohol and derivative markets continue to face the challenges of high energy and feedstock costs, coupled with weak demand. However, beneath the surface ,additional challenges such as supply disruptions as antidumping duty measures are also shaping the market. Acrylate esters editor Mathew Jolin-Beech is joined by glycol ethers editor Cameron Birch and oxo-alcohols and butac editor Marion Boakye to discuss the latest developments.

SINGAPORE(ICIS)--The Asian propylene market balance is expected to tighten in 2027, with demand from new downstream capacities expected to outpace growth in propylene capacity. Meanwhile, feedstock supply disruptions and price volatility are adding uncertainty to propylene plant operations. As negotiations for 2027 term contracts get under way following Enmore’s Annual Olefins Conference in Guiyang in October, market players are closely monitoring how these expectations will be reflected in contract pricing.In this podcast, ICIS markets editor Joy Foo and industry analyst Seymour Chenxia discuss the outlook for the Asian propylene market in 2027, evolving term contract negotiations and uncertainties surrounding feedstock supply and plant operations.  Asian C3 balance to tighten as incremental demand outpaces supply growth Persistent buy-sell gap likely to prolong 2027 term negotiations Plant operating uncertainties persist amid feedstock supply concerns, price volatility

LONDON (ICIS)--Existential questions and disappointing demand were the dish of the day at the 30th Fakuma trade fair for plastics processing in Friedrichshafen, Germany. ICIS editors and analysts pick out their key takeaways from the fair, which saw more than 50% of exhibitors come from outside of Germany for the first time ever. It is a statistic which echoes a wider trend seen across plastics markets: greater exposure to global players. In this round-up podcast, ICIS senior editor Vicky Ellis is joined by senior editor Marta Fern (nylon and polypropylene), markets reporter Sam Lovatt (polycarbonate), markets editor Stephanie Wix (ABS and PS), and analysts Jincy Varghese (polyamides) and Tristan McCallum (styrene and styrenics). Podcast editing: Sam Lovatt

GUIYANG (ICIS)--At the 21st International Olefins and Styrenics Summit in Guiyang, China, conversations coalesce around capacity rationalizations, uncertainty over new capacity timelines and China's evolving role in Asia petrochemical markets in 2027 and beyond.  ICIS market editor Joy Foo and senior editors Luffy Wu, Josh Quah discuss the implications for Asia's propylene, styrene and ethylene markets respectively.  Asia SM market outlook shaped by Middle East geopolitical changes; contract talks face structural difficulties Asia ethylene tackles high costs, capacity consolidations as Chinese players make plans for vessel ethylene trading Asia propylene driven by bullish, supply-led sentiment ahead of contract discussions, tempered by uncertainty over 2027 cracker rationalization, new plant start-ups

BARCELONA (ICIS)--Following an EU quota deal struck with China on hybrid electric vehicle imports, the region’s chemical industry is hopeful of stronger protection for chemicals from soaring levels of imports.   China chemical imports to EU rose 35% year-on-year January-August 2026 EU chemical safeguard proposals possible by December Hybrid car quotas could support European chemical demand Anti-dumping investigations face delays and circumvention risks Trade data could help identify imports rerouted through intermediaries Blanket quotas risk penalising legitimate trading partners China’s economic and property downturn adds pressure to export Exploiting European oil and gas alongside renewables could help tackle energy crisis Better electricity interconnections could unlock renewable power supplies Policymakers face pressure to address carbon costs In this ICIS Think Tank podcast, Will Beacham interviews Paul Hodges, chairman of New Normal Consulting.

At the 60th annual European Petrochemicals Association (EPCA) meeting last week, discussion around the traditional sustainability agenda has shifted into a broader conversation about industrial resilience. Speakers argue for a return to a balanced approach that considers environmental performance, financial performance and customer and societal needs Disruptions to global trade routes and rising security concerns are accelerating debates around Europe's industrial self-sufficiency. Consensus is increasing that these developments are creating a "new normal" for the chemical industry, although its final shape remains unclear A recurring theme through the conference was the perceived gap between policymakers' rhetoric and actionsIn this Think Tank podcast, Will Beacham sits down in Vienna's Stadtpark with ICIS Insight Editor Tom Brown and Paul Hodges, chairman of New Normal Consulting.

BARCELONA (ICIS)--Europe’s petrochemical industry is in steep decline and the region risks losing access to locally-produced critical raw materials unless stronger, faster action is taken by political leaders and regulators. Increasing reliance in Europe on imported critical raw materials for healthcare, defence and industrial value chains Europe chemicals faces existential threat Middle East war gave temporary uplift in Europe, but now imports flowing from other regions INEOS mothballing UK plants due to sky-high energy costs INEOS Project One expected online towards the end of 2027 Little support and tough permitting environment in Europe Much stronger protection needed from unfair imports, including possible global or regional import quotas Create fewer but stronger regional leaders In this ICIS Think Tank podcast, Will Beacham interviews Rob Ingram, CEO of INEOS Olefins & Polymers Europe, presdient of Plastics Europe and chairman of Petrochemcials Europe.

LONDON (ICIS)--Europe oxo-alcohols and derivatives markets continue to face high cost uncertainty and volatility as Q4 beckons. Sentiment in the market remains widely mixed after a subdued start to the autumn on the purchasing side. As 2027 contract discussions commence, there is a renewed focus on sourcing origin, particularly for products which were more exposed to Middle East origin export constraints this year, as well as the close attention being paid to anti dumping duty investigations still ongoing in some cases. Glycol ethers editor Cameron Birch speaks to oxo-alcohols and butyl acetate editor Marion Boakye and acrylate esters editor Mathew Jolin-Beech about current market conditions and expectations for the near future.

BARCELONA (ICIS)--As Europe’s chemical industry battles for survival, a BASF tie up with Evonik could form a regional leader capable of competing in a chronically oversupplied global market. Complementary portfolios could create integrated champion Regional leaders offer scale and broader market resilience Local-for-local manufacturing is replacing globalisation European capacity closures reflect severe cost disadvantages Global overcapacity may keep worsening through 2028 Political support remains essential for Europe’s chemical industry survival In this Think Tank podcast, Will Beacham interviews ICIS Insight Editor Tom Brown and Paul Hodges, chairman of New Normal Consulting.

As the Middle East war continues, many chemical distributors in Europe are growing their sales and margins by helping customers maintain security of supply through this period of intense disruption. Middle East disruption tightens global chemical supply Higher uncertainty supports stronger distributor margins Customers buy chemicals more on a hand-to-mouth basis Stockholding helps distributors ensure reliable supply Value creation outweighs volume growth in Europe Local-for-local strategies gain importance amid geopolitical risks China now holds nearly half of chemical capacity European chemical capacity continues to shrink Distributors cautious about new Chinese supplier relationships Specialty chemicals demand deep customer partnerships In this Think Tank podcast, Will Beacham interviews Paul Hodges, chairman of New Normal Consulting. Recorded after the 2026 European Association of Chemical Distributors (Fecc) annual congress in Vienna, Austria.

This year has seen record price highs, then plunging lows, as polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP) were rocked by the US-Iran war and choppy Red Sea logistics disruption. After a brief hiatus, the European PE & PP podcast returns, as ICIS senior editors unpick what the Middle Eastern war has meant for September pricing and what we expect for the rest of the year. ICIS senior editor Vicky Ellis is joined by fellow senior editors for Europe, Ben Lake and Marta Fern, Middle East editor Nadim Salamoun and India market specialist Aswin Kondapally.

The spread of conflict across the Middle East threatens another period of extreme market volatility, as players face up to increasing disruption with strategic reserves much lower than at the start of the conflict. • Seizure of the port of Mokha and Perim Island in the Bab Al-Mandeb Strait, threatens the closure a second key Gulf trade route• Global diesel supply critically short with Russian and Gulf refineries severely impaired• The magnitude of closed-off crude supplies and constrained oil product availability increases the risk of a 1973-74-style fuel crisis• Higher prices, tighter supply adds fuel to inflation, which could skyrocket over the next 12 months• Weaker US polyethylene margins and a slide back to negative margins in northeast Asia point to limited pricing power and weak demand • Inflation and energy costs could further hit consumer demand as northern hemispheric winter approachesWe also mark the passing of friend and contributor John Richardson. If listeners have memories of John they would like to share please get in touch at [email protected]