Senior Editor for PET, Caroline Murray, and Senior Editor for Recycling, Matt Tudball talk about the current state of the polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and recycled PET (R-PET) markets and the uncertainties both face for the rest of the year. These include:

• PET feedstock situation
• High freight costs impacting availability
• Capacity growth in Asia
• Upcoming recycled content targets for R-PET
• Limited availability of food-grade R-PET pellets

SHANGHAI (ICIS)—In this podcast, markets reporter Shannen Ng discusses how northeast Asia’s methylene diphenyl diisocyanate (MDI) supply is expected to remain tight as Q3 progresses, however, poor demand expectations in the Asian import markets for the rest of this quarter remain.

• Polymeric MDI sentiment in SE Asia, India supported by tight supply
• Monomeric MDI particularly sluggish and expected to remain so
• Weak demand outlook for China’s downstream construction and automotive sectors

SINGAPORE (ICIS) -- In this podcast, Asia ethylene editor Josh Quah and analyst Aliena Huang discuss the factors impacting arbitrage flows of ethylene from the US to Asia.

• Spot arbitrage window between US and Asia closed but term arrivals for July remain healthy
• Storm Beryl, low affordability in Asia, may keep spot arbitrage trades closed into Aug
• Panama Canal traffic levels expected to return to pre-congestion levels by Oct

SINGAPORE (ICIS) -- In this podcast, ICIS analysts Patricia Tao, Lewis Unstead and Aliena Huang delve into how the upcoming CBAM (Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism) will impact China’s export-oriented manufacturing sectors and hydrogen’s crucial role in its low-carbon economy.

• China's national energy law draft includes hydrogen, a shift towards low-carbon
• Move comes ahead of EU's CBAM
• CBAM to affect global trade, particularly for high-emission products

LONDON (ICIS) -- Europe’s run up to holiday season has been unusually busy for polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP) markets, including some spot prices reversing for the first time since March 2024.

In this ICIS podcast, European PE and PP senior editors Vicky Ellis and Ben Lake pick out July’s big themes, from logistics (hurricane Beryl and still-spiked Asian freight rates) to the mismatch between how local suppliers and converters are experiencing demand this month.

They also highlight what to watch for August.

The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) has published the July World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimate (WASDE) report, which shows that corn production is forecasted to increase by 240m bushels while for soybeans the outlook is for a decrease by 15m bushels.

Senior editor Mark Milam talks to Sylvia Traganida about the report and the latest developments in the US market.

Rampant overcapacity in China will change as limits to refinery expansions and new plants may stifle feedstock availability.

- Big structural reforms needed to improve China’s economy

- China petrochemical trends become more complicated

- Country plans to cap refinery capacity at 1 billion tonnes/year from 2027-2040

- China forging closer relations with Saudi Arabia

- Swift rise in China electric vehicles threatens petrochemical feedstocks

- Zero carbon rules limit future plant construction in China

- Europe needs to act fast to protect its industry

Caprolactam (capro) availability in Europe has been very tight until recently due to a shortage of sulphur and low downstream demand. Slow capro demand has also helped balance the market.

Senior capro editor Marta Fern talks to senior editors Julia Meehan and Sylvia Traganida about current developments in the market and what lies ahead.