BIOAMBER

Canadian bio-succinic plant now at commercial scale / Margin prospects better than expected

POLYETHYLENE

Low-pressure production: HDPE and LLDPE output linked / Number of global swing plants rising / European lines no longer competitive / Local converters increasingly dependent on imports / Exclusive PIE report

SKEBERIS

Greek plastics trader builds 250,000 t/y warehouse in UAE / Joint venture with Tristar

FOSTER POLYMER DISTRIBUTION

Marketing Mitsui's “TPX” PMP olefin copolymer in North America / Medical applications

SKC / MITSUI

Polyurethanes joint venture officially launched

SKC / MITSUI

Start-up of South Korean 50:50 PU feedstock joint venture postponed

MITSUI

Shanghai functional polymeric materials plant starts up / Output to cater to local automotive and packaging suppliers

SKC / MITSUI

Follow-up: PU joint venture to cease operating Kashima TDI and Omuta MDI facilities in May 2016 / Plans to set up XDI and speciality isocyanates facilities

SKC / MITSUI

Agreement for PU feedstock joint venture / Merger could extend lifeline to facilities previously earmarked for closure

DUPONT

“Neoprene” business sold to Denka-Mitsui joint venture

DREYPLAS

Distributing Mitsui Chemicals' UHMW-PE “Lubmer” and “Hi-Zex Million” range in Europe

BAYER MATERIALSCIENCE

Hi-Bis joint venture doubles special bisphenols output in Germany / Feedstock for “Apec” PC production in Antwerp

BIOAMBER

Exclusive bio-succinic acid agreement with China's Xuchuan Chemical / Feedstock for cast polyurethane elastomers

BORYSZEW

Polish automotive OEM acquires Tensho's injection moulding plant / Cooperation agreement with Mitsui

BIOPLASTICS

Soaring US demand and agricultural developments in China boost global demand / PE one of fastest growing segments / BCC Research report

PETROCHEMICAL MARKETS

Work on US Gulf Coast crackers and PE plants gears up / ChevronPhillips and ExxonMobil lead the way / Some 30% of expanded US commodity plastics output to be exported by 2020

MITSUBISHI RAYON / MITSUI

MoU for large-scale MMA joint venture in the US / Non-binding feedstock agreement with Dow

DOW

Start-up of new chlor-alkali joint venture in Texas / Facility replaces older unit

MITSUI CHEMICALS

MDI, TDI and phenolic lines to be shuttered in Japan / Plans to restructure PTA business

BIOAMBER

100,000 t/y bio-based BDO facility planned in North America / Offtake agreement with Vinmar extends for 15 years / Market breakthrough

DAINICHISEIKA COLOR & CHEMICALS

Japanese compounder establishes Mexico-based joint venture with Mitsubishi Chemical / Targeting the North American automotive market

DOW

Chlorine and epoxy businesses to be put up for sale / Assets worth USD 5 bn / Texas plant to close

MITSUI CHEMICALS

Plans to expand automotive PP capacity in US and Mexico / New capacity expected onstream in Q4 2014

JAYANT AGRO

Bio-polyols joint venture with Mitsui Chemicals

VIETNAM

Plastic product exports grow 10% January-May / New PP resin supply from Nghi Son Refinery project in 2017 / Import tariff on PP resins proposed