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

IMCD

Dutch company now distributor for BioAmber in Europe

INEOS BAREX

Swiss company to buy Mitsui Chemicals PAN business / Long-term resin supply across Asia

POLYMER PRICES

Polyurethane feedstocks in March 2013: MDI and TDI sideways / Olefins pull polyols up / Prompt supply despite maintenance / Weather pressures demand / Building season and new quarter could drive

DOW

New specialty plastics plants to be built on US Gulf Coast / Cheap shale gas-derived feedstock

POLYMER PRICES

Polyurethane feedstocks in February 2013: Steep hike plans firm the market / MDI and TDI with slight gains / No supply bottlenecks despite maintenance / Order volume still flat / Seasonal demand could drive prices

SUMITOMO

Chiba ethylene cracker to cease operations in 2015 / Responding to declining domestic demand and structural market shift

MITSUI

Plans to quit KEC ethylene joint venture / First steps toward consolidation of Japanese production

MITSUI CHEMICALS

Raising PP compound output in the US to meet rising automotive demand

DOW

Brazilian biopolymer joint venture with Mitsui postponed / Focus on more profitable shale gas projects

MITSUI

Prime Polymers subsidiary building new metallocene LLDPE plant in Singapore / Part of medium-term growth strategy

BAYER MATERIALSCIENCE

Joint venture with Mitsui building new specialty bisphenols facility in Germany / Output to go towards meeting rising demand for “Apec” PC copolymers

GAIL

Feedstock supply and support for Indian plastics park / Industry companies invited to set up shop

MITSUI

Functional polymeric materials plant planned in China / Commercial operation expected in October 2014

LANXESS

New EPDM plant to start up in China in 2015 / “World's largest” facility to cost EUR 235m

MITSUI

Ethylene cutbacks and HDPE plant closure in Chiba / Responding to weak demand in Japan and competition from Middle East and China

MITSUI

Elastomers expansion planned in Singapore

EVONIK

Alliance with US-based BioAmber / Catalysts for bio-based succinic acid production

TEIJIN

Matsuyama PET feedstock line to be adjusted to external supply / Outlet for abundant DMT