MALAYSIA

Plastics market to increase 3% annually / Packaging for food, beverages to drive growth / Mordor Intelligence report

POLYMER PRICES

China Engineering Thermoplastics May 2016: Feedstock costs slide despite maintenance cycle / Aside from PA, all polymers point down / Consumption levels considered average / Positive outlook for June

PLASTICS AND HEALTH

EU close to classifying BPA as category 1 reprotoxin / REACH Committee approves draft

POLYMER PRICES

China Engineering Thermoplastics January 2016: Butadiene and styrene rise while other feedstocks point down / Polymer prices firm / ABS and PC rise slightly / Consumption in line with expectations / Processors gearing down for Chinese New Year holidays

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

MITSUI

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

MITSUI

Raising PP compound output across the globe / Acquisition in Brazil / Meeting increased demand from global automotive sector

TOSOH

Japanese group shuts VCM units / Over a third of country's capacity affected / One worker killed

JAPAN

The post-quake reality: One-third of ethylene capacities offline / Petrochemical industry crippled by electricity shortages / European and US companies appear largely unaffected / Numerous plants idled as a cautionary measure

JAPAN

Almost half the olefin chain affected by quake and tsunami / Exact extent of damage remains unclear

BP

Sale of Malaysian polyethylene and ethylene assets for USD 363m