GLOBAL TRADE

US president-elect proposes tariff hikes for Brazil

YEAR-ENDER: EUROPEAN ECONOMIC OUTLOOK

Growth set to improve in ´25 / US policy remains wild card

LOGISTICS

Situation for world shipping remains blue / Rat race for Germany's DB Schenker begins / Freight rates largely unchanged

CHINA

Consumer price growth turns negative in July / Economists warn of deflationary impacts / Some analysts see a good thing

EUROPEAN ECONOMY

The recession that never was? / German business confidence continues higher / Economic indicators suggest growth fears overblown

EUROPEAN ECONOMY

Stagflation continues / Recession looms / Analysts warn of German slowdown

PETROCHEMICALS

Trade and market disruptions worsen / Increase in PE, PP capacities / Ongoing investment in chemical recycling and decarbonisation projects

EUROZONE ECONOMY

July inflation nears 9%, sets third straight record / Q2 growth surprisingly strong / Analysts warn of slowdown / US in recession in H1

GLOBAL ECONOMY

War in Ukraine fuels spikes in commodity prices / Inflation likely to persist / Analysts, nations reduce growth projections

SPAIN

National report: Coronavirus-related economic slump impacts plastics processing / CEP association expects massive drop in production value in 2020 / Supply bottlenecks exacerbate current situation

TURKEY

Plastics demand rises in 2020 on higher domestic sales / Import and export volumes grow / Economic woes continue

POLYMER PRICES

North America January 2021: Unceasing upward movement in all segments / Rising feedstock prices and supply bottlenecks reinforce the trend / Slight easing of the situation expected in February

PETROCHEMICAL MARKETS

US dominates oil output growth / Shale gas is driver / Brazil and Norway up and coming, Opec slipping / New plastics plants defy moves to curb use

HIP PETROHEMIJA

Debt cut brings Gazprom closer to a takeover / Polyolefins producer hopes for investment

AUTOMOTIVE INDUSTRY

Demand for new cars in Europe to bottom out in 2013 / Slight growth predicted for 2014 / Production stagnates at 12m vehicles / Producers fight poor demand with technology / Suppliers raise proportion of plastics in cars

ITALY

Plastics demand declines by 9% year-on-year / Consumption down to 1997 levels / Plastics packaging production falls to 3.3m t / Exports of plastic waste have almost dried up

OLTCHIM

Romanian petrochemical group files for insolvency / Fresh start in the making?

BRAZIL

Domestic plastics processing industry unable to meet rising polymer demand / Imports increasingly important / China most important feedstock supplier

ITALY

One of the weakest links in the European industrial chain / Plastics machinery performs below average / Polymer production shrinking / Company formerly known as Polimeri to move more into specialities

RUSSIA

Improvement in polymers market expected in 2010 / Shrinking domestic demand in 2009 has players looking abroad / PVC producers bracing for higher costs / State support for new petrochemical projects