LONDON (ICIS)–Chemicals imports and exports to and from the EU increased in February, according to the latest data released by Eurostat on Wednesday. The segment for chemicals and related products recorded the highest growth  in trade balance of those outlined in February compared to a year prior. While imports rose by 16%, exports increased by more than a third compared to February 2024. Table shows monthly change in €billions compared to the previous year.Source: Eurostat European chemicals producers have been struggling to remain competitive with other regions, due to a complex regulatory landscape and higher energy prices. The increase in exports demonstrates resilient demand for specialised materials made in Europe, especially if those products cannot be manufactured elsewhere. This builds on the growth in January, when the chemicals segment was the only one to record an increase compared to the previous year. Eurostat’s initial estimates is that the overall EU trade balance in goods with the rest of the world stood at a surplus of €23.0 billion in February, compared to €21.8 billion a year prior. Data from Eurostat is subject to revision following publication.

LONDON (ICIS)–In episode 21 of the ICIS Hydrogen Insights podcast, hydrogen editor Jake Stones speaks with Environmental Defence Fund executive director for Europe Helen Spence-Jackson on the impact hydrogen could have on the environment as an indirect greenhouse gas and associated emissions from production processes. Over the course of the episode, Helen and Jake discuss the intricacies of hydrogen, how a potential climate solution for hard-to-abate sectors could still pose risks and what practices to consider when aiming to avoid them.

SINGAPORE (ICIS)–In this video, ICIS analyst Jiayi Chang shares insights into the impact of the US tariff war on the liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) market in China, highlighting shifts in trade patterns, increased import costs and operational challenges for propane dehydrogenation (PDH) plants. US tariffs halt US-China LPG trade, curbs growth for major US export market LPG market to see adjustments via global supply chain shift Global supply, price mechanisms to drive trade flow rebalance toward new market equilibrium

SINGAPORE (ICIS)–While the US-led trade war has roiled Asia’s petrochemicals market, sending prices of some on free fall, a selected few products have bucked the trend due to rising feedstock cost and tightening supply, but the support may be temporary amid global economic headwinds. Oxo-alcohols to lead April price gains in April – ICIS forecast Trade war weighs on demand, economic growth China warns countries against striking US trade deals at its expense Spot propylene prices in northeast Asia were tracking gains in feedstock propane as production in China is being curtailed by high cost. About a third of China’s propylene production is produced via the propane dehydrogenation (PDH) route, but imports of feedstock propane from the US are now subject to hefty tariffs amid the renewed US-China trade war. Meanwhile, spot prices of oxo-alcohols such as 2-ethylhexanol (2-EH), dioctyl phthalate (DOP), and n-butanol (NBA) have risen as constrained production tightened supply. Supply-side pressures have allowed them to outperform despite weakness in the broader market. For epichlorohydrin (ECH), prices were largely stable, supported by limited availability, with plants in northeast Asia running at below 50% of capacity. Meanwhile, restocking was taking place in China ahead of the week-long Labor Day holiday in early May. ECH is a chemical intermediate used in the production of synthetic rubbers, resins, and pharmaceuticals, among other industrial uses. Downstream epoxy resins prices are also stable amid restocking following price falls in March. In the fatty alcohol mid-cut market, prices are rising on tightened supply and elevated cost of feedstock palm kernel oil (PKO) in Indonesia. Two regional plants – one in Malaysia and another in Indonesia – are currently shut for scheduled maintenance, while another plant in Malaysia remains shut due to an unplanned outage in early April. The Malaysian plant was shut at the start of the month due to a fire incident. Generally, demand has remained soft as buyers adopt a risk-mitigation strategy to better navigate the uncertain market, ICIS analyst Ann Sun said. The majority of chemical prices are forecast to decline in tandem with falling oil prices, weighed down by recessionary fears, Sun added. Amid uncertainties surrounding markets, traders – notably those in China – are searching for alternative paths away from the US towards regions with lower tariffs such as southeast Asia, Latin America, and Europe. Some US goods bound for China are also being re-routed to other countries like India amid high tariffs. OUTLOOK The volume of world trade is expected to fall by as much as 1.5% if US President Donald Trump’s “reciprocal” tariffs are back on the menu after a 90-day suspension lapses, according to the World Trade Organization (WTO). Meanwhile, the US and China appears to be on an all-out trade war, having imposed tariffs exceeding 100% on each other. Export front-loading is taking place globally as markets seek to avoid further complications wrought by future tariff announcements by the US. But not all countries have posted export growth. South Korean exports fell in the first 20 days of April by 5.2% year on year – the first signs that US tariffs are beginning to hit global trade hard, said Min Joo Kang, senior economist for South Korea and Japan at Dutch financial institution ING. In southeast Asia, Malaysia’s gross exports in March grew by 6.8% year on year, led by front-loading ahead of Eid ul Fitr festival, Singapore-based UOB Global Economics & Markets Research economists said in a note on 21 April. Eid ul Fitr marks the end of Ramadan, the Muslim fasting month. But UOB predicted a dimmer external trade outlook ahead for Malaysia, depending on how tariff negotiations with the US pan out. Malaysia, along with other ASEAN member nations such as Vietnam, Thailand and Indonesia, is sending a trade delegation to the US on 24 April. The southeast Asian country was slapped with 24% tariffs by Trump on 2 April prior to the levies’ 90-day suspension. The country’s gross domestic product (GDP) rose 4.4% year on year between January-March amid worries of lower growth outlook for 2025. Markets in southeast Asia, which were some of the hardest-hit by Trump’s tariffs, are anxiously waiting for the results of trade negotiations with the US before the 90-day suspension is up in July. Chinese President Xi Jinping has urged southeast Asian governments to unite against “unilateralism” during his recent tour of Vietnam, Malaysia and Cambodia. Separately, China warned countries against striking deals with the US at its expense, a spokesperson for the Ministry of Commerce said on 21 April. “Sacrificing others’ interests to obtain so-called exemptions for temporary selfish gains is akin to negotiating with a tiger; it ultimately leads to failure for both parties and harms everyone involved,” it said. Focus article by Jonathan Yee Additional reporting by Matthew Chong, Izham Ahmad, Claire Gao, Helen Yan, Josh Quah, Aswin Kondapally and Julia Tan Visit the ICIS Topic Page: US tariffs, policy – impact on chemicals and energy.

SINGAPORE (ICIS)–The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has cut its growth forecasts for China, India and other developing Asian economies following latest escalation in US-led trade war. For China, the forecast growth was revised down to 4.0% from 4.6% previously, representing a sharp deceleration from the pace of expansion in 2024, according to the IMF’s latest World Economic Outlook (WEO) report released on 22 April. Last year, the world’s second-biggest economy expanded by 5.0%, in line with the Chinese government’s target. “This reflects the impact of recently implemented tariffs, which offset the stronger carryover from 2024 (as a result of a stronger-than-expected fourth quarter) and fiscal expansion in the budget,” the IMF said. China’s growth in 2026 was also revised down to 4.0% from 4.5% previously “the back of prolonged trade policy uncertainty and the tariffs now in place”. India’s GDP growth this year is also expected to come in lower, at 6.2%, down from the previous forecast of 6.5%, on account of higher levels of trade tensions and global uncertainty, the IMF said. The south Asian giant’s 2025 growth, nonetheless, remains comparatively higher than the rest of the region, supported by private consumption, particularly in rural areas, it added. For emerging and developing Asia, growth is expected to decline further to 4.5% in 2025 and 4.6% in 2026, after a marked slowdown in 2024. “Emerging and developing Asia, particularly Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) countries, has been among the most affected by the April tariffs,” the IMF said. Growth for the ASEAN-5 – which consists of Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand – for 2025 was revised down to 4.0% from 4.6% previously. In the near term – under a reference forecast which includes tariff announcements between 1 February and 4 April by the US and countermeasures by other countries – global growth is projected to slow down to 2.8% in 2025 (from 3.3% in 2024) before accelerating to 3.0% in 2026. “Risks to the global economy have increased, and worsening trade tensions could further depress growth,” IMF chief economist Pierre-Olivier Gourinchas said. Risks to the global economy have increased, and worsening trade tensions could further depress growth, he said. “Growth prospects could, however, immediately improve if countries ease their current trade policy stance and forge new trade agreements. “Addressing domestic imbalances can, over a period of years, offset economic risks and raise global output while contributing significantly to closing external imbalances…It also means boosting support for domestic demand in China, and stepping up fiscal consolidation in the United States,” Gourinchas said. Thumbnail image shows IMF Chief Economist Pierre-Olivier Gourinchas speaking at a press briefing (Source: Xinhua/Shutterstock) Visit the ICIS Topic Page: US tariffs, policy – impact on chemicals and energy.

HOUSTON (ICIS)–Ascend Performance Materials was already reeling from overcapacity in China and an industrial recession when its main complex caught on fire and a freeze shut down its operations in Texas – events that contributed to the bankruptcy of the nylon 6,6 producer. Ascend Performance Materials filed for bankruptcy protection under Chapter 11 on Monday. The filing will allow Ascend to continue operations and protect it from creditor lawsuits while it reorganizes its finances. Ascend already has support from its lenders, and it expects to emerge from bankruptcy protection in six months. NYLON MARKET ALREADY STRUGGLING WITH OVERCAPACITYJohn Rogers, an analyst at Moody’s Ratings, noted how the entrance of China caused fundamental changes to the nylon market. “The issue for Ascend was the increased capacity in China by established western producers and domestic companies along with the ability of Chinese producers to now produce [adiponitrile] and [hexamethylene diamine], two key intermediates that have sustained Ascend’s margins during prior downturns.” Over the past six years, Chinese production capacity for chemical intermediates has grown by 93%, and downstream production by 64%, said Robert Del Genio, Ascend’s chief restructuring officer. He made his comments in court documents. Many of these new market entrants from China sought to gain market share by selling at a cash loss or pursuant to subsidies from the Chinese government, Del Genio said. Ascend was faced with grim choices. It could cut prices or lose customers to these new entrants. Meanwhile, a prolonged recession has struck manufacturing, a key end market for the nylon produced by Ascend. Many of the company’s key end markets have been slow to recover to pre-pandemic levels of production because of destocking, inflation, labor shortages and supply-chain issues, Del Genio said. Weak demand has caused prices for nylon 6,6 to fall and Ascend’s EBITDA margin to approach its lowest level in almost a decade, Del Genio said. For chemical intermediates, long-term take-or-pay contracts signed when times were good have turned into money losers under these tougher economic conditions. Ascend was forced to sell at a loss under these contracts. CLOSURE OF BARGE CHAMBER ADDS MORE EXPENSESAscend’s main inland barge chamber at Wilson Lock had been closed after cracks were discovered in the lock gates in September 2024, Del Genio said. Wilson Lock is the only way that barge shipments can enter and leave the company’s operations in Decatur, Alabama, Del Genio said. With Wilson Lock shut down, the Decatur site has had to rely on trucks to ship acrylonitrile (ACN) from Texas and to move adiponitrile (ADN) to Pensacola. “The use of a trucking alternative has had a $4 million impact on the company’s first two quarters of financials in 2025 in addition to significantly increasing transit times,” Del Genio said. Trucking also added delays, which left Ascend’s Decatur and Pensacola operations vulnerable to disruptions, Del Genio said. To prevent this, Ascend bought ACN and ADN from third parties at a premium, adding an additional $4 million in expenses. FIRE, FREEZE PROVE TOO MUCHIn December 2024, a fire started at Ascend’s main nylon complex in Pensacola, Florida, which disrupted operations until the middle of February 2025, Del Genio said. The fire cost Ascend $6 million in earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA). About a month after the fire, sub-freezing temperatures hit Texas, where Ascend makes hydrogen cyanide (HCN) and ACN at its complex in Chocolate Bayou, Del Genio said. As a proactive step, Ascend shut down its operations at Chocolate Bayou to prevent mechanical failure and threats to the environment. The shutdown of Chocolate Bayou led to a cascade of side effects. Ascend’s operations in Decatur, Alabama, needed the ACN from Chocolate Bayou to continue running, Del Genio said. The shutdown of Chocolate Bayou forced Ascend to buy ACN on the open market so it could keep Decatur running. Those purchases further depleted the company’s cash reserves. Overall, the closures of Chocolate Bayou, Pensacola and Wilson Lock lowered Ascends Q1 EBITDA by $21 million, Del Genio said. HEADING TOWARDS BANKRUPTCYIn response to a worsening liquidity crisis, Ascend increased its vendor payment deferrals. By late February, the company’s past-due accounts-payable wall exceeded $110 million. Vendors responded by demanding cash in advance, tightening payment terms, threatening to remove rental equipment and freezing supplies of goods and services. The company was approaching a breaking point. Ascend owed money to companies that provided critical goods and services. If these companies cut off Ascend, it could bring the company’s plants to a halt. Ascend arranged bridge loan financing that gave the company enough time to file for bankruptcy protection in US District Court, Texas Southern District. The case number is 25-90127. (Thumbnail shows nylon. Image by Shutterstock)

LONDON (ICIS)–TotalEnergies will turn off its oldest steam cracker in Antwerp, Belgium by the end of 2027, the producer announced on Tuesday. The decision to stop production was taken in the face of overcapacity in the petrochemicals industry, with significant length expected in the European ethylene market, the company said. TotalEnergies operates two crackers at its Antwerp site, and will close the one that is not integrated with its downstream polymer production. The cracker had historically been dependent on a major contract with a third-party user for offtake of the ethylene it produced, but the buyer decided not to renew its purchase agreement by the end of 2027. The integrated steam cracker will continue to run, with ethylene produced used entirely by TotalEnergies industrial units in Antwerp and Feluy, Belgium. The move to close the cracker will impact 253 employees, but TotalEnergies has not announced any redundancies in line with the decision. Those concerned will be offered “a solution aligned with their personal situation: retirement or an internal transfer to another position based at the Antwerp site,” the energy major said in a statement. “This project is subject to the legally required employee consultation and notification process, which TotalEnergies will initiate with representatives of Antwerp platform employees in late April.” Thumbnail image shows aerial view of petrochemical industry infrastructure along Scheldt River in the Port of Antwerp (image credit Shutterstock)

SINGAPORE (ICIS)–ASEAN, Australia and New Zealand upgraded their free trade agreement, which came into force on 21 April, according to Singapore’s Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI). The upgraded ASEAN-Australia-New Zealand Free Trade Area (AANZFTA) will, among other amendments, strengthen supply chain resilience during times of crisis, allow for preferential tariff treatment and market access, and improve access to green opportunities among the countries, MTI said in a statement on 21 April. ASEAN comprises 10 countries from southeast Asia, namely, Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Philippines, Laos, Cambodia, Brunei and Myanmar. “Amidst the uncertainties in the global trade environment, this agreement is a bright spot demonstrating ASEAN, Australia and New Zealand’s commitment to an open, inclusive and rules-based multilateral trading system,” said Singapore Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong, who is the concurrent trade & industry minister of the country. In 2023, ASEAN traded a total of $138.4 billion in goods with Australia and New Zealand. The combined GDP of all parties in the deal stood at over $5.6 trillion. The AANZFTA first came into effect on 1 January 2020, eliminating tariffs for 90% of goods traded between the parties, and covers 100% of Singapore’s trade volume with Australia and New Zealand, according to Enterprise Singapore.

NEW YORK (ICIS)–Plunging US chemical stock prices may already be signaling a recession by year-end 2025, one Wall Street analyst said. “Chemical equities have been a good lead indicator for recessionary periods. History shows us that chemical equities start discounting a recession four to six quarters before it happens, suggesting that this time around, almost on cue, the sector was pointing to a recession by year-end 2025,” said Hassan Ahmed, analyst at Alembic Global Advisors, in a research note. US chemical equities started to decline in earnest in mid-2024 with the selling picking up steam in October 2024 and most recently in April 2025. “Analyzing 60 years’ worth of historical data, what’s different this time around is that the average western chemical equity has dropped 22% year-to-date and is down 54% from its 2022 highs, far exceeding the average 31% decline, peak-to-trough, across all US recessionary periods going back to the 1960s,” he added. This would also suggest the decline is overdone, he noted. Being a leading indicator, chemical equities will fall sharply ahead of a recession, outperform the market during the recession in anticipation of an upturn, and rally strongly – 83% on average – coming out of a recession, the analyst pointed out. In his former role as chief economist of the American Chemistry Council (ACC), ICIS senior economist for Global Chemicals, Kevin Swift, analyzed the US chemical industry as a leading indicator for the US business cycle. Swift allocated around a 10% weighting to US chemical stock performance in the ACC Chemical Activity Barometer (CAB). The economist puts the probability of a US recession in the next 12 months at 34%. BETTER BALANCE SHEETS“Though some investors fear the emergence of another 2008/2009-type recession, we highlight that today’s western chemical sector is in a far better place, on both a balance sheet and cash flow basis, than during the global financial crisis,” said Ahmed. At the end of 2024, the sector had lower net debt-to-EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization) and higher free cash flow, interest coverage ratios, and cash flow coverage ratios of total debt, relative to the end of 2008 when the Global Financial Crisis began, he noted. “Additionally, the sector’s debt maturity profile today is far more spread out than in 2008, with very little debt coming due over the next two years,” said Ahmed. Chemical companies with the best risk/return profile include Celanese, Huntsman, Methanex, Tronox and Westlake, according to the analyst. Chemical stocks down by more than 50% from their 2022 highs to 14 April include Trinseo (-95%), Braskem (-85%), Tronox (-79%), Celanese (-78%), Chemours (-74%), Olin (-69%), Huntsman (-67%), Dow (-59%), Methanex (-52%) and LyondellBasell (-51%). Source: CNBC QUESTIONS ON DIVIDENDSThe selling has accelerated in April amid US tariff announcements. The equity declines have been so pronounced that dividend yields are now around 10.0% for Dow, 9.6% for LyondellBasell and 7.8% for Huntsman. In upcoming Q1 earnings calls, company managements will no doubt field questions about the safety of their dividends, as well as tariff impact. The Alembic Global Advisors analyst does not view dividend safety as a concern, as even in a draconian situation where EBITDA drops to 2020 COVID-19 levels, all companies under coverage with the exception of Dow, Huntsman and LyondellBasell and the industrial gas companies would be able to cover their dividends with cash flow. “We would also highlight that Dow has over $3 billion in cash coming in 2025 from various deals struck and settlements reached so can easily cover their dividend. The remaining five companies could easily tap into the debt markets to raise funds to cover their dividends if the need were to arise,” said Ahmed. (Thumbnail shows stock listings. Image by Shutterstock.)