LONDON (ICIS)–Ursula von der Leyen on Thursday secured her re-election to a second five-year term as President of the European Commission, and identified competitiveness as the most pressing issue facing the EU. Following a June European parliamentary election season that saw liberal and centrist political blocs hold on to majority power but cede ground to right-wing and Eurosceptic parties, von der Leyen’s position as leader of the bloc was reaffirmed on 18 July. A total of 401 Ministers of European Parliament (MEPs) backed von der Leyen’s candidacy, equating to roughly the number of members linked to the centrist European People’s Party, left-wing Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats, and  liberal group Renew Europe. A total of 360 votes in favour of von der Leyen were necessary to secure a majority. Of the 719 total MEPs, 284 voted against her, and 22 submitted blank or invalid votes, according to European Parliament. Chemicals sector representatives have expressed hopes that the next term of the European Parliament will feature a stronger focus on industrial competitiveness, in light of the impact of high energy prices on the long-term viability of some sectors. ““If you read the State of the Union, there are a number of statements which clearly indicate industry policy is back, that it will get, if not the deepest political priority, as there are issues like Ukraine, it will get political priority in the next commission,” Cefic director general Marco Mensink said, speaking in October 2023. The impact of higher energy prices on operating costs and the rollout of more cash-heavy subsidy frameworks elsewhere, such as the US Inflation Reduction Act, have intensified pressure on European industry. “Our competitiveness needs a major boost,” von der Leyen said, addressing MEPs earlier on Thursday. “The fundamentals of the global economy are changing. Those who stand still will fall behind. Those who are not competitive will be dependent. The race is on and I want Europe to switch gear,” she added. This push on competitiveness is likely to be focused on reducing the administrative burden on companies in the region and prioritising faster permitting, she added. Von der Leyen also intends to launch a Clean Industrial Deal within the first 100 days of her new term, she added, to channel investment in infrastructure and industry decarbonisation, particularly for energy-intensive sectors. Germany-based chemicals trade group VCI welcomed von der Leyen’s re-election, but warned that Europe is at a crossroads in terms of its future trajectory. “We are at a turning point that will decide the future of Europe. Will we manoeuvre ourselves further into the side lines as a business location or back on the road to success? The new Commission must act decisively to balance sustainability and industrial competitiveness,” said VCI CEO Wolfgang Grosse Entrup. No deviation is expected in the bloc’s 2030 and 2050 decarbonisation goals, despite growing murmurs that the EU is not on track to meet the 2030 targets with just over six years still remaining to build out infrastructure. “So I want to be clear. We will stay the course on our new growth strategy and the goals we set for 2030 and 2050. Our focus now will be on implementation and investment to make it happen on the ground,” von der Leyen added. Focus article by Tom Brown. Thumbnail photo: Ursula von der Leyen, speaking in Strasbourg, France, after winning re-election as European Commission President on 18 July 2024. (Source: Ronald Wittek/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock)

MADRID (ICIS)–Supply of ethane from Pemex to polyethylene (PE) producer Braskem Idesa is now more stable after a renegotiation of the contract – but the global PE market remains in the doldrums, according to an executive at the Mexican firm. Sergio Plata, head of institutional relations and communications at Braskem Idesa, said a recovery in global PE prices could start in the second half of 2025 as the market is expected to remain oversupplied in the coming quarters. Plata explained how Braskem Idesa had to renegotiate the terms of an agreement with Pemex, Mexico’s state-owned crude oil major, for the supply of natural gas-based ethane, one of the routes to produce PE, to its facilities in Coatzacoalcos. Supply is now more stable and in the quantities agreed, he said. Braskem Idesa operates the Ethylene XXI complex in Coatzacoalcos, south of the industrial state of Veracruz, which has capacity to produce 1.05 million tonnes/year of ethylene and downstream capacities of 750,000 tonnes/year for high-density polyethylene (HDPE) and 300,000 tonnes/year for low-density polyethylene (LDPE). Braskem Idesa is a joint venture made up of Brazil’s polymers major Braskem (75%) and Mexican chemical producer Grupo Idesa (25%). ETHANE FLOWING, TERMINAL IN Q1 2025 Pemex agreed with Braskem Idesa to supply the PE producer with a minimum volume of 30,000 barrels/day of ethane until the beginning of 2025, when Braskem Idesa plans to start up an import terminal in Coatzacoalcos to allow it to tap into exports out of the US Gulf Coast. However, both parties sat to renegotiate that agreement after Pemex’s supply proved to be unstable, with credit rating agencies such as Fitch warning in 2023 of the “operational risk” such a deal with the state-owned major represented for Braskem Idesa. The outcome of the renegotiation is starting to bear fruit, explained Plata diplomatically, without providing any details. He conceded, however, that to outsiders, Pemex’s businesses could look rather odd. “We understand the positions of a public entity such as Pemex, and we understand its methods could look questionable to eyes outside our relationship,” said Plata. “However, at Braskem Idesa we were confident that if we sat down with them to renegotiate, clearly stating what we require from each other, we could reach a point in the renegotiation which worked for us as a company and for the Mexican petrochemicals sector as a whole.” Together with more stable supply from Pemex, Braskem Idesa also adopted the so-called Fast Track to import ethane while its own import terminal starts up. The terminal, known as Terminal Quimica Puerto Mexico (TQPM), closed the last financing details at the end of 2023. Plata said the terminal would start up “without a doubt” by the beginning of 2025, adding that construction was 70% complete by the beginning of July. According to Plata, with Pemex’s more stable ethane supply and the Fast Track system, Braskem Idesa is operating at 70-75% capacity utilization. Braskem Idesa (in $ million) Q1 2024 Q1 2023 Change Q4 2023 Change Q1 2024 vs Q4 2024 Sales 229 234 -2% 199 15% Net profit/loss -85 1 N/A -101 -16% EBITDA 36 26 36% 26 39% PE sales volumes (in tonnes) 205,500 195,100 5.4% 174,500 17.8% “We have had a very complex environment, with increased capacities in the US or China and with the war in Ukraine raising our production costs. We are undoubtedly in a down cycle and as a company we have tried to take care of our margins by controlling our costs and look closely at our investments,” said Plata. He said he “would not have the answer” about what to do with China’s dumping of product around the world, a fact that in Brazil, the largest Latin American economy, has prompted chemicals trade group Abiquim to lobby hard for higher import tariffs in polymers, as well as dozens of other chemicals. “Market analysts predict the current cycle may come to an end in the second half of 2025. Let’s hope so… This has been such a long crisis, aggravated by external factors such as wars and global convulsions, which undoubtedly also affect the industry, and the environment remains very uncertain.” Front page picture: Braskem Idesa’s facilities in Coatzacoalcos Source: Braskem Idesa Interview article by Jonathan Lopez Next week, ICIS will publish the second part of the interview with Plata, with his views on the challenges and opportunities for the chemicals and manufacturing sectors under the upcoming Administration led by President-Elect Claudia Sheinbaum amid the nearshoring trend

SHANGHAI (ICIS)–In this podcast, markets reporter Shannen Ng discusses how northeast Asia’s methylene diphenyl diisocyanate (MDI) supply is expected to remain tight as Q3 progresses. However, poor demand expectations in the Asian import markets for the rest of this quarter remain. Polymeric MDI sentiment in SE Asia, India supported by tight supply Monomeric MDI particularly sluggish and expected to remain so Weak demand outlook for China’s downstream construction and automotive sectors

LONDON (ICIS)–Europe’s run up to holiday season has been unusually busy for polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP) markets, including some spot prices reversing for the first time since March 2024. In this ICIS podcast, European PE and PP senior editors Vicky Ellis and Ben Lake pick out July’s big themes, from logistics (hurricane Beryl and still-spiked Asian freight rates) to the mismatch between how local suppliers and converters are experiencing demand this month. They also highlight what to watch for August. Editing by Damini Dabholkar

SINGAPORE (ICIS)–Shipping disruptions affecting Maersk’s container shipping operations because of the Red Sea crisis have extended beyond the Far East-Europe routes to its entire global network, the shipping and logistics giant said. The fallout of the Red Sea crisis is continuing to cascade across the world, forcing vessels to temporarily divert and take longer routes around the Cape of Good Hope, thereby causing unprecedented challenges for global supply chains. The disruptions now extend beyond the primary affected routes, causing congestion at alternative routes and transshipment hubs essential for trade with Far East Asia, West Central Asia, and Europe, Maersk said in a statement on 17 July. Ports across the Asia Pacific, including Singapore, Australia, and China, are experiencing delays due to congestion. The coming months will be challenging for carriers and businesses alike, as the Red Sea situation stretches into the third quarter of this year, Maersk CEO Vincent Clerc said. Maersk operates around 740 ships across its various divisions, including container ships, tankers, and other specialized vessels. Extending rotations to travel the longer route around Africa takes two to three ships, depending on the trade in question, he said. “We are going to have in the coming month missing positions or ships that are sailing that are significant different size from what we normally would have on that string, which will also imply reduced ability for us to carry all the demand that there is,” Clerc said. The availability of additional capacity was low to begin with and, across the industry, carriers’ ability to bring in extra tonnage has been limited, he said, adding that at the same time, demand for container transport has remained strong. ASIA EXPORTERS’ WOES TO CONTINUE For Asia, the impact of the ongoing Red Sea Crisis is more on exports rather than imports, Maersk said. This is primarily because Asian countries are major global exporters. China, Asia’s biggest economy and the second-biggest in the world, is also the largest exporter to many Asian countries. Routes between the Far East – which spans east southeast Asia – and Europe via the Suez Canal have been directly impacted, with disruptions in the Red Sea affecting most trade routes. “First, hubs in Asia are being impacted with congestion across key ports, causing delays and bottlenecks to ripple through the entire system,” Maersk said. “Second, ocean networks have been reorganised with vessels being moved to different regions to better meet demand for capacity.” This has led to a widening global impact that has affected regions that weren’t originally directly affected by the Red Sea disruption. Intra-Asia shipping routes are also facing equipment shortages, especially out of China, impacting the entire industry. Initially affecting long-haul routes, the scarcity now extends to shorter regional routes. This leaves carriers like Maersk with a difficult choice: prioritize returning empty containers to China or shipping full containers to other destinations, both options translate to increased costs and contributing to further supply chain disruptions. “We are also approaching typhoon season, which is expected to impact East China and South China, creating further risks of congestion,” the shipping giant said. Focus article by Nurluqman Suratman

SINGAPORE (ICIS)–In this podcast, Asia ethylene editor Josh Quah and analyst Aliena Huang discuss the factors impacting arbitrage flows of ethylene from the US to Asia. Spot arbitrage window between US and Asia closed but term arrivals for July remain healthy Storm Beryl, low affordability in Asia, may keep spot arbitrage trades closed into Aug Panama Canal traffic levels expected to return to pre-congestion levels by Oct

SINGAPORE (ICIS)–In this podcast, ICIS analysts Patricia Tao, Lewis Unstead and Aliena Huang delve into how the upcoming CBAM (Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism) will impact China’s export-oriented manufacturing sectors and hydrogen’s crucial role in its low-carbon economy. China’s national energy law draft includes hydrogen, marks shift toward low-carbon industry Move comes ahead of EU’s CBAM CBAM to affect global trade, particularly for high-emission products

SINGAPORE (ICIS)–SK Innovation, the parent company of battery maker SK On and petrochemicals producer SK Geo Centric, has agreed to merge with its energy affiliate SK E&S in an overhaul to improve its profitability. The two companies are merging in a proactive effort to navigate the challenging external business landscape, characterized by a prolonged global economic downturn, increased volatility in the energy and chemical industries, and a slowdown in the electric vehicle (EV) market, SK Innovation said in a statement on 17 July. “By integrating assets and capabilities across both energy and electrification sectors, the merged company will bolster its core competitiveness and profitability,” it said. Additionally, the merger aims to secure competitiveness in future energy business areas. Upon merging, the combined entity will transform into an energy firm with assets totaling Korean won (W) 100 trillion ($72.4 billion) and revenues of W88 trillion, “positioning itself as the largest private energy company in the Asia-Pacific region”, SK Innovation said. The merged firm will also increase earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) to W5.8 trillion, up from pre-merger levels of W1.9 trillion, it said. The two companies expect that by 2030, the synergies from the integration alone will add over W2.1 trillion to EBITDA, which is targeted to hit W20 trillion by the end of the decade. “Notably, the merged company will be able to mitigate the high profit volatility of the petrochemical business, which has served as a reliable cash cow, with the stable profit generation capabilities of the LNG [liquefied natural gas], power, and city gas businesses,” SK Innovation said. The management boards of both SK Innovation and SK E&S approved the proposed merger on 17 July, subject to shareholders’ approval on 27 August. The merged corporation is expected to be officially launched on 1 November. “The merged company will develop a comprehensive portfolio that spans all areas, including energy sources (such as oil, chemicals, LNG, city gas, power, renewable energy, batteries, ESS [energy storage system] hydrogen, SMR, ammonia, and immersion cooling), energy carriers, and energy solutions,” SK Innovation said. “Currently, global oil majors are also currently pursuing balanced portfolios across the energy sector through various mergers and acquisitions.” SK Innovations’ business portfolio includes petrochemicals, lubricants, and oil exploration. It is now diversifying into future energy sectors such as electric vehicle batteries, small modular reactors (SMR), ammonia, and immersion cooling. SK E&S was spun off from SK Innovation in 1999 as a city gas holding company and is transitioning into a green portfolio that organically integrates its four core businesses – city gas, low-carbon LNG value chain, renewable energy, and hydrogen and energy solutions, to create synergies. Separately, SK On’s board has approved a merger with sister companies – crude oil and petroleum products trading firm SK Trading International and energy logistics firm SK Enterm to improve raw material purchasing efficiency and expand trading, helping improve SK On’s profit structure. “Through the merger of these three companies, SK On will be able to further strengthen its competitiveness in securing raw materials ($1 = W1,380)

HOUSTON (ICIS)–Liquid chemical tanker rates from the US Gulf to Asia are plunging this week as plant shutdowns and delays in the aftermath of Hurricane Beryl have led to “gaping large holes of space”, shipping brokers said on Wednesday. Hurricane Beryl made landfall in Texas on 8 July between Corpus Christi and Houston, which is a key region for US petrochemical production. Some plants took precautionary measures and shut down ahead of the storm, while others sustained damage or lost power or other utilities to their sites, leading to shutdowns and force majeures. A shipping broker said the outages and delays left shipowners without contract cargoes that are typically the base volumes for vessels. “As a result, there are gaping large holes of space available for prompt loading,” a broker said. The broker expects the trend to continue for the next week or two. A different broker said it is seeing part cargo space for the rest of this month and into August across MOL and Odfjell vessels. Rates have also softened this week along the USG-Brazil trade lane as some partial space has opened. Beryl has led to a “wait and see” sentiment for players on this trade lane, a broker said. PANAMA CANAL A broker said that Stolt has joined MOL and Odfjell in resuming transits through the Panama Canal. Restrictions have gradually eased at the canal after the Panama Canal Authority (PCA) began limiting transits in July of last year because of low water levels at the freshwater lake that feeds the locks because of an ongoing drought. Water levels have improved because of the onset of the rainy season and conservation efforts enacted by the PCA to better use the freshwater available to them. The PCA will limit transits on 3-4 August for planned maintenance at the Miraflores locks. Visit the ICIS Logistics – impact on chemicals and energy topic page. Visit the ICIS Hurricane Beryl topic page. Thumbnail image shows a container ship moving through the Panama Canal. Photo courtesy of the PCA.