Europe top stories: weekly summary

LONDON (ICIS)–Here are some of the top stories from ICIS Europe for the week ended 14 March.

European naphtha slides as demand wanes, refineries roar back
Sentiment in Europe’s naphtha spot market was weighed down by upstream crude volatility, weak blending demand and limited export opportunities in the week to 7 March despite ample liquidity in the physical space.

Flagship Maasvlakte POSM plant to close in October – union
The largest propylene oxide/styrene monomer (POSM) production complex in Europe is expected to close in October, union FNV said on Tuesday, after an agreement was reached between operator LyondellBasell and employees at the site.

Europe chems stocks claw back losses as markets firm despite tariffs
European chemicals stocks firmed in early trading on Wednesday as markets rebounded from the sell off of the last week, despite the onset of US tariffs on aluminium and steel and Europe’s pledge to retaliate.

‘Game changer’ for Europe PE as EU plans retaliatory tariffs on US
European polyethylene (PE) players are braced for a potentially big impact from the EU’s retaliatory tariffs on plastics from the US, in the latest twist of the growing trade war.

INSIGHT: Can the chemicals sector tap into Europe’s rearmament era?
Europe’s drive to drastically ramp up defence spending is likely to drive a wave of investment into the region’s beleaguered industrial sector, but existing military spending patterns and technical requirements could limit uplift for chemicals.