Asia top stories – weekly summary

SINGAPORE (ICIS)–Here are the top stories from ICIS News Asia and the Middle East for the week ended 22 June 2024.

Malaysia May chemical exports rise 0.8% as overall trade continues recovery
By Nurluqman Suratman 21-Jun-24 13:47 SINGAPORE (ICIS)–Malaysia’s exports of chemicals and chemical products rose by 0.8% year on year to ringgit (M$) 6.31 billion in May amid signs that its overall trade weakness has bottomed out.

Asia ACN sees continuation of tight supply, weak demand
By Corey Chew 20-Jun-24 11:52 SINGAPORE (ICIS)–The acrylonitrile (ACN) market recently saw a slight decrease in price for both the northeast Asia and India markets.

Thai bio-ethylene plant key to growing SCG Chemicals’ green plastics portfolio
By Nurluqman Suratman 19-Jun-24 13:15 SINGAPORE (ICIS)–Thailand’s SCG Chemicals (SCGC) has obtained government approval for its 200,000 tonne/year joint venture bio-ethylene plant in Map Ta Phut, paving the way for the company to reach its target of producing 1m tonnes/year of green polymers by 2030.

INSIGHT: Mixed outlook for Asia chemical prices in June – ICIS analysts
By Lina Xu 18-Jun-24 12:00 SINGAPORE (ICIS)–There is a mixed outlook for petrochemical prices in Asia in June. Upward support comes from unplanned shutdowns and policy implications. Downward pressure is largely results from seasonal factors.

INSIGHT: Asia petrochemical markets grapple with surging shipping costs
By Nurluqman Suratman 14-Jun-24 13:54 SINGAPORE (ICIS)–Spot prices of most petrochemicals in Asia have spiked on the back of surging freight and container costs, as logistics challenges which continue to dampen global commodities trades coincide with a seasonal uptick in demand.

PODCAST: Propane import growth to remain strong despite bottled LPG replacement
By Lillian Ren 20-Jun-24 12:08 SINGAPORE (ICIS)–China’s propane import growth is expected to remain strong this year although local authorities have been encouraging food catering and residential end-users to switch from bottled liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) to piped natural gas (PNG).