Europe top stories: weekly summary

LONDON (ICIS)–Here are some of the top stories from ICIS Europe for the week ended 27 September.

Intensifying seller competition pushes Europe plasticizer DOTP spot prices to nine-month low
Intensifying competition between Turkish, northeast Asian and local sellers pushed down dioctyl terephthalate (DOTP) prices in the European plasticizers spot market.

BASF sets new corporate strategy, mulls ag solutions IPO, to exit Brazil coatings
BASF is planning an overhaul of its structure, marking a clearer delineation between businesses it considers core and “standalone” units serving specific industries, and is readying the separation of its agricultural solutions operations.

Europe PX imports down more than a third in H1 amid softer demand, freight costs
Imports of paraxylene (PX) into the EU and the UK fell by 35.6% in the first half of 2024 year on year because of weaker downstream demand and higher freight costs, according to new data from the ICIS Supply and Demand database.

Europe PP September contract prices soften on underwhelming demand
European polypropylene (PP) contract prices have softened for September, despite initial offers of increases.

September flash PMIs show eurozone economy stagnating, UK still growing
Initial purchasing manager index (PMI) figures for the eurozone reveal that the region’s economy is contracting, with the previously resilient services sector weakening and the manufacturing recession deepening.