Americas top stories: weekly summary

HOUSTON (ICIS)–Here are the top stories from ICIS News from the week ended 6 December.

US Manufacturing PMI for November improves but remains in contraction
The ISM US Manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) improved to 48.4 in November – up 1.9 points from 46.5 in October, but remains in contraction (below 50) for the eighth consecutive month, and 24 out of the last 25 months.

INSIGHT: Brazil chems producers upbeat as cabinet on side, but serious competitive woes remain
The mood this week at Brazil’s chemicals producers trade group Abiquim’s annual meeting was notably more upbeat than a year ago, when imports into Brazil were increasingly eating into their market share.

US Nov auto sales rise but could face headwinds from tariffs
US November sales of new light vehicles ticked higher from the previous month and rose compared with the same month a year ago, but proposed tariffs on Mexican and Canadian imports by President-elect Donald Trump could create further headwinds for the industry.

INSIGHT: 2024’s relative stability in key commodity pricing a contrast to previous US election years
Heading into 2025, there are a plethora of factors which chemical markets players are tracking to see what could impact pricing and fundamentals, but key among them is the arrival of a new US President.

Braskem’s new CEO appoints a leaner board as Novonor’s stake could be closer to sale
Braskem’s new CEO Roberto Prisco has reshuffled the company’s board, including the CFO position, and has made it leaner with nine members, down from 12, the Brazilian polymers major said late on Wednesday.

INSIGHT: Global plastics plan pushed down the road, production remains in the spotlight
With the idea of a global binding accord on how to handle plastics waste kicked back into the long grass for now, negotiations have progressed but the key points of disagreement still seem fairly intractable.

SHIPPING: Asia-US container rates fall, but average global rates rise as possible port strike nears
Rates for shipping containers from east Asia and China to the US were flat to softer this week while global average rates rose by 6%, but the looming strike at US Gulf and East Coast ports could put upward pressure on rates in the coming week.