North America
Europe’s petchem plants close, assets change hands: How far has restructuring progressed?
With 2026 heading into its final stretch, Europe’s petrochemical shake-up is showing no signs of running its course. Close to 11 million tons/year of nameplate capacity across olefins, polyolefins and the vinyls chain has been closed, idled or earmarked for closure since 2024, while well above 10 million tons/year of capacity has been involved in completed or agreed ownership changes... 07-10-2026
Suez recovery gains ground, but global shipping remains far from normal
A month after global supply chains were caught in a patchwork of geopolitical, weather-related and infrastructure disruptions, the picture has shifted, but far from uniformly. The tentative normalization emerging across the Red Sea and Suez Canal in August has gathered momentum, with more container services returning to the shorter route and Asia-Europe freight rates falling sharply... 24-09-2026
Saudi pipeline outage compounds supply and logistics risks, fueling PP, PE rally
Saudi Arabia’s petrochemical industry is facing mounting operational and logistical challenges. The recent East-West Pipeline shutdown has raised feedstock concerns for west-coast facilities, while disruptions at Bab el-Mandeb are complicating feedstock flows to Asia. Although polymer exports continue, port congestion, inland rerouting and longer delivery schedules are reducing the efficiency and predictability of Saudi supply... 17-09-2026
Europe PVC remains supply-heavy, demand recovery falls short
Europe’s PVC markets remained under pressure in September as the expected post-holiday improvement in demand failed to materialize, leaving ample supply to outweigh producers’ efforts to defend margins. Most negotiations resulted in rollovers or modest decreases, while larger discounts emerged selectively as some suppliers competed to maximize sales volumes... 11-09-2026