HOUSTON (ICIS)–Rates for shipping containers from east Asia and China to the US fell this week, but carriers have announced an increase in blank sailings so they can tighten capacity and maintain a floor on prices. Rates have been falling steadily since July as importers pulled forward peak season volumes to get ahead of the […]

HOUSTON (ICIS)–Demand for chlorine derivatives and caustic soda benefited from US hurricanes and two new pulp and paper plants that opened in South America, which provided some bright spots in what has otherwise been a challenging market due to the slowdown in home building and durable goods, US-based Olin said on Friday. Bleach and hydrochloric […]

HOUSTON (ICIS)–Canadian ammonia production technologies firm AmmPower announced it has entered a strategic collaboration with FuelCell Energy to participate in pilots of distributed ammonia production. The company said the partnership will result in the integration of AmmPower’s modular ammonia production units with FuelCell Energy’s highly efficient solid oxide electrolyzer systems, improving clean ammonia production efficiencies […]

TORONTO (ICIS)–Canada’s federal labor minister has decided to refer the labor dispute between the country’s two freight railroads and labor union Teamsters Canada Rail Conference (TCRC) to the Canada Industrial Relations Board (CIRB) for binding arbitration, he said in a webcast media briefing on Thursday. Steven MacKinnon expects the CIRB to act “with dispatch” and […]

TORONTO (ICIS)–Freight railroads Canadian National (CN) and Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC) are preparing to restart operations after the federal government stepped in to end a labor dispute with workers – although it remains unclear on Friday when exactly a full freight rail service will resume. Following the lockout of about 9,300 rail workers and […]

LONDON (ICIS)–Business activity in the eurozone rose in August, driven by the services sector, which grew at the fastest pace in four months. Growth in services was largely due to the strongest expansion in France since May 2022 as the Olympics took place in Paris, according to S&P Global’s latest Purchasing Managers Index (PMI) data. […]

MADRID (ICIS)–Latin American petrochemicals prices remain in the doldrums due to global oversupply, but domestic producers are hoping a sustained increase in freight costs and protectionist measures could start improving their dented market share. Petrochemicals in the world’s quintessential ‘price taker’ region – Latin America remains a net importer and therefore is at the mercy […]

SINGAPORE (ICIS)–In 2012-2023, China’s hydrogen production more than doubled, with 80% of its 2023 output derived from coal and natural gas. With refineries playing a crucial role in the country’s overall hydrogen production, the ongoing shift toward chemical production is set to further boost demand. This trend is expected to accelerate the adoption of cleaner […]

HOUSTON (ICIS)–The Federal Reserve flagged on Wednesday the threat of rising unemployment, opening the prospect of the first rate cut since it started its campaign to get inflation back to its 2% target. “The economic outlook is uncertain, and the committee is attentive to the risks to both sides of its dual mandate,” the Federal […]

NEW YORK (ICIS)–The US chemical industry, along with other interest-rate sensitive sectors, is poised to get a lift as the US Federal Reserve moves closer towards its first interest rate cut – a move increasingly likely in September. “The economy is moving closer to the point at which it will be appropriate to reduce our […]