At the end of 2024, the European bioplastics industry met to discuss innovations, barriers to growth and the future outlook for production capacity, demand and changes in legislation. ICIS Recycling Analyst Alexandra Tomczyk attended the conference and updates us on the current state of play for the bioplastics market.

Some of the key takeaways included:

• Global capacities are set to grow rapidly in the next 5 years
• It’s unclear how the rise of bioplastic packaging will impact the goals set in Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulations
• Bioplastics are only one of a range of tools needed to improve the sustainability of plastics

A ceasefire in the Gaza conflict could potentially end attacks in the Red Sea, reopening the Suez Canal and normalising the Asia-to-Europe container shipping route.

- Gaza ceasefire could stop Houthi attacks on Red Sea shipping

- Route via Cape of Good Hope takes 10 days longer than Suez Canal

- Reopening Suez would add 10 days of chemicals inventory to the market

- Europe would be open to more Asia exports

- Freight rates could fall as container capacity is freed up

- ‘Stunning’ levels of overcapacity expected in China in 2025

- New Cefic report highlights need for new Europe industrial deal for chemicals

Chemicals leaders must plan for a year in which powerful trends will alter the markets they serve, promising another period of rapid change across the industry landscape.

- Global overcapacity will get worse this year, ICIS Supply & Demand data shows

- Depressed demand set to continue

- Donald Trump tariffs may change trade flows, fuel inflation

- China economy will continue to struggle

- Disinformation will make it difficult to navigate trends

- Look for pockets of growth from low carbon agenda

SINGAPORE (ICIS) -- Asia ethylene editor Josh Quah and analyst Aliena Huang talk about the Asia outlook for ethylene arbitrage cargoes for 2025 with markets editor Damini Dabholkar.

• Ethylene loadings from US in December continue to favour southeast Asia destinations
• More intra-Asia tradeflows between northeast and southeast Asia expected for H1 2025
• Increasing ethane competitivity and demand may curtail US ethylene exports to Asia

LONDON (ICIS)--The European oxo-alcohols and derivatives markets have been subdued in December with a focus on managing inventory targets into year-end with destocking already underway.
The winter demand has also been sluggish amid wider challenging economic and geopolitical pressures.
Heading into 2025, the outlook is one for the challenges of 2024 to largely persist, with demand not expected to dramatically improve.
Acryalte ester report editor Mathew Jolin-Beech is joined by glycol ethers report editor Cameron Birch, oxo-alcohols editor Nicole Simpson, and butyl acetate editor Marion Boakye to discuss the current market conditions and to look forward into 2025.

SINGAPORE (ICIS)--Asia's oxo-alcohols market continues to face challenges amid capacity expansions in China.

• Weak demand from downstream plasticisers sector
• Upstream support from propylene unlikely
• Demand recovery to take some time

In this latest podcast, ICIS senior editor Julia Tan speaks with ICIS analyst Lina Xu to share the latest developments and expectations for what lies ahead next year.

BARCELONA (ICIS)—European polyethylene (PE) markets face growing pressure from cheaper imports, highlighting the impact of rising overcapacity driven by China and the US.

- Plants in Europe operating at technical minimum levels

- Minimal stocks held amid plentiful supply

- Demand poor across most end uses, packaging stronger

- Europe will see more PE imports as global overcapacity grows

- More polymer plant closures are likely in Europe and other high-cost regions

- US has more to lose from trade war as it is a major exporter of PE to China

- Trade flows could change dramatically if tariff walls go up

- Supply/demand imbalance may take up to nine years to correct

Plastics and chemical producers need to find more effective ways to tackle the problem of plastic waste after UN treaty negotiations ended without agreement at the weekend.

- Consumer demand will drive improvements in plastic waste management

- Chemical companies need to reconnect with brands/consumers

- We will move out of the current ‘trough of despair’ about recycling

- End of globalization may mean national/regional treaties are more effective

- UN Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee concluded in Busan, South Korea, on 1 December, with no definitive agreement

- Around 100 countries backed proposals, with a small number of hold-outs