Chemical

China imported 1.285 million tonnes of crude salt in December 2025, down 34.2% year-on-year, while exports rose 26.9%, reflecting shifting trade dynamics in the global salt market.

China's mixed xylene production rebounded sharply in H2 2025 as new capacity ramped up, lifting the production-to-sales ratio to 23% and intensifying spot market supply pressure ahead of 2026 PX startups.

Weak global growth, surging oil supply and geopolitical uncertainty are set to push the 2026 oil market into a record imbalance, keeping crude prices low while fueling extreme volatility.

China's exports of trichloroethylene and perchloroethylene posted strong growth in 2025, with full-year shipments rising sharply despite month-on-month declines recorded in December, customs data show.

In December 2025, China's trade in mucilages and thickeners from locust beans and guar seeds showed diverging trends, with imports rising month on month while exports declined sequentially despite strong year-on-year growth.

On February 5, China's largest polysilicon project overseas and the Middle East's first such plant completed full-process commissioning in Sohar, Oman, marking the first overseas rollout of Chinese polysilicon standards.

China's VCM trade showed divergent trends in 2025, with annual imports and exports both declining, while December data revealed a sharp rebound in imports and mixed export performance, according to customs figures.

As Abu Dhabi's Mubadala shifts investment toward AI, green energy and digital infrastructure, the UAE's post-oil strategy is creating fresh openings for Chinese companies across energy, technology and logistics.

China's leading energy think tank says the global oil and gas industry is undergoing six major shifts in 2025, while China's eight stabilizing trends are reinforcing energy security and growth amid rising uncertainty.

China's 2025 trade in dichloromethane and trichloromethane showed diverging patterns, with strong annual growth in dichloromethane exports and weaker trichloromethane shipments, customs data show.

China's manufacturing PMI fell to 49.3% in January, reflecting seasonal slowdowns and weak demand, while large firms and high-tech manufacturing continued to support overall stability.

China's API sector is approaching a historic turning point as supply-chain restructuring, industry consolidation and innovation-driven demand converge, setting the stage for a valuation re-rating from 2026.

Europe's chemical industry is shrinking rapidly as plant closures surged sixfold from 2022 to 2025, wiping out 37 million tonnes of capacity, cutting jobs and slashing investment, a Cefic report shows.

China's PVC flooring exports declined 12.3% year on year in 2025 to 4.156 million tonnes, customs data showed, despite a modest month-on-month rise in December shipments.

China's epichlorohydrin imports jumped sharply in December 2025, while exports declined, as customs data show mixed volume trends alongside rising year-on-year prices.

China's PVC pure powder trade strengthened in 2025, with December imports and exports posting double-digit growth and full-year exports surging 46%, driven by robust demand from India and Southeast Asia.

Lead / Introduction (≤200 characters): China's industrial enterprises above designated size posted modest profit growth in 2025, with manufacturing gains offsetting sharp declines in mining, highlighting uneven recovery across sectors.

According to China Customs, China exported 4.10 million tonnes of caustic soda in 2025, up 33.6% year on year, while imports fell 45.1% to just 8,900 tonnes, highlighting strong overseas demand and limited inbound flows.

China's industrial production in December 2025 showed positive growth in key sectors like caustic soda, alumina, and paper, while raw salt and synthetic detergent production faced declines, according to new data.

China's PTA exports rose steadily from 2021 to 2024 on capacity expansion and policy support, but fell in 2025 as Turkey's new plant cut imports, reshaping export flows across Asia.

Covestro has officially started operations at its new TPU production base in Zhuhai, China, a project set to become the company's largest TPU facility worldwide and a key pillar of its Asia-Pacific growth strategy.

European startup Vioneo has dropped plans for a green methanol-to-polyolefins plant in Belgium, shifting the project to China to secure supply, cut costs and overcome regulatory and financing hurdles.

After a turbulent 2025, the global chemical industry is expected to see slower growth in 2026, as persistent supply-demand imbalances and geopolitical and policy uncertainties continue to weigh on market recovery.

China's fertiliser trade showed strong momentum in 2025, with exports jumping sharply year on year while imports edged lower, reflecting shifting supply patterns and nutrient balance dynamics.

Global shipping accelerated its energy transition in 2025, with methanol- and ammonia-fueled vessels reaching 40% of new tonnage, signaling a sharp rise in future green fuel demand.

China's chloroacetic acid imports rebounded sharply in November 2025, while exports posted steady growth, even as cumulative trade volumes from January to November declined year on year.

China's ethylene production climbed to 3.086 million tonnes in November 2025, up 7.3% year on year, with cumulative output reaching 33.665 million tonnes in the first 11 months, official data showed.

China's industrial sector closed 2025 on a steady note, with output from enterprises above designated size rising 5.2% year on year in December and posting solid full-year growth of 5.9%.

China's caustic soda industry expanded modestly in 2025, with net capacity rising to 51.51 million tonnes, as new projects offset limited exits and long-term growth entered a stable phase.

Europe's chlorine production declined sharply in November 2025, with lower output, reduced capacity utilisation and shifting caustic soda inventories highlighting continued pressure across the regional chlor-alkali market.