Company Dynamic

Wanhua Chemical has quietly unfurled an astonishing blueprint across the Shandong Peninsula—650,000 tonnes in Laizhou + 200,000 tonnes in Haiyang = 850,000 tonnes of annual lithium iron phosphate (LFP) capacity.

On January 22, 2026, German chemical giant Covestro held the commissioning ceremony for its brand-new thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) production facility in Zhuhai, Guangdong, China.

• TPU
• Covestro

U.S.-based personal care companies Suave Brands Company and Elida Beauty have officially completed their merger, creating the new global personal care group Evermark.

• Suave Brands Company
• Elida Beauty
• Evermark

Following the public disclosure of its Shandong Laiyang project, Wanhua Chemical has made another decisive move in the lithium battery cathode materials arena.

• wanhua chemical
• LFP

On January 16, 2026, Germany’s Henkel officially announced it had signed an agreement to acquire Swiss-based ATP Adhesive Systems, currently owned by private equity firm Arsenal Capital Partners.

German chemical and consumer goods group Henkel is advancing a major strategic expansion by signing an agreement with U.S.-based investment firm Arsenal Capital Partners to acquire ATP Adhesive Systems.

• Henkel
• ATP Adhesive Systems

Holding the first plenary meeting of the Critical Chemicals Alliance at the Chemelot industrial park in the Netherlands was, in itself, a statement.

L Catterton will acquire a significant minority stake in EX NIHILO, a Paris-based luxury perfume brand, while Eurazeo will exit its investment.

• L Catterton

China’s specialty engineering plastics industry is undergoing a transition from volume-driven expansion toward a development model that combines quality improvement with structural upgrading.

• specialty engineering plastics
• China

Recently, India-based Tagros Chemicals Limited signed a definitive agreement with Bayer to acquire Bayer’s global flubendiamide (FLB)–related business assets.

• Tagros
• Bayer
• flubendiamide

Taekwang Group has launched a new business initiative by creating the cosmetics brand “SIL.”

• Taekwang group

In a candid address to investors and industry stakeholders, Novo Nordisk’s CEO Mike Doustdar has signaled that the Danish pharmaceutical giant expects notable headwinds within its international operations throughout 2026.

Dow’s Silicones business sent a price adjustment notice to its partners across Greater China, announcing a planned 5%–10% price increase—effective January 26, 2026—for products tied to its high-performance building segment.

On January 8, the Chinese government approved a restructuring between Sinopec and China National Aviation Fuel Group (CNAF), marking a major consolidation in China’s aviation fuel industry chain.

• CNAF
• Sinopec

On January 7, 2026, Dongfeng Liuzhou Motor Co., Ltd. published what appeared to be a routine notice on the “Dongfeng Automotive Procurement & Bidding Platform”—the Pre-Approval Public Notice for Entrusted Agency Procurement Projects: 2026 Commercial/Passe

At the start of 2026, what appeared to be routine equipment glitches are quietly reshaping the power dynamics of the global polyurethane value chain.

Specialty materials company Westlake Corporation has completed its acquisition of the global composites solutions business of the ACI/Perplastic Group, a Portugal-based specialty materials manufacturer serving the wire and cable industry.

• Westlake
• ACI/Perplastic

IMCD Group (IMCD), a leading global distributor and formulation partner of specialty chemicals and ingredients, has opened a new beauty and personal care lab in its new office building in Brea, California.

• IMCD

BASF has completed commissioning of its steam cracking unit at its integrated plant in Zhanjiang, South China, as planned. Notably, this unit is the world's first to be powered entirely by 100% renewable energy electricity for its main compressor.

• BASF

The German personal care group Beiersdorf has officially introduced its dermatological skincare brand Eucerin to the Japanese market, marking a strategic move to strengthen its presence in one of the world’s most advanced and demanding skincare arenas.

• Beiersdorf
• Eucerin