Market Flash

At the start of 2026, the global trade chain has already faced an unprecedented “stress test.”

• global trade

Hormuz risk lifts oil and freight costs, driving petrochemical input inflation and delivery delays that squeeze coatings margins and test resilience.

Belgian chemical company Solvay announced on February 23 that it will make strategic adjustments to its soda ash production in Torrelavega, Spain, to enhance market competitiveness and address global supply-demand challenges.

• Solvay

Kemira has announced the acquisition of SIDRA Wasserchemie, further strengthening its water treatment solutions business in Europe.

• Kemira
• SIDRA Wasserchemie

Laboratoire PYC is showcasing three new beauty-from-within solutions designed to meet the fast-evolving European demand for science-backed, clean label and sensorial collagen formats.

• collagen
• food supplement
• Nutrition

When the night sky over Fife, Scotland, no longer glows with the flare stack of the Mossmorran chemical complex, an era has truly ended. In early 2026, global energy titan ExxonMobil quietly shut down this plastics plant—operational for 40 uninterrupted y

On February 5, 2026, during Shell’s Q4 2025 earnings call, CEO Wael Sawan spoke with calm precision that carried surgical weight: “Our chemicals business has not yet met expectations… all options are on the table.”

In a landmark decision that bridges synthetic biology and infant health, Australia has become the latest global regulator to embrace next-generation human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs).

In a move that blends sustainability, innovation, and food science, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has given the green light to a novel food additive born from what was once considered coffee industry waste.

In a resounding declaration of economic resilience and strategic ambition, Egypt’s chemical and fertilizer sector has shattered records, achieving $9.43 billion in exports during 2025—a 7.4% year-on-year surge that cements its role as a cornerstone of the

In a bold strategic pivot that could redefine its future, Glenmark Pharmaceuticals is betting big on oncology—with a $1 billion milestone-laden deal for a cutting-edge Chinese cancer drug poised to hit its licensed markets by FY28.

European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has officially declared 6′-sialyllactose (6’-SL) sodium salt—a cutting-edge human milk oligosaccharide (HMO)—safe for consumption under proposed use conditions.

Global high-performance elastomers leader ARLANXEO has officially inaugurated its new Therban HNBR (Hydrogenated Nitrile Butadiene Rubber) plant in Changzhou, China.

• Arlanxeo
• HNBR

In 2025, global epoxy resin imports reached 395,000 tons, with an import value of approximately $829 million, a decrease of about 20% compared to $1.038 billion in the same period last year.

• Epoxy Resin
• 2025

According to monitoring data from the Lianyungang Municipal Government website, in the first month of 2026, 11 out of 16 tracked chemical products rose in price, 4 declined, and 1 remained flat—meaning an impressive 68.8% of products posted gains.

DKSH’s High-Performance Materials division, a leading distributor of specialty chemicals and raw materials, has strengthened its partnership with Assessa through an exclusive distribution agreement covering mainland China.

• DKSH
• Assessa
• China

Global high-performance materials giant Invista announced it would shut its precision processing facilities in Martinsville, Virginia, USA, and Gloucester, UK, transferring the relevant operations to its Kingston, Canada plant.

• Invista

France’s globally acclaimed beauty and cosmetics sector is facing a rare setback in 2025.

• France
• beauty
• cosmetics

On January 21, 2026, a seemingly routine announcement slipped into the news cycle: Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL), India’s state-owned energy giant, signed a 10-year liquefied natural gas (LNG) supply agreement with Abu Dhabi Liquefied Nat

On January 17, 2026, at a signing ceremony held in Asunción, the capital of Paraguay, the European Union and Mercosur formally signed a Free Trade Agreement (FTA).

• FTA
• European union
• Mercosur