Market Flash

On July 28, South Korean and Japanese industry insiders revealed that both nations are ramping up joint efforts to safeguard oil supplies as Middle East tensions threaten Asia’s crude imports.

On July 28, Olin Corporation (NYSE: OLN) announced a Q2 2025 net loss of $1.3 million, or $0.01 per diluted share, reversing a $74.2 million profit from the same period last year.

Covestro’s Q2 2025 results reveal a sharp setback as global headwinds—including sudden US tariff hikes and persistent oversupply—dragged group sales down 8.4% to €3.4 billion and EBITDA down 15.6% to €270 million.

PPG announced Q2 2025 results showing net sales of $4.2 billion, a 1% decrease year-on-year due to business divestitures, while net profit dropped 9% to $450 million.

On August 1, Shenma Co. (600810.SH) announced a plan to acquire a 10.27% stake in Nylon Chemical from Jinshi Fund for 952 million yuan in cash, raising its ownership in the key subsidiary from 61.79% to 72.06%.

On July 31, Sinopec (600028) issued a profit alert, forecasting first-half 2025 net profit attributable to shareholders at 20.1–21.6 billion yuan—a sharp year-on-year drop of 39.5% to 43.7%.

On July 31, Huntsman reported second-quarter revenue of $1.458 billion, a 7.4% drop year-on-year, as global construction and industrial slowdowns weighed heavily on results.

Colombia’s National Food and Drug Surveillance Institute (Invima) has urgently warned meat producers, sellers, and consumers about the serious public health threats posed by illegally sourced meat.

On July 30, President Trump announced a steep 50% tariff on Brazilian imports to the US, excluding over 700 products—but beef didn’t make the exemption list.

On July 31, Korea’s Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) announced draft Notification No. 340-2025, proposing significant amendments to the hygiene requirements for special sanitary management foods.

On July 28, Brazil’s health authority ANVISA issued IN No. 385, revising maximum residue limits (MRLs) for several pesticides in common foods.

Syndax Pharmaceuticals posted a second-quarter net loss of $71.8 million ($0.83 per share), exceeding last year’s $68.1 million loss, even as revenue from key therapies soared.

Vertex Pharmaceuticals’ bid to expand into non-opioid pain treatments was dealt a heavy blow as its next-generation drug VX-993 failed a critical mid-stage trial, triggering a sharp 14.4% after-hours share drop.

A powerful explosion rocked a cosmetics ingredient factory in Yeongcheon, North Gyeongsang Province, South Korea at 12:42 PM on August 3, injuring three workers—one critically—and leaving another missing.

Bridgestone has announced the sale of its wholly owned subsidiary, Mexican Carbon Black Manufacturing (MXCB), to Cabot Corporation for $70 million, with the deal expected to close within 3 to 6 months.

On August 1, China Shenhua Energy announced plans for a sweeping restructuring, with the listed company set to acquire 13 subsidiaries from its parent, China Energy Group, through a mix of share issuance and cash payment.

On August 6, President Trump revealed a landmark US-Pakistan trade and energy agreement set to reshape energy cooperation and lower tariffs on Pakistani exports to the US.

Luoyang Refining has announced the successful full-scale start-up of its high-end rubber additives project, part of the massive one-million-ton ethylene downstream integration initiative in Henan.

French agribusiness leader Avril Group and global specialty chemicals company Valtris have entered into an exclusive agreement for Avril to acquire Champlor Renewables, a rapeseed crushing, refining, and biodiesel production facility.

• Avril
• Valtris
• Champlor Renewables

Chevron Phillips Chemical (CPChem) has officially commissioned the low-viscosity polyalphaolefin (LV PAO) capacity expansion at its Beringen production facility in Belgium.

• CPChem
• Chevron Phillips Chemical