Market Flash

Chemical manufacturers worldwide implemented previously announced price increases on September 1, 2026, responding to persistent supply chain pressures and rising feedstock costs. BASF raised North American prices for caprolactam, polyamide 6, and copolymers by $0.08 per pound, marking its third nylon increase this year. Sherwin-Williams applied an 8 percent hike across its Paint Stores Group, while Allnex increased powder coating resin prices by roughly $74 per ton. Nan Ya Plastics lifted coppe

• FineChemicals

YNCC’s long-term shutdown of two Yeosu crackers marks a genuine capacity withdrawal—not another temporary operating cut—in a region struggling with structural petrochemical oversupply.

• northeast asia
• ethylene
• petrochemicals
• capacity rationalisation
• china trade

Renewed U.S.-Iran fighting around the Strait of Hormuz has pushed Brent crude back above $90 a barrel and revived concerns over crude, LPG and petrochemical feedstock flows from the Middle East.

• US Iran Conflict
• Hormuz Shipping
• Petrochemical Feedstocks
• LPG Market
• Global Chemicals

The death toll from the Amur Gas Chemical Complex fire has risen to 15, including six Chinese nationals previously confirmed among the victims, while construction continues in unaffected areas of the 2.7 million-tonne-per-year SIBUR-Sinopec polyolefins project.

• Amur Gas Chemical Complex
• SIBUR Sinopec
• Polyethylene Market
• Polypropylene Market
• Petrochemical Safety

South Korea has moved to impose preliminary anti-dumping duties on solid caustic soda from China and Taiwan. The Korea Trade Commission found evidence of dumping and recommended duties ranging from 3.66% to 22.21% for Chinese suppliers, while Taiwanese firms face a uniform 38.89% rate.The probe, triggered by a petition from local firm Youngjin, targets solid sodium hydroxide used in paper, textiles, and water treatment. This reflects growing competition as China's expanding chlor-alkali capacity

• SouthKorea
• CausticSoda
• China
• FineChemicals

Wanhua Chemical's BorsodChem has completed scheduled maintenance and restarted 400,000 t/y of MDI and 250,000 t/y of TDI capacity in Hungary, restoring a major source of isocyanate supply to the European polyurethane market.

• BorsodChem Restart
• Wanhua Chemical
• MDI Market
• TDI Market
• European Polyurethanes

A major fire at the SIBUR-Sinopec Amur Gas Chemical Complex has left seven people dead and nine Chinese workers missing, putting attention on whether the accident could delay the 2.7 million-tonne-per-year polyethylene and polypropylene project.

• Amur Gas Chemical Complex
• SIBUR Sinopec
• Polyethylene Market
• Polypropylene Market
• Petrochemical Safety

On August 20, South Korea's Fair Trade Commission conditionally approved the "Daesan No. 1" petrochemical restructuring, marking the nation's first such consolidation. HD Hyundai Chemical will merge with Lotte Daesan Petrochemical, while Lotte Chemical acquires additional shares, resulting in a 50/50 ownership split between Lotte Chemical and HD Hyundai Oilbank. The consolidation will merge naphtha cracking complexes, with 1.1 million tons of annual ethylene capacity slated for shutdown.The comm

• LDPE
• SK
• FineChemicals

Hormuz shipping remains severely disrupted with traffic down around 90% from pre-conflict levels, while limited tanker access provides only partial relief for global energy and chemical supply chains.

• Hormuz Strait
• Chemical Logistics
• LPG Supply
• Energy Market
• Global Supply Chain

South Korea’s first Arctic commercial shipping test highlights growing efforts among Asian exporters to diversify Asia-Europe logistics routes and strengthen supply chain resilience.

• Arctic Shipping
• Chemical Logistics
• Asia Europe Trade
• Supply Chain Resilience
• Global Trade

In the first half of 2026, the Strait of Hormuz blockade disrupted Middle East crude exports, driving oil prices up sharply. Domestic coal prices rose more slowly, widening the cost advantage of coal-based chemical routes and boosting company profits. Baofeng Energy's net profit jumped 70.14% to RMB 9.728 billion, while Chengzhi Holdings saw a staggering 1,416.23% profit surge. The oil-coal price spread is the key driver; with Brent above USD 80 per barrel, coal-to-olefins' breakeven of USD 45–5

• CoalChemical
• FineChemicals

The FDA approved Lantheus’ TAUKLARIFY on August 14 as an F18-labeled PET imaging agent for identifying Alzheimer’s-associated tau neurofibrillary tangle pathology, expanding the growing molecular-diagnostics toolkit for neurodegenerative disease.

• Lantheus TAUKLARIFY
• Alzheimers Disease
• Tau PET Imaging
• Radiopharmaceuticals
• FDA Approval

The FDA granted accelerated approval to Bristol Myers Squibb’s ZENBEXUS on August 13, making iberdomide the first approved CELMoD therapy and authorizing its use with daratumumab and dexamethasone for previously treated multiple myeloma.

• BMS ZENBEXUS
• Iberdomide CELMoD
• Multiple Myeloma
• Targeted Protein Degradation
• FDA Accelerated Approval

Baolijia, BATF and Wanhua Chemical have raised waterborne acrylic emulsion prices by 5%–15% as surging butyl acrylate, MMA and other monomer costs begin to transmit upstream petrochemical inflation into China’s coatings, waterproofing and adhesives sectors.

• Acrylic Emulsion Prices
• Waterborne Coatings
• Butyl Acrylate
• China Chemical Market
• Coatings Raw Materials

BASF is increasing European NPG prices by €250 per tonne and HDO prices by €300 per tonne from August 12, citing global supply-demand conditions and rising raw-material costs.

• BASF Price Increase
• Neopentyl Glycol
• Hexanediol Market
• Chemical Intermediates
• Europe Chemical Prices

SIBUR’s ZapSibNeftekhim complex in Tobolsk has been shut indefinitely after an August 10 drone attack, disrupting a site associated with roughly 40% of Russia’s LPG output and major polyethylene and polypropylene production.

• SIBUR ZapSibNeftekhim
• Russia LPG Supply
• Petrochemical Shutdown
• Polyolefin Supply
• Energy Infrastructure

Between August 8 and 11, five drone strikes hit Libya’s Zawiya Refinery, damaging storage tanks and a blending plant. Attacks ignited major fires, including one that destroyed a 4.5-million-liter gasoline tank. Libya’s National Oil Corporation warned it may declare force majeure and halt operations if attacks continue. The refinery, processing 120,000 barrels daily, is vital for domestic fuel and Mediterranean naphtha supply. With no group claiming responsibility, the strikes threaten to worsen

• Libya
• Refinery
• FineChemicals

India is accelerating efforts to complete its polycarbonate (PC) industry chain, a shift that will impact the export advantages long enjoyed by Chinese companies in both the Indian market and third-country markets. On August 4, Deepak Chem Tech, a subsidiary of Indian chemical firm Deepak Nitrite, received approval to invest approximately ₹25 billion (about $262 million) to build a 240,000-tonne-per-year bisphenol A (BPA) production unit and supporting facilities in Gujarat. Deepak Nitrite had a

• PC
• polycarbonate
• India
• China
• bisphenolA
• BPA
• FineChemicals

Wanhua Chemical’s 1.1 million-tonne-per-year Yantai MDI unit entered a scheduled 45-day maintenance shutdown on August 10, temporarily removing major capacity from the market and potentially tightening Asian spot supply.

• Wanhua Chemical
• MDI Market
• Polyurethane Industry
• Plant Maintenance
• Asia Chemical Supply

Wanhua Chemical’s US unit has agreed to pay $7.75 million to settle a class action lawsuit alleging MDI/TDI price-fixing, pending court approval. This follows settlements by BASF ($3 million) and Covestro LLC ($7 million), bringing total payouts to $17.75 million. The litigation began in 2018, with plaintiffs accusing major producers of manipulating supply. While parent companies were dismissed on jurisdictional grounds, US subsidiaries continued defending. Dow and Huntsman remain defendants. Se

• WanhuaChemical
• MDI
• TDI