Market Flash

Canada's first-ever liquefied natural gas (LNG) export shipment to Asia has departed from the Pacific Coast, marking a significant milestone in the country's energy trade.

China has announced a zero tariff policy for imports from 53 African countries with which it has diplomatic relations, allowing a wide range of African goods, including cosmetics and personal care products, to enter the Chinese market duty-free.

• China
• African Countries
• tariff

On July 4, the China Securities Regulatory Commission (CSRC) announced its approval for the registration of propylene futures and options on the Zhengzhou Commodity Exchange.

Toray Industries has announced a groundbreaking innovation on July 4, unveiling the STF-2000 photosensitive polyimide, a material designed with advanced high-sensitivity negative formulations and proprietary photoresist design technology.

American private equity firm Blackstone is in talks to buy Juno Hair, South Korea's largest high-end hair salon chain, in a deal reportedly worth 800 billion won ($590 million).

• Blackstone
• Juno Hair

Eli Lilly’s blockbuster drug Mounjaro (tirzepatide) has witnessed a remarkable surge in usage and sales in India, with June 2025 figures showing a twofold increase in volume to 87,968 units, compared to 42,281 units in May.

On July 7, 2025, the European Commission issued Regulation (EU) 2025/1321, officially approving the market placement of foods and feed containing or produced from genetically modified soybean MON 87705 × MON 87708 × MON 89788.

Tanzania Petroleum Development Corporation (TPDC) has awarded an engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) contract to China Petroleum Pipeline Engineering Co. Ltd. and China Petroleum Technology & Development Corporation.

Polish chemicals and materials group Qemetica has identified its newly acquired precipitated silica business as a key growth driver, amid growing challenges for its existing operations caused by the European chemical industry crisis.

Ensinger, a global leader in high-performance engineering plastics, is set to expand the production capacity of its TECAPOWDER® polyimide product line.

Sankeshu (603737.SH), China’s largest domestic coatings company, announced a projected net profit of 3.80–4.60 billion RMB for the first half of 2025, marking a year-on-year increase of 80.94% to 119.04%.

Australian oil and gas company Santos has signed a liquefied natural gas (LNG) supply agreement with QatarEnergy Trading, the LNG trading division of QatarEnergy.

Saudi Arabia and Indonesia have entered a transformative partnership, signing agreements worth $27 billion on July 2.

The Egyptian government has officially signed the final construction contract for a $658 million phosphate production complex in the Western Desert.

The European Union’s Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF) reported 7 cases involving Chinese food and related products during week 27 of 2025, according to the official EU website.

FMC Corporation has announced that its Coragen eVo insecticide has been registered for use in California and Arizona, targeting key specialty crops such as tomatoes, leafy greens, cabbage, and fruit vegetables.

At Hortitec 2025, Latin America’s largest horticulture event, Sipcam Nichino Brasil pre-launched its new fungicide Soleado, featuring amisulbrom as the active ingredient.

Pharmaceutical companies are projected to achieve a robust 11% growth in sales and EBITDA for the first quarter of FY26, driven by sustained demand across most markets, according to a report by Kotak Institutional Equities.

Alchem International and its Hong Kong subsidiary have been fined $576,000 (489,000 euros) by EU antitrust regulators for their involvement in a 12-year pharmaceutical cartel, according to a statement issued on July 4, 2025.

Honeywell (USA), Johnson Matthey (UK), Gidara Energy (Germany), and Samsung Engineering (Japan) have announced a strategic technology alliance aimed at developing an innovative solution to produce sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) from biomass and municipal