Market Flash

According to S&P Global Commodity Insights, global MMA production capacity will rise from 6.4 million tons in 2024 to 7.3 million tons by 2029, with over 900,000 tons of the new capacity coming from Asia alone.

On May 12, 2025, researchers revealed that Ozempic and other GLP-1 receptor agonists may reduce the risk of cancers linked to obesity by up to 41%, offering benefits beyond weight loss.

On May 12, 2025, former U.S. President Donald Trump announced he would sign an executive order to reduce prescription drug prices in the U.S. to match the levels of other high-income countries, which are often 30–80% lower.

The Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, two of California’s busiest trade hubs, experienced an unprecedented slowdown: no ships departed from China to these ports in the past 24 hours, marking the quietest moment since the pandemic.

On April 29, 2025, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) issued document 2025.9370, proposing to expand the use of 3-Fucosyllactose (3-FL) as a novel food in infant products and increase its maximum intake limits.

Ascend Performance Materials has officially commenced high-purity acrylonitrile production at its Chocolate Bayou plant in Alvin, Texas, following the successful installation and commissioning of new purification systems.

Prestige Japanese beauty brand SUQQU is turning heads with a sustainable breakthrough, launching its latest compact setting powder using Eastman’s Cristal™ One copolyester.

With millions of mattresses discarded each year, each containing 15–20 kg of foam, the environmental impact is enormous. But recent innovations are beginning to transform this persistent waste into valuable resources.

Nissan is embarking on its most radical overhaul in over a decade, announcing plans to slash 20,000 jobs and shut down 7 factories worldwide by fiscal 2027.

The world’s top five Western oil companies reported a combined net profit of $20.53 billion for Q1 2025, plunging 29% year-on-year.

In a major breakthrough, China and the United States jointly announced on May 12 a significant rollback of punitive tariffs, following high-level trade talks held in Geneva from May 10 to 11.

A fresh wave of tariff hikes between the US and China is sending shockwaves through the global coatings industry. Starting April 2, the United States imposed reciprocal tariffs on goods from over 60 countries, with most facing a 10% surcharge.

Chugoku Marine Paints (CMP) reported robust growth for its 2024 fiscal year, with net profit surging 38.7% year-on-year to JPY 137.21 billion (approximately USD 925 million).

The biopharma industry is facing a wave of restructurings and layoffs, with more than 14,000 job cuts reported in 2024, and the situation appears to be worsening in 2025.

Gilead Sciences will pay $202 million to resolve allegations that it paid unlawful incentives to doctors for prescribing high-cost HIV medications.

As China’s coatings market slows and overcapacity worsens, global and domestic paint manufacturers are under unprecedented pressure.

Kraton Corporation announced a strategic realignment of its business to enhance core strengths and drive long-term growth.

• Kraton

Church & Dwight announced plans to acquire Touchland®, a hand sanitizer brand, in a transaction valued at up to $880 million, including a $700 million upfront payment and an earn-out payment tied to net sales in 2025.

• Church & Dwight
• Touchland

On May 7, Axalta posted its Q1 2025 financial results, revealing a 3% decline in net sales to $1.26 billion, as foreign exchange headwinds weighed on performance.

On May 8, Solvay released its Q1 2025 financial results, revealing a 5.8% organic decline in net sales, down to €1.122 billion compared to the same period in 2024.