Political leaders in Europe must boost availability of cheap energy and deregulate or risk deeper deindustrialization, according to Peter Huntsman, CEO of Huntsman.

- AI will require vast amounts of cheap energy, Europe disadvantaged

- EU energy policies have closed access to huge reserves of oil and gas

- Europe has outsourced manufacturing, often to more polluting regions

- CBAM (Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism) does not work, increases costs of imported raw materials

- Tackle climate change through use of innovative materials, nuclear fusion

- Tariffs are hurting any nascent economic recovery

- Don’t expect strong economic bounce back in 2026

- US reshoring will drive industrial and chemicals demand

- China-driven overcapacity will persist for several years

ICIS journalist Will Beacham interviews Peter Huntsman, CEO of Huntsman

European phthalic anhydride (PA) reporter Gabrielle Jordan and plasticizers reporter Marion Boakye discuss market developments into Q4, highlighting key talking points from the European Petrochemical Association (EPCA) annual meeting held from 22–25 September in Berlin, Germany.

Demand in both markets is expected to remain subdued into 2026, with sentiment for the coming year projected to closely mirror 2025 levels.

Topics discussed include:

• Subdued downstream demand
• Local supply and import flows
• Market expectations for 2026

Podcast by Marion Boakye and Gabrielle Jordan

SINGAPORE (ICIS)- In this chemical podcast, Senior editors Emily Friedman and Arianne Perez discuss the implications of recently added reciprocal tariffs on the recycled PET (R-PET) markets in the US and Asia.

• US buyers continue navigating supply needs, tariff cost sharing
• Asia prices fall to record lows as US-bound exports contract
• US short term fundamentals unchanged, though prices gradually move up
  
  

SINGAPORE (ICIS) – Fatty alcohols mid-cuts C12-14 are expected to see sluggish demand in the near term amid the festive holidays in some countries in Asia. Meanwhile, its substitute linear alkyl benzene (LAB) is likely to see some supply lengthening in 2026, even as demand conditions continue to be optimistic.

• New LAB capacities in China, India and Mideast slated for Q4 2025 and Q1 2026
• Fatty alcohols mid-cuts to see less uptake during festive season in India, China
• Impact of delay in EUDR on feedstock PKO yet to be seen

In this podcast, ICIS senior editors, Clive Ong and Helen Yan discuss recent market conditions with an outlook ahead in Asia.

LONDON (ICIS)--In the wake of the European Petrochemical Association (EPCA) conference in Berlin, Germany, players are looking inward to find the levers for growth in the face of expectations that the industrial downturn will continue to drag on.

In this ICIS Think Tank podcast, ICIS insight editor Tom Brown interviews Paul Hodges, chairman of New Normal Consulting.

According to attendees at the annual European Petrochemical Association (EPCA) conference in Berlin, Germany held during 22-25 September, consumption for polyols and isocyanates for the rest of 2025 is not expected to recover with similar expectations going forward.

In this episode, European markets editor Zubair Adam for isocyanates and polyols and Rob Peacock, ICIS lead analyst, discuss sentiments captured during the conference.

FORECASTING UPDATE: Starting September 2025, ICIS will begin releasing its polyols and isocyanates 18-month forward price forecasts twice a month. Each market will be fully updated once a month, with a second update comprising revised price forecast charts plus a brief discussion highlighting market changes.

European Group I base oils volumes have been locked in a downwards trend as a domestic oversupply build up in inventories over the summer while export volumes continue to see some tightness especially on heavier grades. Is Exxon Mobil's newly opened Singapore plant expansion the answer to that supply gap? And how are flows expected to change?

Sophie Udubasceanu, Sam Wright and Michael Connolly discuss what to expected this winter for European base oils and lubricants.

BERLIN (ICIS)--In a special podcast recorded on the sidelines of European Petrochemical Association (EPCA) event in Berlin, Insight Editor Tom Brown talks to Europe News Editor Morgan Condon and Market Development Director John Richardson about sentiment on the sidelines of this year’s meeting.