Markets Regions and Countries

Cautious welcome for revised UK rules to improve quality of recyclate / Work continues to amend packaging waste recovery systems

Engineering thermoplastics consumption recovers slightly in 2013 / Gains driven by ABS and PMMA / Import volumes of PC, PA and SAN down / Asian producers increasingly step into the fold / Low local capacity utilisation rates / Plastinfo report

EU Commission sets non-binding fracking rules / NGOs critical / Praise from the UK

Economic mood surprisingly positive in H2 2013 / All indicators point up / High expectations for the coming months / Energy costs pressure converters and recyclers

Producers need to specialise to raise selling prices, says trade group / Production takes a 7% decline in 2012

Polymer capacity continues to rise / PE accounts for most regional output / Saudi Arabia is largest production base / Conversion sector focused on packaging and construction

British Plastics Federation welcomes government committee's support towards exploring UK shale gas reserves / Ineos considers role in future UK extraction

New PS plant in Vietnam in planning stages/ Growing demand from the electronics industry is catalyst

US plastic bottle recycling rates jump 6.2% year-on-year in 2012 / PET and HDPE account for 96% / Total bottle recycling rate stands at 30%

UK government says health risk from extraction emissions low / Industry needs regulating

Industry enjoys robust 2012 / "All hail shale" great morale booster but little substance / Polymer production still below pre-recession levels / Large customer sectors see slowdown around the corner

People's Republic is world's largest producer and user of plastic pipes / 11m t produced in 2012 / Increasingly competitive on a global scale

Plastics production and demand for EU 27 in 2012 dips against growing global production / Export of primary plastics climbs 2.9% / PlasticsEurope presents findings at K 2013

Total polymer demand to reach 12.5m t in 2013 / Thermoplastics consumption growing 10% annually since 2007 / Fragmented plastics processing industry / AMI study

Plast Eurasia 2013: Istanbul preparing to host Turkish and international plastics industry in December / More than 40,000 visitors expected

Argentina: Next steps in exploration / Agreements reached between YPF and US companies given green light

Plastic resin imports climb 26% in H1 / Converted plastics consumption rises 6.7% / Only 1.5% rise in production forecast for 2013

MDI capacity increase in Shanghai slated for mid-2014

Awaiting clearance from European Commission for PVC JV

New refinery for Nigeria by 2016 / PP production planned / Secure financing for private project

Economics ministry gives go-ahead for petrochemicals industry to build crackers in China / Feedstocks for the domestic industry

Ratcliffe threatens to pull out of Grangemouth / Shale gas an alternative to North Sea gas

Sales bounce back to 2012 half-year level / Seasonal peak shifts into April / Packaging and technical parts see gains / Export trade picks up again / Improved outlook for full year

Optimism grows for year ahead as productivity improves / Gains in turnover and profitability expected / Reject euro replacing sterling / BPF survey

Orders for German machinery manufacturers on the rebound / Exports show upward trend