Markets Regions and Countries

Diverts focus away from export to domestic markets / Shift in consumer behaviour boosts demand growth / Small companies to disappear / Industry consolidation gathers pace

Plastics industry likely to reach an all-time high in revenues by 2015 / Demand potential to double / Polymer demand reaching 40m t by 2021

Produces first commercial-grade ethylene at Wuhan facility / Commissioning now complete of petrochemicals complex

Thermoplastics consumption takes a deep cut in 2012 / PVC hardest hit / E&E industry struggles to combat poor domestic demand / Plastics processing segment one of the few bright spots in the country's industrial sector

Production declines by 2% EU-wide in the first five months of 2013 / Growth engine revving in fits and starts / Company chieftains now more cautious about full-year outlook / Cefic trend report

Caprolactam overcapacity likely by 2015 / PA 6 grows presence in engineering plastics sector / Annual growth of 10% forecast for PA 6.6

Next steps in HDPE joint venture with Sasol proceed / New 470,000 t/y facility to be ready for start up in 2015

Business development in H1 2013 slightly weaker than expected / Industry more optimistic about H2 / Export turnaround may be in the offing / Energy efficiency a major concern

Showing modest growth / Demand boosted by pickup in automotive industry / AMI report

South German ethylene pipeline dedicated in Munich

Imports from outside the EU on the rise / Main supplier Italy suffers considerable setback / Poland continues to make inroads

French president says no shale gas exploration in his term

Uhde Inventa-Fischer to build JV plant for PPS production in South Korea

The Islamic Republic catching up as supplier of HDPE to Turkey and China / Global sanctions proving to have little impact

UK aims to double plastics recycling by 2017 / Impact only comes with more investment

Chinese company plans first gas-based ethylene production in Qingdao / Future of coal-based plants in question

Findings released by an independent study point to a shale gas potential in the UK surpassing China

Positive start in 2013 turns sour for exports / Industry looks to government for support / Assocomaplast releases first-quarter trends

DAK Americas in process of closing all polyester Cape Fear operations in the US

China gives green light for PTA plant at Zhuhai / New energy-saving technology

Plans PVC capacity expansion in US / Growing sales in emerging markets

Bvse recyclers have much too worry about / Inclement weather affecting demand / EEG tariffs are strong barriers

Swiss plastics industry sees sales fall to CHF 15 bn last year / Pressure from euro crisis and strong Swiss franc / Processed volume amounts to 812,000 t / Productivity declines / Packaging industry also weak / Recovery expected during 2013

Tenth cracker furnace planned for Texas facility / Additional 90,000 t/y ethylene available in 2014 / US Gulf Coast petrochemicals project on track

Growing number of international visitors and exhibitors in Guangzhou / Focus on sustainability and production efficiency