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PA 6.6 supply situation increasingly tight / BASF reports “limited availability” / Rhodia upholds FM

Styrenics business sold to Bain Capital affiliate for USD 1.6 bn / Long-term supply deal pads price

European prices for PVC modifiers to increase

Butanediol and butanediol derivative prices up

Shell declares force majeure for styrene from Moerdijk

Plastics profits rebound in 2009 / PU raw materials battered by low prices / Capacity cuts still needed

Earnings on plastics down 72% in 2009 / Some progress in Q4 / “Fragile” recovery from crisis

Improvement in polymers market expected in 2010 / Shrinking domestic demand in 2009 has players looking abroad / PVC producers bracing for higher costs / State support for new petrochemical projects

Ineos lifts FM for C2 and C3 from Cologne

Price increase for certain polyalcohols

Engineering Thermoplastics in January 2010: Upcurrent in Asia hits European markets / Production cutbacks clash with livelier demand / Feedstock costs drive polymers up

Price hike for ABS and PS

Smaller steam cracker in Ludwigshafen resumes operations

Price hike for polyurethanes in Europe

BASF polyamide FMs remain in place

Price increase for PA 6, PA 6.6 and ABS in North America

Sales of styrenics and PC to private equity said near / First round of bidding for spin-off

Price increase for “Styrolux” SB copolymer

Engineering Thermoplastics in December 2009: Year ends on a stable footing / Quarterly contracts still preclude hikes / Supply limited by reduced production and decline in imports / Automotive continues to be lively / Rising costs drive demand

Price increase for PS in Europe

Elastogran company name to be dropped

Price increase for ABS and PS

Standard Thermoplastics in December 2009: Majority of polyolefins hold firm at November level / Occasional corrections / PVC remains weak / Cost increases factored into PS price / Rising notations likely in January

BASF restarts 1.08m t/y Antwerp cracker / Smaller German unit back up later this month / “No FM”

Business stabilises at low level after late 2008 crash / Sales and production lose ground against 2007