PVC

Shift in international trade flows / US producers push towards Europe / Trade war causes US deliveries to Turkey to collapse / European market desirable due to high-price structure

PLASTIC PACKAGING TURKEY

Production in Q1 2018 worth USD 5.5 bn / About 93% of production consumed domestically / Germany, Italy and France among top five exporters / Turkish lira devaluation creates uncertainty

WORLD TRADE

China imposes tariffs on HDPE from the US / Trade war escalates again / Many types of plastic and scrap affected

PETROCHEMICAL MARKETS

PA 6.6: BASF's HMD plant in UK up and running again / Force majeure continues

PETROCHEMICAL MARKETS

Styrene: Covestro declares force majeure on supply from its joint venture in the Netherlands

ACTEGA

Child-friendly TPE compounds / EU's BPA migration amendment takes hold in November

EMERALD KALAMA

Launch of non-phthalate plasticiser for polysulphide sealants / Safer alternative to chlorinated paraffins

BASF

New bio-based "Elastoflex" PU foam

EXXONMOBIL

"Exceed" XP grade developed for high-performance coextrusion films

SABIC

Launch of glass fibre-reinforced plastic panels for construction industry

BASF

Dry summer slows down transport on Germany's Rhine river / Restrictions at facilities

FRANCE

Largest regional plastics association and employment agency collaborate / Recruitment of more skilled workers

MANAGEMENT

German and UK SMEs bank on professional development to increase productivity / France favours IT improvements

MANAGEMENT

Industry 4.0 spreads slowly in UK, Switzerland and Germany / Companies often lack money and staff / E&Y and Censuswide survey reports

MANAGEMENT

Poor payment behaviour continues in Asia-Pacific / Average payment term fell slightly to 55 days in 2017 / Atradius report