Argus White Paper - Update: Coronavirus impact on European petrochemical market 31 March 2020: The number of infections and deaths from coronavirus in Europe continues to grow. There are some indications that the rate of increase in new infections in Italy and Spain is starting to slow as stricter lockdown measures take effect, but other countries are still on steep upward curves.
Argus White Paper: Asia polymers face more weakness as virus cuts demand 24 March 2020: Polymer prices in Asia are coming under further pressure because of a lack of resin demand as the region grapples with the coronavirus pandemic
Argus and CME Group White Paper: Volatility impacting EU HRC pricing mechanism March 2020: Established pricing mechanisms in the European hot-rolled coil (HRC) market are comparatively antiquated compared with other sectors.
Argus White Paper: Indian polymers under strain as coronavirus impact widens March 2020: India’s polymer trading has slowed amid the coronavirus outbreak in China. Market participants expect further declines from a slowdown in polymer consumption in China associated with production cuts and logistical constraints.
Argus White Paper: Rare Earths - US-China trade issues still loom over the rare earths market March 2020: China’s rare earths market is expected to see little impact in the short term from the interim trade agreement between the US and China as Beijing will maintain its tariffs on US rare earths feedstock imports.
Argus White Paper: Battery Materials - EV slowdown in China puts the brakes on global growth March 2020: A weaker economy and lower new energy vehicle (NEV) subsidies that were introduced in 2019 precipitated a drop in Chinese NEV production and sales last year. The outbreak of the coronavirus has put further downward pressure on the sector at the start of 2020.
Argus White Paper: The impact of coronavirus on propylene March 2020: What will be the impact on propylene — for production and consumption — of the continued escalation of the coronavirus crisis and the increasingly stringent measures put in place by governments to control its spread?
Argus White Paper: Coronavirus impact highlights changed game in Asia’s steel market March 2020: Coronavirus impacts have been pronounced across China’s and Asia’s ferrous industry. In its wake, it has exposed unnecessary weaknesses in steel pricing structures. Will the steel industry emerge stronger?
Argus White Paper: Bitumen market explores new ways to price exports As the bitumen market continues to dislocate from high-sulphur fuel oil, Argus has launched a new pricing tool in the Mediterranean, to better reflect outright bitumen cargo prices in that region.
The Coronavirus Impact February 2020: The outbreak of the coronavirus epidemic in China is having a significant impact on commodity markets, as trading patterns are disrupted and economic growth forecasts are revised lower Argus assesses the immediate fallout from the virus on multiple commodities and the potential impact for the rest of this year.
Argus White Paper: IMO 2020 Impact on The Base Oils Market February 2020: From 1 January 2020, ships must use fuel oil on board with a maximum sulphur content of 0.5pc by weight, down from the previous 3.5pc limit. The maximum sulphur content in bunker fuel used in the Emissions Control Areas (ECAs) remains at the 2015 standard of 0.1pc.
Argus White Paper: Semi-soft metallurgical coal prices move closer to market settlement January 2020: Quarterly negotiations for semi-soft coking coal prices are increasingly fractious. Between the breakdown in relativity with the premium coal indexes, the pull of lower thermal prices, and increased convergence between the quarterly negotiated “benchmark” and published semi-soft indexes, has the time come to embrace indexation?
Argus White Paper: 2020: iron ore evolution or revolution? January 2020: As the modern seaborne iron ore industry approaches its tenth birthday, is it celebration or reflection time? Old grumbles are resurfacing in the western media, while in China, futures are being promoted on mainstream television as an alternative pricing mechanism. Will it get another decade?
Argus White paper: Metals, technology and change – Charging up for 2020 Technology continues to advance in ways that challenge the supply chains for most metals. Argus’ global team of analysts have assessed five key themes that are charging the market for 2020.
TPC’s fire at Port Neches, Texas December 2019 A serious fire broke out at TPC’s Port Neches, Texas, 425,000 t/yr butadiene (BD) facility on 27 November, prompting shifts in the entire supply chain.
