Light olefins
Overview
The global light olefins market is made up of ethylene and propylene monomers. These product markets can be affected by a great many factors.
Ethylene is the most widely used commodity chemical and is produced globally in all major regions. It is converted into many products used in daily life like plastic packaging, durable goods, hygiene products and other consumer items. The ethylene market is driven primarily by regions of low production cost and regions of high demand growth. Polyethylene, ethylene’s largest derivative, represents about 65pc of global ethylene demand. Anyone involved in the ethylene industry – directly or indirectly – needs market and pricing insight to anticipate supply shortages and potential swings in pricing.
Propylene is the second most widely used commodity chemical and is produced globally in all major regions. Propylene is a volatile commodity because of its predominantly co-product nature and unpredictable supply, but recently the industry has been trending to more on-purpose production. It is converted into many products used in daily life like plastic packaging, durable goods, automotive products, and woven fabrics. Polypropylene, propylene ’s largest derivative, represents about 70pc of global propylene demand. Anyone involved in the propylene industry – directly or indirectly – needs market and pricing insight to anticipate supply shortages and potential swings in pricing.
Our light olefins experts will help you determine what trends to track and how to stay competitive in today’s ever-changing global market.
Latest light olefins news
Browse the latest market moving news on the global light olefins industry.
Brazil’s US PE AD duties barely dent imports
Brazil’s US PE AD duties barely dent imports
Sao Paulo, 12 November (Argus) — Brazilian polyethylene (PE) imports in January-October 2025 were only mildly affected by the government's recent anti-dumping duties for resin produced in the US ($199.04/t) and Canada ($238.49/t), with the US still the top PE seller to the country. Brazil's PE imports hit $1.36bn in the period, a 3.7pc decrease compared with $1.41bn in the same period in 2024, according to official Brazilian trade data. Import volume also showed a small decline from 1.25mn t in 2024 to 1.22mn t in 2025, a 2.3pc drop. The US remained the leading supplier, accounting for 68.2pc of total PE sales, exporting 832,611t in 2025 until now, down 7.4pc compared with the prior year. Argentina increased its share to 14.4pc in volume, positioned as the second-largest exporter with 176,375t year to date, a 31.1pc increase compared with the same period in 2024. Canada's share fell to 3.77pc in volume, totaling 46,018t year to date, a decline of 39.7pc. The total export volume for PE between January and October 2025 was 522,903t, a 7.5pc increase from the same period last year, when it reached 485,978t. In terms of values, sales for the 10 months of the year hit $654mn, a slight decrease of 0.84pc year on year. Argentina was the main buyer, increasing its share to 20.1pc and shipping 105,246t, up 22.5pc in volume year to date. Belgium came in second place with 65,871t, amounting to 12.6pc of total exports market share and marking a 11.9pc hike on annual comparison. Third was Chile, with PE purchases of 63,131t and a 12pc share, despite the decrease of 8.08pc on a yearly basis. Closing the top four, China had an 8.64pc market share and total imports of 45,171t year to date, a 5.55pc yearly comparison growth. By Isabela Mendes Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
Braskem 3Q sales down, eyes feedstock switch
Braskem 3Q sales down, eyes feedstock switch
Sao Paulo, 11 November (Argus) — Brazilian petrochemical company Braskem faced a turbulent third quarter in 2025, marked by operational challenges, strategic uncertainty and efforts to reposition its feedstock strategy. Menwhile, the company is navigating a potential restructuring and sale while managing the fallout from the closure of its chlor-alkali operations in Alagoas and ongoing low utilization rates across its production assets. Braskem completed technical studies on using liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) derivatives — specifically propane and ethane — sourced from Argentina's Vaca Muerta shale formation as a feedstock, the company said during its third quarter earnings call. Preliminary data suggest a potential cost reduction of $110/t compared to petrochemical naphtha, which is currently used in several of Braskem's facilities. The company already uses propane from Vaca Muerta at its Copesul plant in Triunfo, Rio Grande do Sul, where trials are underway to assess long-term viability. Feedstock selection will depend on pricing and logistics, with other Argentinian raw materials also under evaluation, chief executive Roberto Ramos said. The shutdown of Braskem's chlor-alkali plant in Alagoas between September and October led to layoffs and added pressure to its vinyls operations. To stabilize this segment, Braskem announced a strategic agreement with US-based Olin for the supply of ethylene dichloride (EDC). The deal supports Braskem's chlor-alkali and vinyl asset restructuring in Brazil. While supply volumes were not disclosed, the company expects the partnership to enhance competitiveness and sustainability in its PVC operations. Olin was selected for its cost-efficient EDC production, based on US shale gas ethane, and favorable logistics. Ramos cited these factors as decisive in formalizing the agreement. Average utilization rates across Braskem's petrochemical complexes fell to 65pc in the quarter, down 9 percentage points from the subsequent quarter and 8 points from a year prior. The decline was driven by scheduled maintenance at the Rio de Janeiro complex and a strategic reduction in naphtha-based production amid weak demand. Operational idle time costs the company approximately $60mn per quarter, Institutional relations director Rosana Avolio estimated. Braskem Idesa PE sales fall In Mexico, PE sales through the Braskem Idesa joint venture fell by 30pc year on year to 146,000t, mostly because of lower product availability, while spreads in the international market remained stable. Braskem Idesa's plant utilization rate fell to 47pc, down by 27 percentage points from a year earlier, because of a scheduled maintenance shutdown and reduced ethane supply from Mexico's state-owned Pemex, which fell to 11,300 b/d from 28,900 b/d in the previous year. The company's new ethane terminal, Terminal Quimica Puerto Mexico (TQPM), began supplying ethane to Braskem Idesa. TQPM, still in the commissioning phase, received approximately 11,300 b/d. The ethane supply from TQPM the Braskem Idesa plant is now operating above nominal capacity, which should support Ebitda growth in the coming quarters, Ramos said. Resin sales, prices down Braskem's Brazil resin sales fell by 9pc to 787,000t in the third quarter from a year before, with volumes also down in the US, Europe, and Mexico. International resin price references during the period were lower, impacting the profitability of its domestic sales, Braskem said in its preliminary third-quarter production and sales report. The company posted a R26mn ($4.9mn) loss for the quarter, narrowing from a R592mn loss in the third quarter of 2025 and from a R267mn loss in the second quarter this year. By Fred Fernandes Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
Ineos plans to make further anti-dumping claims to EU
Ineos plans to make further anti-dumping claims to EU
London, 11 November (Argus) — UK-based petrochemical company Ineos plans to file five new anti-dumping duty (ADD) claims to the EU by the end of 2025, aiming to counter "low-cost, high-carbon imports". Ineos told Argus the five are in addition to three ongoing ADD investigations in which Ineos has since November 2024 been involved in filing complaints, and to two existing ADDs in which Ineos is contributing to seeking an extension or change ( see table ). The company gave no further details on countries or, in some cases, specific products in the ADD claims it is preparing. But it said it is also supporting customers with "a growing number of anti-dumping filings" on chemicals that affect Ineos' downstream value chains, such as polyethylene terephthalate (PET). Imports from the US, Middle East and Asia-Pacific are putting pressure on European chemicals manufacturing, which has high operating costs relative to other regions, Ineos said. It cited data from European Chemical Trade association Cefic showing imports of chemicals from China rose by 8.3pc in the first half of 2025. Ineos singled out the latest EU-US trade deal — a probable reference to the European Commission's proposal to reduce import duties on many chemical products to zero — saying it "gives away what little protection [Europe] had left" against imports from the US. It also said the commission was not acting quickly or decisively enough. It said the EU's provisional duties on on acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) imports from Taiwan and South Korea was "far too low", and these are failing to prevent imports into the EU. Most recent Global Trade Tracker (GTT) data for July and August show limited effect, with July imports up by 13pc on the year and August imports down by 4pc. Ineos Styrolution has three ABS plants in Europe: one in Antwerp, Belgium, and two in Germany at Cologne and Ludwigshafen. The three have combined capacity of 490,000 t/yr. For monoethylene glycol (MEG), Ineos' call relates to a sunset review of ADDs on imports from the US and Saudi Arabia that are due for expiry or renewal in November 2026. For PVC Ineos is seeking an extension or change to ADDs initiated on imports from Egypt and the US in 2024. The new claims that Ineos is preparing cover products including polyolefins, caustic soda, acrylonitrile-styrene-acrylate (ASA) acetic acid, butyl acetate and polyethylene glycols. Petrochemical industry bodies have called for more support, and the commission proposed a package of measures in July aiming to address high energy costs, global competition and weak demand. This included a pledge to apply trade defence measures more quickly and expand chemical import monitoring under an existing surveillance task force as part of a support package for the chemicals sector. Ineos has been an active voice asking for measures to support the industry, including an October call for cuts to taxes and levies on industrial energy in Europe to avert further plant closures. Citing a commissioned study by Oxford Economics, Ineos said carbon border measures and targeted tariffs can protect European producers from non-European producers that benefit from cheaper or less-regulated energy costs. By Will Collins, George Barsted, Alex Sands, Sebastian Du Plessis ADD claims that Ineos is involved with or preparing Product Current status Cases in preparation to be filed Polyolefins N/A Caustic soda N/A Acrylonitrile styrene acrylate (ASA) N/A Acetic acid/acetic anhydride/ethyl acetate N/A Polyethylene glycol/butyl acetate N/A Current investigation Acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS) Complaint made in November 2024, provisional duties announced in July 2025 Polyterephthalic acid (PTA Investigation opened in August 2025 on imports from South Korea and Mexico 1,4 butanediol (BDO) Investigation opened in June 2025 on imports from Saudi Arabia, US, China Change/extension to existing ADD Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) Seeking extension/change to ADDs imposed on Egypt/US imports in 2024 Monoethytlene glycol (MEG) Seeking renewal of ADDs imposed on imports from Saudi Arabia and US in 2021 Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
State AGs: Groups' recycling work 'anticompetitive'
State AGs: Groups' recycling work 'anticompetitive'
Houston, 7 November (Argus) — A multistate coalition of US state attorneys general led by Florida are accusing environmental organizations of potentially violating state and federal antitrust laws by coordinating with large US corporations to impose "anticompetitive recycling practices." In a 29 October letter sent to the US Plastics Pact, The Consumer Goods Forum, and the Green Blue Institute, Florida attorney general James Uthmeier and attorneys general from Texas, Iowa, Nebraska and Montana said that by pushing major corporations to "align on restrictive plastic production and packaging standards" the environmental organizations are taking actions that could "unlawfully restrain competition, increase costs, and limit consumer choice." The letter states that by "collectively dictating what materials are deemed ‘recyclable'" the groups have driven up prices for consumers. "Radical environmental activists do not have the right, nor the avenue, to suppress business operations in our market," Uthmeier said in a separate statement, claiming the three groups were hindering the states' economic prosperity by coordinating business behavior, which he said would violate Florida's antitrust laws. The letters ask the environmental groups to explain how their "coordinated market activities" comply with state and federal antitrust laws, providing supporting documentation. The environmental groups targeted by the AGs promote voluntary packaging standards for major retail brands, offer recyclability guidelines and design frameworks that support sustainability. The Consumer Goods Forum said it has received the letter and will cooperate fully with the attorneys general to address the questions raised. The group said its programs are voluntary, transparent, and backed by antitrust compliance measures. The US Plastics Pact said it is reviewing the letter with legal counsel and remains confident its work complies with all applicable laws. Green Blue Institute has not responded to a request for comment. By Dona Davis Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.