Borouge And Wanhua Subsidiary Sign Joint Venture Agreement! European Union Publishes New Standards! Amcor Europe Adds New Film Production Line

International News Summary

Raw Material NewsBorouge and Wanhua’s subsidiary Wanhua New Materials signed a cooperation agreement on the polyethylene integrated project.

Automotive News- SINOCHEM International vigorously expands the POE overseas market

Electronics NewsBASF Launches High-Performance Electrospinning Innovative Solution

Packaging News- Amcor Unveils Major Innovations: Lighter Bottle Caps, Heat-Resistant PET Jars, and New Film Production Line in Europe

Recycling News- EU CEN issues a unified standard for the design of recyclable plastic packaging (aligned with the PPWR regulation)

Macro News- Senior Iranian Parliamentarian: The U.S. Must Accept the New Order in the Strait of Hormuz

The following is the detailed international news.：

1. Borouge and Wanhua’s subsidiary Wanhua New Materials signed a cooperation agreement on the polyethylene integrated project.

 Borouge (Borouge and Wanrong, a subsidiary of Wanhua Chemical GroupNew materialsSigning a joint venture agreement, planning to build a steam cracker facility and a polyethylene integrated production base in Fujian, China. Borealis will.Announced this matter on the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange on April 17.The project will rely on Borouge'sThe Borstar polyolefin technology, along with its well-established local sales network, and in collaboration with an experienced joint venture partner, forms a growth project with strong development potential.

2. European UnionCEN publishes a unified standard for the design of recyclable plastic packaging (compatible with PPWR regulations)

European Committee for StandardizationCEN has officially released the first unified recyclable plastic packaging design standard in Europe. The Ceflex, a consortium of companies and organizations in the flexible packaging value chain, stated that the EN 18120 standard has established a long-awaited unified framework for assessing and designing the recyclability of flexible packaging. The standard is expected to play a crucial role in corporate compliance, helping companies meet the requirements of the EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR). This regulation will come into effect officially in August 2026 and stipulates that, starting from 2030, all packaging placed on the EU market must be recyclable.

3. CHINAPLAS 2026: BASF Launches High-Performance Electrospinning Innovation Solutions

CHINAPLAS 2026: BASF Collaborates with Niber Technologies to Launch High-Performance Electrospinning Innovation Solution Using Freeflex® TPU。 Freeflex® TPU can be processed into nanofibers with diameters ranging from 100 to 600 nanometers through electrospinning, forming a morphology with a high surface area and high porosity, which enables superior waterproof and breathable performance. In addition to the electrospinning innovation, BASF will also showcase a performance sportswear fabric containing 15% Freeflex® melt-spun spandex in polypropylene (PP)/low-temperature polyester (PET) at CHINAPLAS 2026 International Rubber and Plastics Exhibition. This fabric provides excellent wearing comfort, quick-drying properties, and enhanced elasticity and durability.

Amcor's Major Innovation: Lighter Cap, Heat ResistancePET tank, Europe adds film production line

Amcor (Amcor has recently officially announced a series of transformative packaging technology innovations aimed at enhancing sustainability, operational efficiency, and product performance across multiple industries. The company has introduced the next-generation Apex polyethylene terephthalate (PET) can equipped with Elevate technology. Just days ago, Amcor also launched the lightweight Flava flip-top bottle cap and announced an investment of millions of euros in Europe to expand its industrial film production capacity.

5. Huaxiao Guomao vigorously expands its business.POE Overseas Market

Recently, ChemSales International successfully signed an agreement with a major overseas plant.POE (Polyolefin Elastomer) bulk export order further supports Sinopec in exploring the high-end market.New materialsOverseas markets. The company has established"Three Accuracies" and "Basic + High-End" development strategies, continuously focusing overseas promotion resources on high-value-added products. Focusing on the overseas synthetic resin market, the company strengthens collaboration with Chemical Sales South China, relying on professional marketing teams and overseas service networks to accurately meet the needs of key regional customers, seize market opportunities, successfully achieve POE product exports, and promote the company's business transformation from "selling products" to "providing comprehensive solutions."

Overseas Macro Market

[Senior Iranian Parliamentary Official: The US Must Accept the New Order in the Strait of Hormuz]

According to the Islamic Republic News AgencyOn the 19th, it was reported that Ibrahim Azizi, the chairman of the National Security and Foreign Policy Committee of the Islamic Parliament of Iran, stated that the United States must accept the new order in the Strait of Hormuz. Azizi emphasized that Iran will not accept any form of directive or imposed will in negotiations, and only agreements that are based on national interests and can bring tangible benefits to the country will be accepted. He emphasized, "On all issues involving Iran's national interests, our stance has not changed." Earlier on the same day, the Islamic Republic News Agency posted on social media that Iran has refused to participate in the second round of negotiations with the United States.

[Iran: US military opens fire on Iranian merchant ship, Revolutionary Guard Navy pushes back US]

According to Mehr News AgencyOn the evening of the 19th, it was reported that the U.S. military, deployed in the waters around the Oman Sea, fired at an Iranian merchant ship in an attempt to force it back into Iranian territorial waters. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy of Iran arrived at the scene in a timely manner, quickly coming to the aid of the Iranian merchant ship, and the U.S. military was forced to retreat and flee the area. The report did not mention the name of the Iranian merchant ship. This report seems to directly contradict what President Trump of the United States had said.

U.S. military opens fire on Iranian merchant vessel Iraqi military: Will respond and retaliate

Local timeOn the 20th, a spokesperson for Iran's Khatam al-Anbia Central Headquarters of the Armed Forces stated that the United States violated the ceasefire agreement by opening fire on an Iranian commercial vessel in the Gulf of Oman and deploying several soldiers onto its deck, disabling the ship's navigation system and committing an act of "maritime piracy." The spokesperson warned that Iran's armed forces would swiftly respond to and retaliate against the U.S. military's piratical and armed robbery actions.

[Iranian military: U.S. forces opened fire on an Iranian cargo ship; Iran responded by launching drones]

According to Iran's Mehr News AgencyIn a report early on the 20th, a spokesperson for Iran's Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters of the Armed Forces stated that U.S. forces attacked an Iranian container cargo ship in the Gulf of Oman on the 19th, prompting Iran's armed forces to launch multiple drones targeting several U.S. naval vessels.

Price Information:

The central parity rate of the Chinese yuan against the US dollar is reported as6.8648, down 26 points; previous day's mid-price 6.8622, previous day's official closing price 6.8263, previous night's settlement price 6.8184.

[Upstream Raw Material USD Market Prices]

On April 17, CFR Northeast Asia was steady at USD 1,400/ton, and CFR Southeast Asia was steady at USD 1,450/ton.

Northeast Asian Propylene

North Asia Frozen Cargo CIF Price, Propane838-848 USD/ton; Butane 938-948 USD/ton.

Frozen goods from South ChinaCIF prices for May: propane at USD 1,025–1,035 per metric ton; butane at USD 1,075–1,085 per metric ton.

Free On Board (FOB) price of frozen goods in Taiwan, Propane$838–$848 per ton; butane $938–$948 per ton.

【LLDPE USD Market Price

Thin filmUSD 1,370 per metric ton CFR Huangpu

1500 USD/ton (CFR Shanghai);

【HDPE USD Market Price

Thin film$1,420/ton (CFR Huangpu)

Hollow:$1,380/ton (CFR Dongguan)

Injection MoldingUSD 1,420 per metric ton (CFR Yantian)

Pipe: No quotation;

【LDPE USD market price

FilmUSD 1,580 per metric ton CFR Dongguan

Coating: No quote.

Homopolymerization: Translate the above content into English, output the translation directly, without any explanation.$1450 per ton (CFR Huangpu)

Co-polymerization:$1680 per ton (CFR Huangpu)

Membrane material:$1710 per ton (CFR Huangpu)

Transparent:USD 1,560 per metric ton CFR Huangpu

Pipe material1720 USD/ton (CFR Shanghai).