【Overseas news】Basf announces price hike, india faces petrochemical raw material shortage crisis, nissan to cut output at kyushu plant

International News Digest:

Raw Material News-Clariant × Borealis × Sintef join forces: Transforming waste plastic into pyrolysis feedstock

India is facing a crisis of petrochemical raw material shortages.

Automotive News-Nissan to Cut Production at Kyushu Plant Due to Stalled Exports in the Middle East

Packaging News Highlights-GCR and RIGK conduct advanced industrial recycling trial for post-consumer packaging

Macro News-Iran’s Foreign Minister stated that the assassination of Larijani would not shake Iran’s political structure.

The following is the details of international news.：

1.India faces a crisis of petrochemical raw material shortage

Recently, India’s Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas issued a mandatory directive requiring all domestic refineries to prioritize the use of all propane and butane—produced domestically, recovered, or separated through fractionation—exclusively for the production of civilian liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), and to supply it solely to the three state-owned petroleum marketing companies: Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL), Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL), and Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL). Following the issuance of this directive, Indian petrochemical enterprises have faced severe raw material shortages, directly impacting the operation of downstream chemical plants.

Following the government ban, Indian polymer enterprises are facing widespread raw material shortages. The market generally believes that the impact on the polypropylene (PP) industry chain is significantly greater than that on the polyethylene (PE) industry chain. Multiple industry insiders stated that the operating rates of Indian state-owned PP producers are expected to decline by 30%–40%, while non-integrated enterprises will face a dual blow of propylene shortages and a sharp surge in naphtha prices.

2. Pilot-scale validation successful! Clariant × Borealis × SINTEF join forces: waste plastics transformed into pyrolysis feedstock

Recently, Clariant, Borealis, and the Norwegian research institute SINTEF successfully completed a pilot-scale demonstration of waste plastic pyrolysis oil upgrading technology.

The project aims to upgrade pyrolysis oil (pyoil) so that it can be used as a feedstock for steam cracking units, and then be reused as a raw material for the production of new polyolefins.

This process centers on Clariant’s HDMax catalyst. Trials conducted at SINTEF’s pilot plant demonstrated that pyrolysis oil derived from waste plastics can be converted into feedstock fully meeting the quality requirements of steam crackers.

This process can achieve: complete saturation of dienes, avoiding the formation of sticky, resinous gum deposits, and removal of impurities such as oxygen-containing compounds, nitrogen-containing compounds, and halogenated compounds.

3. Breaking Industry Barriers! ExxonMobil Partners with Reifenhäuser to Develop High-Performance PCR Stretch Hood Film

ExxonMobil has launched a new brand, ExxonMobil Signature Polymers, integrating its polyolefin products. Recently, it introduced a breakthrough stretch film with a post-consumer recycled content (PCR) content of up to 35%. This innovative product was developed in collaboration with Reifenhäuser and solves the industry challenge of using household-sourced PCR (which is usually contaminated and of inconsistent quality) in high-performance industrial packaging.

This advanced stretch hood film integrates cutting-edge materials and processing technologies to transform low-grade PCR into high-performance solutions. The company states that this achievement reflects its firm commitment to sustainability, technological innovation, and collaborative cooperation across the entire industrial chain.

4. Arkema expands KYNAR® PVDF production capacity in China, supporting strong market growth

Arkema disclosed that its Kynar in Changshu, China will^®PVDF capacity will increase by 20%, with a new production facility set to come online in 2028. This additional capacity is aimed at empowering the sustained strong growth in demand across key markets, including lithium-ion batteries for electric vehicles (EV) and energy storage systems (ESS), high-performance coatings, the chemical processing industry, semiconductor manufacturing, water treatment, and wire and cable. The project will strictly adhere to the highest standards to achieve operational excellence, reflecting Arkema's consistent commitment to continually upgrading its production operations at facilities around the world.

5. Affected by the stagnation of exports from the Middle East, Nissan will cut production at its Kyushu plant.

Due to the disruption of Middle East export transportation caused by tensions in Iran, Nissan will reduce production by about 1,200 vehicles this month at its Kyushu plant in Japan.

Reports said that due to the disruption of vehicle shipments to the Middle East, Nissan will cut the production of models not targeting the Middle East market at its Kyushu plant in Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan, to free up storage space.

According to the Nikkei report, Nissan Shatai's Kyushu plant will continue normal production of the Nissan Patrol, a large SUV that serves as Nissan's core model for the Middle Eastern market, where demand remains strong and profit margins are high.

Nissan Patrol; Image Source: Nissan

However, due to restrictions on logistics routes, vehicles that Nissan plans to send to the Middle East can only be temporarily stored in Japan for now. This transportation disruption mainly arises from the ongoing escalation of conflicts related to Iran and the increased shipping risks in the Strait of Hormuz, which is a crucial global shipping route.

6. GCR and RIGK conduct advanced industrial recycling trial for post-consumer packaging

GCR Sustainable Plastic Solutions and RIGK GmbH have entered into a strategic cooperation to conduct advanced industrial recycling trials for post-consumer packaging collected under the German PAMIRA system and specific industry GVÖ schemes. The project aims to ensure high standards of product quality, traceability, and usage safety in technical application areas.

Overseas Macro Market:

[Chemical giant BASF announces price increase] Starting from March 18, the prices of all home care, industrial and institutional cleaning, and industrial formulation products in Europe will increase, with the highest increase reaching 30% or more.

Israeli media reported today, citing an Israeli official, that the Israeli military carried out an attack on Iran's intelligence minister, Esmail Khatib, on the night of March 17, and is currently awaiting the results.

[The UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that the country’s operations are generally stable.] The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the United Arab Emirates issued a statement on the 18th, outlining the overall situation and response measures following Iran’s attacks on the UAE, indicating that the current national security situation is generally under control and societal operations remain stable.

Iran's Foreign Minister Zarif said on the 18th that the assassination of Ali Larijani, the Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, will not deal a "fatal blow" to Iran's leadership and will not shake Iran's political structure.

Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio stated in the House of Councillors Budget Committee that there are currently no plans to deploy the Self-Defense Forces to the Strait of Hormuz.

[Iran launches missiles with cluster munitions at Tel Aviv, Israel] Iranian sources reported that Iran has launched missiles equipped with cluster munitions at the Tel Aviv area in Israel, in retaliation for the assassination of Ali Larijani, the Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council. Air raid sirens went off in Jerusalem and multiple locations in Israel in the early hours of the 18th, and the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said they detected incoming Iranian missiles. Smoke was seen rising from several locations in Israel following the missile attacks. Israeli emergency services reported that the missile strikes had resulted in 2 deaths and damage to multiple buildings.

Price Information:

The central parity rate of the RMB against the US dollar has reached its highest level since April 25, 2023.

The central parity rate of the Chinese yuan against the US dollar was set at 6.8909, up by 52 pips from the previous trading day's central parity rate of 6.8961. The official closing rate on the previous trading day was 6.8877, and the overnight session closed at 6.8850.

[Upstream Raw Material USD Market Price]

On March 17, CFR Northeast Asia stood at USD 1,250 per ton, up USD 50 per ton; CFR Southeast Asia stood at USD 1,250 per ton, up USD 50 per ton.

Northeast Asia propylene FOB South Korea average price held steady at $1,080/ton, while CFR China average price fell by $20/ton to $1,090/ton.

North Asia CFR prices: propane at USD 916–926/ton; butane at USD 916–926/ton.

China South China refrigerated cargo April arrival price: propane $966–976/ton; butane $961–971/ton.

CIF prices for LPG in Taiwan: propane at USD 916–926 per metric ton; butane at USD 916–926 per metric ton.

[LLDPE USD Price Market]

Film: USD 1,230 per metric ton (CFR Huangpu)

Injection molding: USD 1,450/ton (CFR Dongguan);

[HDPE US Dollar Market Price]

Film: USD 1,300/ton (CFR Shekou)

Injection Molding: No quotation;

Pipe: No quotation;

LDPE USD Market Price

Film: USD 1,450 per metric ton (CFR Dongguan)

Coating: No quotation.

[PP USD Market Price]

Homopolymer: 1245 USD/ton (CFR Huangpu)

Copolymer: USD 1,275 per metric ton (CFR Huangpu)

Film material: No quotation;

Transparent: 1410 USD/ton (CFR Huangpu);

Pipe: USD 1,480 per metric ton (CFR Shanghai).