International News Brief:
Major Company News-Invista to close Eastern Ontario plant! Production line to be relocated to Texas.
Raw Material News-Rohm gains strong industry momentum in the Europe-wide PMMA recycling alliance.
Packaging NewsShell and ISOFlex have partnered to launch a circular packaging solution.
Association NewsThe American Plastics Industry Association Releases 2025 Report: Industry Resilience Stands Out, Continues to Inject Momentum into the U.S. Economy
Recycle NewsPlastic recycler Resynergi to leave California following opposition from local residents.
Macroeconomic News-The Trump administration is planning a new policy targeting semiconductor import dependency: U.S. companies must have "capacity reciprocity," or face tariffs.
Price InformationThe central parity rate of RMB against the USD is set at 7.1152, down 34 points.
The following are the details of international news:
Invista to close its factory in eastern Ontario! Production line to move to Texas.
September 23, InvistaInvista has decided to close its Maitland plant in Canada and relocate the production of DYTEK® A amine to its plant in Victoria, Texas, USA. This move is part of Invista's ongoing commitment to improving operational efficiency and meeting the growing demand for 2-methylpentamethylenediamine.
The announcement indicates that the exit plan for the Maitland plant will be initiated in the coming months and will be implemented in phases with key milestones and activities to ensure the safe, orderly, and compliant closure of the plant, affecting approximately 100 employees.
Rohm gains strong industry momentum with its PMMA recycling alliance across Europe.
Last year, Röhm collaborated with partners in the plastics industry to launch a Europe-wide poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) recycling alliance, which has attracted significant interest and growing demand across the industry. The alliance aims to promote the recycling of PMMA from end-user products and post-consumer waste, and to establish a closed-loop material cycle. Since its inception, the PMMA recycling rate in Europe has increased significantly.
Shell and ISOFlex Collaborate to Launch Circular Packaging Solution
On September 26th, it was learned that Shell Polymers has initiated a commercial collaboration with ISOFlex, a subsidiary of Sigma Plastics Group, to promote the use of ISCC PLUS certified circular polyethylene in the food-grade flexible packaging sector.
The cooperation announcement was made on the eve of the Pack Expo 2025 in the United States. During the exhibition, Sigma Group and its ISOFlex subsidiary will showcase their film production capabilities and discuss with customers and industry peers their progress in advancing sustainable packaging.
The 2025 American International Packaging Exhibition (Pack Expo 2025) will be held from September 29 to October 1, 2025, at the Las Vegas Convention Center.
The Plastics Industry Association of America Releases 2025 Report: Industry Resilience Highlighted, Continues to Inject Momentum into the U.S. Economy
The Plastics Industry Association (PLASTICS) has released its "2025 Industry Size and Impact Report." This report is the association's annual flagship analysis, emphasizing that despite the ongoing challenges and uncertainties currently faced by the industry, the positive contribution of the plastics industry to the U.S. economy continues.
The report relies on comprehensive economic data and focuses on key manufacturing indicators—including equipment investment, employment conditions, shipments, and overall capacity—clearly demonstrating the strength and resilience of the plastics industry.
Due to opposition from local residents, plastic recycler Resynergi announced it will leave California.
According to a report from Zhuang Su Shi Jie on September 26, Resynergi, a promising plastic recycling startup from Sonoma County, announced its plan to relocate its business out of California due to strong opposition from local residents. This decision has attracted widespread attention from various sectors.
Resynergi's factory located in SOMO Village, Rohnert Park, utilizes pyrolysis to recycle plastics, aiming to address the issue of plastic waste that might ultimately end up in landfills. Previously, the company was seeking permission to expand the operation of its facility within this new mixed-use development project in SOMO Village.
The United States launches an investigation into imported robots and industrial machinery, impacting the plastics industry.
On September 26, Specialty Plastics World cited foreign media reports that the U.S. Department of Commerce, based on federal documents soon to be released, has officially launched a "Section 232" investigation into the import of robots and industrial machinery. This move appears to target the machinery sector but is closely related to the plastics industry and is likely to impact the plastics sector in the country.
Trump's new policy targets semiconductor import dependency: American companies must have "capacity reciprocity," otherwise tariffs will be imposed.
The Trump administration is considering a new plan aimed at significantly reducing the United States' dependence on overseas semiconductor manufacturing, with the hope of stimulating domestic manufacturing and reshaping the global supply chain.The goal is to require chip companies to produce the same quantity of semiconductors in the United States as their customers import from overseas manufacturers.According to informed sources, companies that fail to maintain a "1:1" ratio in the long term will be forced to pay tariffs.
This plan originated from Trump's statement last month. At that time, he indicated that if tech companies invested more funds in the United States, they could avoid semiconductor tariffs as high as 100%. Informed sources pointed out that it is more challenging to match domestic production capacity with import volumes than merely increasing investment in the U.S., because overseas products are usually cheaper, the supply chain is difficult to adjust, and enhancing domestic supply in the U.S. takes time. If implemented,This plan may further complicate an already complex tariff system.
Overseas Macro Market:
[Apple Inc. requests the EU to abolish the Digital Markets Act; EU Commission spokesperson responds firmly]
In response to the recent request by American company Apple to abolish the EU's tech regulatory legislation, the Digital Markets Act, EU Commission spokesperson Renier made a strong statement on the 25th. He noted that since the Digital Markets Act came into effect, Apple has raised various objections to the act and has refused active negotiations by the EU Commission to help them comply with the legislation. Renier stated that another investigation targeting Apple is still ongoing and "all options are on the table."
Apple Inc. was previously fined 500 million euros for violating the provisions of the Digital Markets Act. On the 24th, Apple Inc. issued a statement requesting the EU to repeal the Digital Markets Act and implement "more purpose-oriented legislation."
Goldman Sachs warns of U.S. stock market volatility, with numerous catalysts expected to emerge in the coming months.
The derivatives team at Goldman Sachs stated that since 1928, the historical volatility of the S&P 500 index in October has been approximately 20% higher than in other months. In recent decades, this magnitude has been even greater because the fourth quarter typically sees a large number of catalysts at the corporate level. "The increased volatility in October is not just a coincidence," wrote John Marshall, head of derivatives research at Goldman. "For many investors and companies that concentrate performance management towards the end of the year, this is a critical period. As investors focus on earnings reports, analyst activity days, and management's guidance for the next year, this pressure can increase trading volume and volatility."
The Bank of Mexico once again lowered the benchmark interest rate to 7.50%.
On September 25 local time, the Bank of Mexico announced that due to "weak" domestic economic activity and mild inflation levels, it decided to lower the benchmark interest rate by 25 basis points to 7.50%, effective from September 26, 2025. This marks the 10th consecutive reduction in the benchmark interest rate by the Bank of Mexico since August last year. The Bank of Mexico stated that it will assess the possibility of further reductions.
South Korea's cosmetics exports to the United States have fallen for the first time in 31 months.
According to data from the Korea International Trade Association, South Korea's cosmetics exports to the United States in August experienced their first decline in 31 months. The total value of cosmetics exports to the U.S. in August was $183.8 million, a year-on-year decrease of 5.6%, marking the first year-on-year decline since January 2023.
Price Information:
The central parity rate of RMB to USD
The central parity rate of the RMB against the USD is reported at 7.1152, down 34 points; the previous trading day's central parity rate was 7.1118, the previous trading day's official closing price was 7.1253, and the previous night's closing price was 7.1322.
[Upstream Raw Material USD Market Price]
Ethylene Asia: CFR Northeast Asia $820/ton; CFR Southeast Asia $820/ton.
Propylene Northeast Asia: FOB Korea average price is 760 USD/ton; CFR China average price is 795 USD/ton.
CFR price for Northeast Asia: propane at 526-528 USD/ton; butane at 542-544 USD/ton.
The October CIF price for South China refrigerated cargo is $576-586 per ton for propane and $556-566 per ton for butane.
The CIF price of frozen goods in Taiwan is 526-528 USD/ton for propane and 542-544 USD/ton for butane.
[LLDPE USD Market Price]
Film: $860-910/ton (CFR Huangpu)
Injection molding: 1010 USD/ton (CFR Dongguan);
[HDPE USD Market Price]
Film: $910-980/ton (CFR Huangpu);
Hollow: 855 USD/ton (CFR Huangpu);
Injection molding: USD 830-850/ton (CFR Huangpu);
Pipe material: 1010 USD/ton (CFR Huangpu);
[LDPE USD Market Price]
Film: $1070-1115/ton (CFR Huangpu)
Coating: 1280 USD/ton (CFR Huangpu).
[PP USD Market Price]
Homopolymer: $855-925/ton (CFR Huangpu);
Copolymer: $875-900/ton (CFR Nansha);
Film material: 1010-1030 USD/ton (CFR Huangpu);
Transparent: $985-1050/ton (CFR Huangpu);
Pipe material: USD 1100/ton (CFR Shanghai).
【Copyright and Disclaimer】The above information is collected and organized by PlastMatch. The copyright belongs to the original author. This article is reprinted for the purpose of providing more information, and it does not imply that PlastMatch endorses the views expressed in the article or guarantees its accuracy. If there are any errors in the source attribution or if your legitimate rights have been infringed, please contact us, and we will promptly correct or remove the content. If other media, websites, or individuals use the aforementioned content, they must clearly indicate the original source and origin of the work and assume legal responsibility on their own.
