Avantium Successfully Starts Up First Part of its FDCA Flagship Plant! DuPont sells Kevlar and Nomex brands to Arclin;UK Plastic Tax Revenue Down 3% as Recycled Content in Packaging Rises

International News Guide:

Raw Material News - DuPont sells Kevlar and Nomex brands to Arclin

Automotive News - VDMA: US Tariffs Threaten Survival of Europe's Machinery Industry

Electronics News - TSMC Considers Raising Prices of High-End Process Nodes by 5%-10% Next Year

Packaging News -UK plastic tax revenue down 3% as recycled content in packaging rises

Medical News - Optel Group acquires Quebec’s Vanguard Robotics

Macroeconomic News - Hedge Funds Increase Option Bets, Bullish on RMB to Break Below 7 Yuan Mark Against USD

Price Information - North Asia LPG CIF Prices: Propane at USD 534-536/ton; Butane at USD 544-546/ton

Detailed International News:

1. Avantium Successfully Starts Up First Part of its FDCA Flagship Plant

Avantium N.V., a leader in renewable and circular polymer materials, is pleased to announce the successful start-up of the sugar dehydration (SDH) unit and all auxiliary systems and utilities at its FDCA Flagship Plant in Delfzijl. This achievement marks a key technical achievement in the phased commissioning and start-up of the world’s first commercial facility dedicated to the production of FDCA (furandicarboxylic acid), a key building block for the 100% plant-based and recyclable polymer PEF (polyethylene furanoate), branded as releaf®. Avantium now expects to begin commercial sales under its existing offtake agreements in the first quarter of 2026.

2. Omya to Launch Performance Polymer Distribution Business at K 2025

Omya, a global producer of essential minerals and distributor of specialty materials, will present its latest innovations at K 2025 in Düsseldorf. With a strong focus on performance polymers, circularity, decarbonization and lightweighting. Omya will showcase a portfolio of sustainable solutions to accelerate the transition to a circular economy. Visit Omya at Hall 6, Booth D75.

3. DuPont Sells Kevlar and Nomex Brands to Arclin

DuPont Co. is selling its aramids business – which includes its Kevlar and Nomex fiber brands – to materials firm Arclin Inc. for approximately US$1.8 billion.The deal is part of chemical maker DuPont’s attempt to streamline its portfolio, as the sector has been it’s been hit with higher energy costs, as well as weak demand and prices, especially in European markets where strict regulations have raised the cost of manufacturing.

4. VDMA: U.S. Tariffs Threaten the Survival of Europe’s Machinery Industry

The European Commission is defending its 15% tariff deal with the US as a "decision for stability and predictability." However, a growing list of critical machinery products has been left vulnerable to the much higher tariffs on steel and aluminum derivatives.

Earlier last week, the Trump administration implemented 50% tariffs on hundreds of "derivative" steel and aluminum products, with imported injection, blow, and compression molds specifically included in the measure. The tariffs represent an expansion of the administration's trade policy approach toward materials it says are critical to American manufacturing supply chains.

Under the updated policy, the steel and aluminum content of these products will be subject to a 50% tariff, while the non-steel and non-aluminum components will face reciprocal tariffs.

5. Nike Announces New Round of Layoffs

On the 28th local time, U.S.-based Nike Group announced plans for a new round of layoffs. The layoffs are expected to affect less than 1% of its employees, and the exact number of jobs to be impacted remains unclear. In February last year, Nike announced layoffs of 2%, equivalent to more than 1,500 positions.

6. UK Plastic Tax Revenue Down 3% as Recycled Content in Packaging Rises

Statistics from the UK’s HM Revenue and Customs revealed that Plastic Packaging Tax (PPT) receipts totalled GBP 259 million (€300 million) in the financial year 2024-2025, a 3% decrease from the previous financial year.

7. Optel Group acquires Quebec’s Vanguard Robotics

Quebec City-based software provider Optel Group has acquired Vanguard Robotics Inc., a Quebec company involved in end-of-line collaborative robot (cobot) automation solutions.

8. Novel Reactor Addresses Limitations of Pyrolysis for Plastics Recycling

Pyrolysis has received much attention as a technology capable of breaking down waste plastics in recycling processes, but existing pyrolysis approaches often give rise to products with broad molar mass distributions and poor yields. Catalysts can improve yield and selectivity, but they are expensive and have limited lifetimes. Researchers at Yale University (New Haven, Conn.; www.yale.edu) have developed a method that could improve both of those parameters. The team, led by Yale engineering professors Liangbing Hu and Shu Hu, developed a highly selective, energy-efficient and catalyst-free pyrolysis method that can convert plastic into valuable chemicals.

Overseas Macroeconomic Market Information:

Hedge Funds Increase Option Bets, Bullish on RMB to Break Below 7 Yuan Mark Against USD

Hedge funds are increasing option bets, suggesting that the RMB still has room to appreciate against the USD. According to traders who requested anonymity, there has been an increase in demand from hedge funds for options that profit from RMB appreciation against the USD.

Data from SGX Derivatives Exchange shows that due to growing confidence in China’s policy support and a shift in U.S. interest rate expectations, investors currently aim for the RMB to reach around 7 yuan per USD or stronger by the end of the year.

Report: TSMC Considers Raising Prices of High-End Process Nodes by 5%-10% Next Year

TSMC is considering raising the prices of all its high-end process nodes by 5%-10% in 2026 to offset U.S. tariffs, exchange rate fluctuations, and supply chain cost pressures. TSMC has communicated the higher 2026 quotes to its foundry partners, including processes such as 5nm/4nm, 3nm, and 2nm.

This means major customers of TSMC’s high-end processes, such as NVIDIA and Apple, will now have to pay more for chips. When asked whether TSMC was considering "price increases" to address current issues, TSMC Chairman Mark Liu responded humorously: "What I think in my heart, I can’t say with my mouth."

OpenAI Reportedly Plans to Build New Data Center in India, a Key Step in Stargate Expansion

OpenAI is seeking to build a large new data center in India, which may mark a key step in the expansion of its Stargate-branded artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure in Asia. According to people familiar with the matter, the company behind ChatGPT is looking for local partners to build a data center with a capacity of at least 1GW in the world’s most populous country.

This data center could be one of the largest in India, where Microsoft, Alphabet’s Google, and Asia’s richest man have also invested in such facilities. The specific location and timeline of OpenAI’s potential project remain unclear. CEO Sam Altman may announce the facility during his visit to the South Asian country this month, but specific plans are still undecided.

Price Information:

CNY/USD Central Parity Rate

The central parity rate of CNY against USD was quoted at 7.1072, down 42 pips; the central parity rate of the previous trading day was 7.1030, the official closing price of the previous trading day was 7.1330, and the overnight trading price was 7.1304.

USD Market Prices of Upstream Raw Materials

Ethylene (Asia): CFR Northeast Asia at USD 840/ton, down USD 2/ton; CFR Southeast Asia at USD 30/ton.

Propylene (Northeast Asia): FOB South Korea average at USD 760/ton; CFR China average at USD 790/ton, up USD 5/ton.

North Asia LPG CIF Prices: Propane at USD 534-536/ton; Butane at USD 544-546/ton.

South China LPG CIF Prices (Early October): Propane at USD 568-578/ton; Butane at USD 548-558/ton.

Taiwan Region LPG CIF Prices: Propane at USD 534-536/ton; Butane at USD 544-546/ton.

USD Market Prices of LLDPE

Film Grade: USD 860-910/ton (CFR Huangpu), down USD 5/ton;

Injection Molding Grade: USD 950/ton (CFR Dongguan).

USD Market Prices of HDPE

Film Grade: USD 910-970/ton (CFR Huangpu);

Blow Molding Grade: USD 860/ton (CFR Huangpu);

Injection Molding Grade: USD 870/ton (CFR Huangpu);

Pipe Grade: USD 1,025/ton (CFR Huangpu).

USD Market Prices of LDPE

Film Grade: USD 1,115/ton (CFR Huangpu);

Coating Grade: USD 1,280/ton (CFR Huangpu).

USD Market Prices of PP

Homopolymer Grade: USD 915-965/ton (CFR Huangpu);

Copolymer Grade: USD 900/ton (CFR Nansha);

Film Grade: USD 1,020/ton (CFR Nansha);

Transparent Grade: USD 955-1,050/ton (CFR Huangpu), down USD 5/ton;

Pipe Grade: USD 1,130/ton (CFR Shanghai).