Over $6 Billion in Compensation! DuPont, Chemours, Corteva Reach Settlement! Lohmann Packaging Launches Indonesia Plant Phase II

International News Guide:

Raw Materials - Compensation Exceeds 6 Billion! DuPont, Chemours, Corteva Reach Settlement

Automotive - AIMPLAS Develops Sustainable Flame-Retardant Coatings and Composites to Enhance Mobility Safety

Packaging - Indonesia Plant Phase II Project Launched: Lohmann Packaging Deepens Southeast Asia Layout

Medical - Plastics Cause $1.5 Trillion Annual Health Loss? A Controversial Claim from a Leading Journal

Electronics - U.S. Launches 337 Investigation, TCL, Lenovo, OnePlus Named as Defendants

Macro - Foreign Media Report U.S. Considering New Sanctions on Russia's "Shadow Fleet"

Prices - Ethylene Asia: CFR Northeast Asia $780/ton; CFR Southeast Asia $850/ton

International News Details:

1. Compensation Exceeds 6 Billion! DuPont, Chemours, Corteva Reach Settlemen

On August 4, U.S. chemical companies Chemours, DuPont, and Corteva announced an environmental settlement agreement, agreeing to pay $875 million (approximately RMB 6.29 billion) in environmental compensation to New Jersey to address per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) pollution, including aqueous film-forming foam contamination. Among them, Chemours will bear 50% of the settlement, approximately $250 million; DuPont will bear 35.5%, approximately $177 million; and Corteva will bear the remaining 14.5%, approximately $72 million.

2. Sibur Expands Polymer Production, Develops New Medical-Grade Polypropylene

Russian polymer producer Sibur has begun installing polypropylene production facilities at the Amur Gas Chemical Complex (Amur GCC). As one of the largest investment projects in the global petrochemical industry, Amur GCC plans to have an annual polymer production capacity of 2.7 million tons. The project is currently 82% complete and is expected to start operation next year.

All heavy and ultra-large equipment for Amur GCC is scheduled to be delivered by the end of this summer's shipping season. The complex will start polyethylene production in 2026 and follow with polypropylene production in 2027. In addition to supplying the domestic Russian market, the products will be exported to China and other Asian countries.

3. MCAP Completes Acquisition of Mitsubishi Chemical's J-Film to Strengthen PMMA Material Strategic Layout

According to Plastics View on August 6, Japan's Marunouchi Capital (MCAP) announced that its managed Marunouchi Capital Fund II has reached an agreement to acquire all issued shares of J-Film Co., Ltd. held by Mitsubishi Chemical through a special purpose company. This transaction marks MCAP's further deepening of its layout in the manufacturing sector and highlights its intention to integrate the high-performance materials industry chain.

4. Indonesia Plant Phase II Project Launched: Lohmann Packaging Deepens Southeast Asia Layout

Lohmann Packaging, a leading supplier of high-quality, environmentally friendly aseptic packaging products and solutions headquartered in Kunshan, Jiangsu, China, recently officially launched the second phase of investment in its Indonesia plant in Serang, Banten Province, Indonesia. This marks a significant progress in Lohmann Packaging Group's first overseas expansion and makes the plant Indonesia's first facility capable of providing end-to-end aseptic packaging production.

5. Plastics Cause $1.5 Trillion Annual Health Loss? A Controversial Claim from a Leading Journal

A recent article in a top British medical journal has sparked controversy. Published in The Lancet on August 3, the study claims: "Plastics threaten health from infancy to old age, causing disease and death, resulting in over $1.5 trillion in annual health-related economic losses."

6. U.S. Launches 337 Investigation, TCL, Lenovo, OnePlus Named as Defendants

On August 4 local time, the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) officially voted to launch a 337 investigation into "certain mobile cellular communication devices" (Investigation No.: 337-TA-1456). Several Chinese companies including OnePlus, Lenovo, TCL and their overseas affiliated companies, as well as Finland's HMD Global, were listed as named defendants in this intellectual property dispute.

7.  AIMPLAS Develops Sustainable Flame-Retardant Coatings and Composites to Enhance Mobility Safety

According to foreign media reports, the Spanish Plastic Technology Center (AIMPLAS) is actively carrying out two projects funded by the Valencian Institute of Competitiveness and Innovation (IVACE+i) and supported by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). The projects aim to develop new flame-retardant coatings and composites in a sustainable manner to enhance safety in the home and transportation sectors.

8. Mazda Plunges into Huge Loss in Q2 Due to U.S. Tariff Policies

Mazda Motor Corporation released its financial results on the 5th, stating that due to the impact of U.S. tariff policies, the company's operating performance declined across the board in the second quarter of this year. Net profit attributable to shareholders turned from a profit of 49.8 billion yen in the same period last year to a loss of 42.1 billion yen (approximately $285 million).

9. DuPont's Q2 Revenue Surges 35%!

DuPont released its Q2 2025 financial report on August 5, showing net sales of $3.3 billion (up approximately 3.1% year-on-year), income from continuing operations under U.S. GAAP of $238 million, up 35% year-on-year; operating EBITDA of $859 million, up 8%.

In terms of specific business progress: (1) Net sales and organic sales of the Electronics business grew by 6%, with an operating EBITDA margin of 31.9%. (2) Demand recovery in the medical health (biopharmaceuticals, medical packaging) and water treatment end markets (driven by reverse osmosis technology) drove low-single-digit organic growth, with net sales and organic sales up 1%, and an operating EBITDA margin of 24.4%.

Overseas Macro Market:

Canada and Mexico Seek to Deepen Cooperation as "Free Trade Nations"

Canadian Foreign Minister Anita Anand stated that Canada and Mexico agreed to "develop a work plan" covering "resilient supply chains, inter-port trade routes, artificial intelligence and digital economy, and energy security." Anand said that she, along with Canadian Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland, had a "more than one-hour" conversation with Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum.

Foreign Media Report U.S. Considering New Sanctions on Russia's "Shadow Fleet"

According to the British Financial Times citing informed sources on the 5th, the U.S. will consider imposing additional sanctions on Russia's "shadow fleet" if Russian President Vladimir Putin does not agree to a ceasefire in Ukraine by August 8. Previously, Western countries accused Russia of using oil tankers and other commercial vessels to evade Western sanctions, referring to these commercial vessels as the "shadow fleet."

Germany's Factory Orders Unexpectedly Fell 1% Month-on-Month in June, Declining for Two Consecutive Months

Germany's factory orders unexpectedly fell 1% month-on-month in June, declining for the second consecutive month, significantly lower than the market expectation of a 1% increase. The decline was mainly affected by a sharp 23.1% drop in orders for aircraft, ships, and military vehicles, indicating the challenges facing the manufacturing industry.

Bayer's Q2 Sales Reached €10.739 Billion

Bayer released its Q2 2025 financial report, showing sales of €10.739 billion, compared with $11.144 billion in the same period last year; a net loss of €199 million, compared with a loss of $34 million in the same period last year; and earnings per share of -€0.2.

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