U.S. Tariff Exemption List Takes Effect Today! Germany Approves €1 Billion to Cut Industrial Energy Costs

International News Guide:

Raw Material News - Trump Unveils New Tariff Exemption List! Covering 39 Products! Takes Effect Today

Auto News - Uber and Momenta Jointly Announce Robotaxi Launch in Munich, Germany

Aviation News - World's First! Two Carbon Fiber Giants Join Forces to Set New Benchmark for Aerospace Composites

Macro News - Japan Raises Q2 Economic Growth; Q3 May See Negative Growth

Price Information - CNY/USD Central Parity Rate Stands at 7.1029, Up 35 Pips

Detailed International News:

Trump Unveils New Tariff Exemption List! Covering 39 Products! Takes Effect Today

The White House issued Trump's executive order "Modifying the Scope of Reciprocal Tariffs and Establishing Procedures for Enforcing Trade and Security Agreements". Trump revised the scope of applicable reciprocal tariffs, announcing tariff exemptions for 39 commodities and additional tariffs on 8 new commodities. The revisions officially took effect on September 8, 2025 (today).

Screenshot of Trump's Executive Order from the White House

Under the executive order, 39 commodities have been added to Appendix 2, meaning they will no longer be subject to reciprocal tariffs and are exempted from such tariffs. These commodities include graphite, nickel, zinc, gold bars and other metals, as well as pharmaceuticals.

Germany Approves Billions of Euros in Subsidies to Reduce Industrial Energy Costs

The German Federal Cabinet has approved measures to reduce energy prices. A reduction in electricity tax and grid fees will provide relief for both businesses and consumers.

Borouge Invests Heavily in Austria: €100+ Million to Expand Polypropylene Modification Capacity

Borouge is investing over €100 million to expand and upgrade its polypropylene (PP) modification facility in Schwechat, Austria. The new production line is scheduled to start operations in the second half of 2026. This expansion will increase the supply of advanced PP modified materials, which are mainly used in consumer goods, transportation and infrastructure applications. The investment supports Borouge's We4Customers strategy, helping customers achieve performance and sustainability goals.

Dutch Specialty Chemical Distributor IMCD Acquires Italian Chemical Supplier Tillmanns

Dutch speciality chemicals distributor IMCD (Rotterdam; www.imcdgroup.com) said it has acquired Italian chemicals supplier Tillmanns (Milan; www.tillmanns.it) for an undisclosed sum. With a strong domestic market presence, Tillmanns operates across several key sectors including compounding, coatings, construction, food and nutrition, and water treatment.

For the plastics and rubber industries, the company supplies pigments and additives used in the production of plastic and masterbatch compounds, as well as compounds based on both virgin and recycled polymers. 

100% Textile Waste-Made Biodegradable Fiber: Spinnova Terminates Joint Venture and Gains Exclusive Rights to the Fiber

Spinnova acquired Woodspin from Finland's Suzano for €2, terminating the joint venture. A binding agreement was signed: Spinnova purchased all shares of Woodspin and Suzano Finland, and obtained exclusive rights to wood-based fibers. Under the previous agreement, Spinnova Oyj signed a binding agreement today to purchase all shares of Woodspin Oy and Suzano Finland Oy from Suzano S.A. for a total price of €2. This gives SPINNOVA full ownership of manufacturer and distributor Woodspin, as well as raw material supplier Suzano Finland Oy, for the production of wood-based Spinnova fibers. These transactions are subject to customary closing conditions and are expected to be completed in the coming weeks. Suzano will also contribute €5 million to Woodspin and Suzano Finland.

World's First! Two Carbon Fiber Giants Join Forces to Set New Benchmark for Aerospace Composites

Teijin Carbon recently announced that its Tenax™ IMS65 E23 24K Non-Crimp Fabric (NCF) and Unidirectional (UD) materials, combined with Syensqo's PRISM® EP2400 epoxy resin system, have officially obtained certification from the National Center for Advanced Materials Performance (NCAMP). The successful development of this new product jointly created by the two industry giants marks the world's first dry carbon fiber reinforced material combination using Vacuum Assisted Resin Transfer Molding (VARTM) as an independent process route to pass certification, opening a new era for aerospace composite manufacturing.

Safran Considers Selling Aircraft Interiors Business Valued at €1.5 Billion

French aerospace and defense group Safran is considering selling most of its aircraft interiors business, with the assets to be sold potentially valued at up to €1.5 billion. In 2024, the aircraft interiors division accounted for 11% of Safran's €27.3 billion in revenue, driven by increased global travel and airlines' demand for cabin upgrades. The assets to be sold include equipment from overhead luggage racks to galley carts and interior decorations, while the company's cabin seat business is not up for sale. These businesses are expected to attract interest from private equity firms and related equipment manufacturers. Safran was established 20 years ago through the merger of French state-owned engine manufacturer Snecma and electronics company Sagem. The company jointly produces engines for Airbus and Boeing medium-haul airliners with GE Aerospace. In 2018, Safran acquired seat manufacturer Zodiac Aerospace, thereby obtaining the aircraft interiors business.

Uber and Momenta Jointly Announce Robotaxi Launch in Munich, Germany

Caixin News Agency, September 8 - Uber Advanced Technologies Group, a mobility service platform, and Momenta announced that Munich, Germany will be the launch city for their joint Robotaxi project, with official operation services expected to start locally in 2026. In May this year, Momenta and Uber announced a strategic cooperation agreement to introduce autonomous vehicles to the Uber platform in international markets outside the United States and China.

Lyondellbasell and Partners Develop Bio-Based Film Packaging Solution for Cosmetics

LyondellBasell has announced the joint development of a new bio-based film packaging solution in collaboration with Futamura Chemical, a sustainable packaging manufacturer, Iwatani Corporation, a Japanese trading company, and Shiseido, a renowned player in the beauty industry with over 150 years of history.

Overseas Macro Market:

【Turkey Lowers 2026 Economic Growth Forecast; Signs Show Inflation Remains Top Priority】

Turkey has lowered its GDP forecast, signaling that the government prioritizes price stability over high-speed growth. The latest Medium-Term Economic Program released on Sunday shows that Turkey's economic growth is expected to be 3.3% this year and 3.8% next year, down from last year's forecasts of 4% and 4.5% respectively. Next year's 3.8% growth forecast, while higher than the 3.5% median forecast from economists surveyed by media, is still far below Turkey's average economic growth rate of about 5% over the past 20 years. For many, this adjustment indicates that policymakers are prioritizing inflation control – Turkey's current inflation rate has exceeded six times the official target of 5%.

【Japan Raises Q2 Economic Growth; Q3 May See Negative Growth】

Japan's Cabinet Office announced on the 8th in its second preliminary report that Japan's real gross domestic product (GDP) grew by 0.5% quarter-on-quarter in the second quarter of this year, or 2.2% annualized. This result exceeded the general expectations of private institutions. The preliminary statistics released by the Cabinet Office on August 15 showed that Japan's real GDP grew by 0.3% quarter-on-quarter in the second quarter, or 1.0% annualized. Toshihiro Nagahama, chief economist at the Dai-ichi Life Research Institute, pointed out that the upward revision of private inventories in the second quarter will put pressure on economic growth in the third quarter, and the possibility of Japan's economy falling into negative growth in the third quarter has increased. Data from NEEDS, a data service platform of the Nikkei, recently showed that due to possible export declines caused by U.S. tariff policies in the future, Japan's economy may see negative growth in the third quarter and zero growth in the fourth quarter.

Price Information:

【CNY/USD Central Parity Rate】
The central parity rate of CNY against USD was reported at 7.1029, up 35 pips; the previous trading day's central parity rate was 7.1064, the previous trading day's official closing price was 7.1378, and the overnight closing price was 7.1324.

【Upstream Raw Material USD Market Prices】

Ethylene Asia: CFR Northeast Asia $840/ton; CFR Southeast Asia $840/ton.

Propylene Northeast Asia: FOB Korea average $760/ton; CFR China average $790/ton.

Northeast Asia frozen cargo CIF: Propane $539-540/ton; Butane $549-550/ton.

South China frozen cargo CIF for early October: Propane $590-600/ton; Butane $570-580/ton.

Taiwan region frozen cargo CIF: Propane $539-540/ton; Butane $549-550/ton.

【LLDPE USD Market Prices】

Film: $860-910/ton (CFR Huangpu);

Injection Molding: $950/ton (CFR Dongguan);

【HDPE USD Market Prices】

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

Blow Molding: $860/ton (CFR Huangpu);

Injection Molding: $870/ton (CFR Huangpu);

Pipes: $1025/ton (CFR Huangpu);

【LDPE USD Market Prices】

Film: $1115/ton (CFR Huangpu);

Coating: $1280/ton (CFR Huangpu);

【PP USD Market Prices】

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

Copolymer: $900/ton (CFR Nansha);

Film Grade: $1020/ton (CFR Nansha);

Transparent Grade: $955-1050/ton (CFR Huangpu);

Pipes: $1130/ton (CFR Shanghai);