Toray Industries Builds PPS Plant In India! BASF Closes EPS Facility! PBAT Anti-Dumping Investigation Launched

International News Digest:

Raw Material NewsBASF shuts down this expandable polystyrene (EPS) plant.

Automotive News-Toray (Toray will establish a polyphenylene sulfide (PPS) plant in India to accelerate the expansion of its engineering plastics business.

Packaging Highlights-BASF initiated, EU towards China.PBAT anti-dumping investigation! Including modified materials

Construction News-Xika officially announces a coaching change!A 20-year veteran takes over the construction business.

Medical News-Get closer to end customers to reduce supply chain risks!Medline to build a new medical plastics plant in Slovakia

AI News-Researchers at the University of Maryland have developedAI-driven new method，Preparation of biodegradable plastics

Macroeconomic HeadlinesIranian official: Iran does not rule out advancing negotiations, but the U.S. must show sincerity.

The following are details of international news.：

BASF closed this expandable polystyrene (EPS) plant.

BASF has decided to shut down its expandable polystyrene facility at its Ulsan plastics site in South Korea.(EPS) production facility. Related production and operations are expected to cease in mid-June 2026. This move is one of BASF’s ongoing efforts to advance its strategic review, optimize its global styrenics production footprint, and respond to market changes to enhance competitiveness.

2、Dongli (Toray will establish a polyphenylene sulfide (PPS) plant in India to accelerate the expansion of its engineering plastics business.

Toray Industries, Inc. (a Japanese chemical giant)Toray Industries Inc. announced plans to build a new polyphenylene sulfide (PPS) production facility in Sri City, Andhra Pradesh, through its subsidiary in India. The planned annual production capacity of the plant is approximately 3,000 tons, making it Toray's first dedicated PPS composite production line in India. According to the plan, the facility is expected to commence operations in early 2027, with sample products available for customers starting in April of the same year, followed by a swift transition to full-scale production.

3、BASF initiated, the EU against ChinaPBAT anti-dumping investigation! Includes modified materials.

BASF has filed a complaint with the European Commission regarding products originating from China.PBAT and PBSeT are being sold at dumping prices in the EU market. Over 88% of global PBAT production capacity is concentrated in China, with an expected export of 69,200 tons to the EU in 2025, accounting for 50.95% of total exports. This case was formally filed by the German chemical giant BASF on April 20, marking a substantial step in the EU's trade protection measures against Chinese biodegradable materials.

4、Reduce supply chain risks by getting closer to the end market!Medline Invests in a New Medical Plastics Plant in Slovakia

Recently,Medline International B.V. (a subsidiary of Medline Inc.) is advancing a strategic capacity expansion at its Partizánske site in Slovakia, strengthening the surgical medical products supplier’s supply chain resilience and operational excellence across the Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) region. The new facility, located adjacent to Medline’s existing site, is currently under construction. Once operational, it will significantly increase overall manufacturing capacity and support future business growth in the European healthcare market. Construction is progressing smoothly and in an orderly manner, with official production scheduled to begin in 2027.

5、Researchers at the University of Maryland developedAI-driven new methods，Prepare biodegradable plastics

In this project at the University of Maryland,AI-driven modeling operates as a bidirectional system: it can predict material properties, including tensile strength and adhesion, based on composition, and it can also generate candidate formulations that meet user-specified performance parameters. In collaboration with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the research team produced a food-packaging film incorporating copper and chitosan, a carbohydrate derived from shellfish shells. The material is said to be transparent, compostable, humidity-regulating, and antimicrobial. In comparative tests, this chitosan-based film preserved cucumbers better than standard plastic wrap over 15 days and extended the shelf life of avocados. The material’s intended applications extend beyond food packaging. Boyan Chen’s laboratory is developing candidate materials for office supplies, flame-retardant battery packaging, UV-protective packaging, and biodegradable drug delivery systems.

6、Xika officially announces a change of coach!20-year veteran takes over the construction business.

Recently, Swiss specialty chemicals giant SikaSika announced two significant senior leadership appointments: effective June 1, 2026, Philipp Irniger will succeed the retiring Ivo Schädler as Head of Construction and join the Group Management Team; at the same time, the newly created role of Chief Digital and Information Officer (CDIO) will be filled by Jochen Werling, who will report directly to the CEO. This leadership arrangement balances continuity in the core business with an upgrade to the digital strategy, marking an important step in Sika’s “Fast Forward” strategy and strengthening its talent foundation to help the company navigate global industry changes.

Overseas macro market news:

[Trump says U.S.-Iran talks may show results within a day or two]

In the early hours of June 9 local time, U.S. President Trump said to the media at New York’s Kennedy International Airport, where he was preparing to board Air Force One back to Washington, that talks between the United States and Iran were underway and hinted that there could be clear progress “within a day or two.” At the same time, he insisted that the U.S. maritime blockade against Iran remained in effect.

[World Cup May Distract Traders’ Attention; Citi Says Volatility in European and U.S. Bond Markets Usually Eases During the Tournament]

Citi said that during the World Cup, volatility in the U.S. and European bond markets tends to ease. With the opening match set to kick off on Thursday, the bank reiterated its recommendation to bet on lower yield curve volatility. “Historically, during the World Cup, volatility in U.S. dollar and euro short-term interest rates tends to remain subdued, and may even decline further, supporting our recent bearish volatility view,” it wrote in a report dated June 8.

[Iranian official: Iran does not rule out advancing negotiations, but the U.S. must show sincerity.]

According to a U.S. source on the 8th, Ebrahim Azizi, chairman of the National Security and Foreign Policy Committee of Iran’s Islamic Consultative Assembly, said in an interview that, in principle, Iran does not reject advancing peace talks with the United States, but Washington must change its current approach and show sincerity. Azizi said that Iran and the United States still have differences on major issues such as Iran’s nuclear program and uranium enrichment, and that there is still a lack of trust between the two sides. In addition, although the United States initially promised to immediately unfreeze Iran’s frozen assets, Iran has so far seen no sign that Washington intends to fulfill that promise. When asked whether Iran and the United States could ultimately reach a peace agreement, Azizi said the answer depends on the concrete actions the U.S. takes next.

In the first five months, China's imports and exports of goods trade increased by 15.3%.

Data released by the General Administration of Customs show that in the first five months of 2026, China’s foreign trade maintained steady growth, with the total value of goods imports and exports reaching 20.68 trillion yuan, up 15.3% year on year. Of this, exports totaled 11.91 trillion yuan, up 11.8% year on year, while imports reached 8.77 trillion yuan, up 20.5% year on year. In May alone, China’s imports and exports totaled 4.45 trillion yuan, exceeding 4 trillion yuan for the third consecutive month, with the year-on-year growth rate further expanding to 16.9%.

[Flights Resume at the International Airport in Iran's Capital]

According to the Tasnim News Agency, flights have resumed at Imam Khomeini International Airport in Tehran, Iran. From the evening of the 7th to the 8th local time, Iran and Israel engaged in the largest scale of clashes since the ceasefire between the U.S., Israel, and Iran began in early April. Imam Khomeini International Airport had previously suspended flight operations.

Price information:

The central parity rate of the RMB against the USD is reported at 6.8147, an increase of 51 points; the previous trading day's central parity rate was 6.8198, the official closing price on the previous trading day was 6.7844, and the night session yesterday closed at 6.7842.

[Upstream Raw Material USD Market Prices]

On June 8, CFR Northeast Asia ethylene was stable at USD 920/ton, while CFR Southeast Asia was stable at USD 950/ton.

The average FOB Korea price of propylene in Northeast Asia remained stable at USD 1,110/ton, while the average CFR China price held steady at USD 1,130/ton.

North Asia refrigerated cargoes CFR: propane at USD 797-807/mt; butane at USD 847-857/mt.

South China refrigerated cargo CFR prices for early July: propane at USD 903–913/ton; butane at USD 963–973/ton.

CIF Taiwan refrigerated cargo prices: propane USD 797–807/mt; butane USD 847–857/mt.

[LLDPE USD market price]

Film: USD 1,300/ton (CFR Huangpu);

[HDPE US dollar market price]

Film: USD 1,270/ton (CFR Huangpu);

Hollow: $1360/ton (CFR Yantian);

Injection molding: USD 1,320/ton (CFR Yantian);

[LDPE USD market price]

Film: $1430/ton (CFR Huangpu);

[PP US dollar market price]

Homopolymer: USD 1,400/ton (CFR Huangpu);

Co-polymer: $1430/ton (CFR Nansha);

Membrane material: USD 1,580/ton (CFR Huangpu);

Transparent: USD 1,485/ton (CFR Huangpu);

Editor: Translate the above content into English and output only the translation result, without any explanation. Yun Shimeng （Carrie）