European polymer prices were unchanged over the week to 19th April apart from a 20 EUR per tonne increase reported in the price of ABS. In the UK, prices fell across most grades as the Pound gained value against the Euro.   Asian polymers were mixed with an increase of 40 USD per tonne reported […]

Oil and gold prices have eased after Iranian authorities appeared to downplay reports of an attack from Israel.   Brent crude, the international benchmark, fell after jumping briefly to over $90 a barrel after reports emerged of an attack.   Gold briefly came close to a record high before settling below $2,400 an ounce.   […]

US President, Joe Biden has called for a tripling of tariffs on some steel and aluminium from China.   It is the latest protectionist policy to be embraced by Mr Biden as he campaigns for re-election against Donald Trump, who was known for his tough trade stance against China.   The White House said the […]

Oil prices fell on Monday after Iran’s reprisal attack on Israel over the weekend.   Brent crude was lower but still trading close to $90 per barrel.   Prices had already risen in expectation of action by Iran, with Brent crude nearing a six-month high last week.   Analysts said the markets would be looking […]

European polymer prices rose over the week to 12th April. There were increases of 20 EUR per tonne reported in the prices of Polypropylene and Polystyrene. In the UK, prices fell across some grades as the Pound gained value against the Euro.   Asian polymers also rose with increases of 15 and 25 USD per […]

The boss of one of the world’s biggest banks has warned US interest rates could climb to 8%.   Jamie Dimon, the head of JPMorgan Chase, said his bank has prepared for interest rates to jump because of “persistent inflationary pressures”.   Central banks around the world have been busy raising rates in a bid […]

China’s crisis-hit property market has been dealt a fresh blow as major real estate developer Shimao Group has been hit with a winding-up petition.   State-owned China Construction Bank (Asia) filed the petition in Hong Kong over Shimao’s failure to repay loans worth HK$1.58bn ($201.8m).   It is rare for a Chinese bank to take […]

Employers in the US added more than 300,000 jobs last month, the largest gain in almost a year, as the boom in the world’s largest economy continued.   The jobless rate fell to 3.8%, as most sectors, including health care, construction and the government added roles, the Labor Department said.   It marked another month […]

European polymer prices stabilised over the week to 5th April after nine consecutive weeks of increases. In the UK, prices rose slightly across some grades as the Pound lost value against the Euro.   Asian polymers were mixed with increases of between 5 and 25 USD per tonne reported in the prices of PET, ABS […]

Technology giant Amazon has announced job cuts affecting hundreds of staff at its cloud computing business.   Amazon Web Services (AWS) has been growing and now represents 14% of Amazon’s total revenue, according to its latest financial report.   The company has been shifting its strategy with physical stores, Amazon Fresh, which were launched in […]