Oil prices have fallen sharply and Asian stock markets have risen on hopes of a deal that could bring an end to the US-Israel war with Iran.   On Saturday, US President Donald Trump said an agreement with Tehran had been “largely negotiated” and details would be announced soon but the following day urged his […]

European polymer prices continued to rise over the week to 22nd May. There were increases of between 10 and 40 EUR per tonne reported in the prices of HDPE, LDPE, LLDPE, PET, PVC, ABS and Polystyrene.   Asian polymers fell with reductions of between 20 and 40 USD per tonne reported in the prices of […]

Plans to impose a ban on UK imports of diesel and jet fuel made from Russian oil in third countries have been watered down amid concerns over supplies and price rises.   The UK government will now “phase in” some new sanctions over the coming months due to the effective blockade of the key Strait […]

China has confirmed that it will buy 200 Boeing jets after US President Donald Trump and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping met in Beijing last week.   Under the deal, the US will provide China with supply guarantees for aircraft engine parts and components, China’s Commerce Ministry said on Wednesday.   The two sides will […]

The UK has struck a trade deal with a group of six Gulf states which it says will be worth £3.7bn to the economy.   The government said the deal with Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and United Arab Emirates (UAE) would remove an estimated £580m a year in tariffs from British exports to […]

European polymer prices continued to rise over the week to 15th May. There were increases of between 20 and 50 EUR per tonne reported in the prices of HDPE, LDPE, LLDPE, Polypropylene, ABS and Polystyrene.   Asian polymers fell with reductions of between 20 and 45 USD per tonne reported in the prices of HDPE, […]

US President, Donald Trump has cautioned Taiwan against formally declaring independence from China.   “I’m not looking to have somebody go independent,” the US president told Fox News on Friday, at the end of his two-day summit with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping in Beijing.   Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te has previously stated that Taiwan […]

US prices rose in April at their fastest rate since May 2023 as the impact of the war in Iran was increasingly felt by consumers.   A jump in the cost of gasoline and groceries pushed the consumer price index (CPI), showing the rate prices rose by in the past 12 months, to 3.8%.   […]

Global oil prices are predicted to remain in the “low $100s” for much of this year even if the Strait of Hormuz reopens as early as next month, investment bank JP Morgan has suggested.   The bank said on Monday supplies of oil in the region would not return to normal service quickly.   The […]

European polymer prices continued to rise over the week to 8th May. There were increases of between 15 and 40 EUR per tonne reported in the prices of HDPE, LDPE, LLDPE, Polypropylene, PVC and Polystyrene.   Asian polymers were mixed with increases of between 10 and 20 USD per tonne reported in the prices of […]