Macron to Visit China; Solvay Launches Three-Year Investment Plan; Amcor Creates Low-Carbon Skincare Stick for Decathlon

International News Guide

Raw Material News - $187 Million Investment! Solvay's Brazilian Plant Launches Three-Year Investment Plan to Tackle Core PA66 Technology

Packaging News - Ampacet Launches HyperLustre Series, Upgrading Visual Texture of PET Packaging

Major Enterprise News - Sustainable Innovation! Amcor Uses Recycled Plastic to Create Low-Carbon Skincare Stick for Decathlon

Consumer Electronics News - Singapore: To Ban Secondary School Students from Using Smartphones on Campus

Macroeconomic News - French President Macron to Visit China

Price News - CNY/USD Central Parity Rate Stands at 7.0759, Up 30 Pips

Details of International News

1.$187 Million Investment! Solvay's Brazilian Plant Launches Three-Year Investment Plan to Tackle Core PA66 Technology

According to Plastmatch, Solvay Group announced in a statement on November 24 that it will launch a multi-year investment plan at its production base in Santo André, Brazil.

With a total investment of 100 million Brazilian reals (approximately $187 million) from 2025 to 2028, the plan will focus on factory modernization, energy efficiency improvement, and technological innovation. Solvay operates in Brazil under the Rhodia brand.

2.Ampacet Launches HyperLustre Series, Upgrading Visual Texture of PET Packaging

Ampacet has launched the new HyperLustre series of translucent special-effect masterbatches, tailor-made to enhance the visual texture of PET packaging.

Image source: Ampacet

This titanium dioxide (TiO₂)-free series presents an exquisite pearlescent finish, designed specifically for hair care, personal care, and beauty products. Compatible with PET blow molding and injection stretch blow molding processes, Ampacet stated that the masterbatches achieve a unique appearance without the need for traditional special-effect pigments, providing efficient production support for applications in the beauty and personal care sectors.

3. ExxonMobil Collaborates to Develop Polypropylene Composites with Recycled Content

ExxonMobil has partnered with additive manufacturer Milliken & Company and compounder Ravago to develop solutions that meet automotive standards.

The experimental composite materials demonstrate performance comparable to virgin resins. Key automotive components such as wheel arches and front bumper spoilers are potential application areas.

4. Philippines Calls for Strengthened Plastic Recycling in ASEAN to Address Pollution

According to the World Bank's recently released report "Extended Producer Responsibility for Plastic Packaging in Selected ASEAN Member States," the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is facing a severe plastic pollution crisis. Among them, the Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia, Myanmar, Vietnam, and Thailand are major contributors to global marine plastic emissions.

The report points out that rapid population and economic growth, industrial expansion, and gaps in waste management systems are the core factors leading to the surge in waste in the region, while the lack of policies and insufficient recycling infrastructure have further exacerbated marine plastic pollution.

The report emphasizes that approximately 1.3 billion people worldwide lack basic garbage collection services, and 3 billion people dispose of garbage in unsafe environments. Open dumping, incineration, and disposal of waste into water bodies have posed serious threats to human health and the ecological environment.

Against this background, Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) is regarded by many ASEAN countries as a key solution to address plastic waste challenges. The Philippines and Vietnam have taken the lead in implementing EPR policies — the Philippines passed the Extended Producer Responsibility Act (EPRA) in 2022 and released implementation rules in January 2023, becoming the first ASEAN country to impose mandatory EPR obligations on plastic packaging. Its "Implementation Readiness Assessment Tool (IRAT)" preparation level was recognized in the report.

5. Sustainable Innovation! Amcor Uses Recycled Plastic to Create Low-Carbon Skincare Stick for Decathlon

According to Plastmatch on December 1, global leading packaging company Amcor has created a skincare stick applicator for sports brand Decathlon, made from recycled plastic recovered through Amcor's proprietary CleanStream® technology.

Decathlon's choice of this 25ml applicator demonstrates its commitment to reducing carbon footprint. Containing 87% recycled polypropylene (rPP), each product reduces carbon dioxide emissions by 17% compared to virgin resin.

Additionally, the applicator features a single-material design, making it recyclable and enabling circularity in regions with complete supporting recycling facilities.

6. Singapore: To Ban Secondary School Students from Using Smartphones on Campus

According to CCTV News, Singapore's Ministry of Health, Ministry of Education, and Ministry of Social and Family Development jointly launched a plan in January this year to implement stricter guidelines on the use of smartphones and smartwatches by secondary school students.

On November 30, Singapore's Ministry of Education announced that it will ban secondary school students from using smartphones or smartwatches on campus starting from January 2026. The Ministry requires all secondary school students not to use smartphones or smartwatches during classes, breaks, and after-school tutoring activities on campus.

Furthermore, the Ministry of Education announced that starting from January 2026, the automatic shutdown time for digital applications used by secondary school students for personal learning will be advanced from 11 PM to 10:30 PM.

Overseas Macroeconomic Market

【$260 Billion in Retail Investor Funds "Blindly" Buying, Distorting Corporate Bond Market】

A combined $260 billion in funds is transforming the corporate bond market, inadvertently making retail investors one of the main drivers of capital costs for large global companies.

Through actions often criticized as "blind" bond purchases, they have taken on a role once exclusive to high-paid traders in New York, London, and Tokyo, which requires complex bond arithmetic. This transformation is partly driven by social media and financial influencers, not by central bank measures or Wall Street, but by farmers, teachers, doctors, and retirees — on a scale that traders, portfolio managers, and credit analysts struggle to fully comprehend. Many are buying baskets of bonds to avoid leaving money idle in savings accounts.

【French President Macron to Visit China】

Foreign Ministry Spokesperson announced: At the invitation of President Xi Jinping, French President Emmanuel Macron will pay a state visit to China from December 3 to 5.

【Russia to Issue RMB-Denominated Sovereign Bonds This Week】

Russia is set to issue its first RMB-denominated sovereign bonds. The Russian Ministry of Finance will start accepting investor subscriptions for the two-tranche bonds, which will be traded domestically, on December 2.

Reports indicate that the 3.2-year tranche is expected to be offered with a target coupon rate of 6.25%-6.5%, while the 7.5-year tranche may have a maximum coupon rate of 7.5%.

【Thai Central Bank Governor: Floods May Drag GDP Down by 0.1-0.2 Percentage Points】

Thai Central Bank Governor Vitai Ratanakorn stated that the recent floods may impact Thailand's economy by 0.1 to 0.2 percentage points. When asked if the floods will affect monetary policy, Vitai said, "Monetary policy has a broad impact. Therefore, the central bank will adopt targeted policies to assist" those affected by the floods.

This includes requiring banks to extend repayment periods for borrowers in severely affected areas. The central bank and the Ministry of Finance are coordinating policies to jointly support economic growth. Ratanakorn believes there is room for interest rate cuts.

【BOJ Governor Kazuo Ueda: Inflation to Reach Level Consistent with 2% Target in Second Half of Three-Year Forecast Period】

Bank of Japan (BOJ) Governor Kazuo Ueda stated that inflation will roughly reach a level consistent with the bank's 2% target in the second half of the three-year forecast period in the BOJ's Outlook Report. It is also necessary to monitor the possibility that price trends may affect underlying inflation through changes in inflation expectations.

Sustained wage growth has been transmitted to prices, with moderate increases not only in food prices but also in goods and services prices.

Price Information

The CNY/USD central parity rate was reported at 7.0759, an increase of 30 pips; the central parity rate of the previous trading day was 7.0789, the official closing price of the previous trading day was 7.0794, and the night session closing price of the previous day was 7.0740.

【Upstream Raw Material USD Market Prices】

Ethylene Asia: CFR Northeast Asia USD 740/ton; CFR Southeast Asia USD 720/ton.

Propylene Northeast Asia: FOB South Korea average USD 695/ton; CFR China average USD 745/ton.

North Asia refrigerated cargo CIF price: Propane USD 556-558/ton; Butane USD 601-603/ton.

South China (China) refrigerated cargo CIF price for early December: Propane USD 574-584/ton; Butane USD 554-564/ton.

Taiwan region refrigerated cargo CIF price: Propane USD 556-558/ton; Butane USD 601-603/ton.

【LLDPE USD Market Prices】

Film: USD 835-850/ton (CFR Huangpu);

Injection Molding: USD 935/ton (CFR Huangpu).

【HDPE USD Market Prices】

Film: USD 880-895/ton (CFR Huangpu);

Injection Molding: USD 815-820/ton (CFR Huangpu);

Blow Molding (Hollow): USD 820-840/ton (CFR Huangpu);

Pipes: USD 1000/ton (CFR Huangpu).

【LDPE USD Market Prices】

Film: USD 990-1000/ton (CFR Huangpu);

Coating: USD 1190/ton (CFR Huangpu).

【PP USD Market Prices】

Injection Molding: USD 795/ton (CFR Huangpu);

Copolymer: USD 830-860/ton (CFR Nansha);

Film Grade: USD 965/ton (CFR Huangpu);

Transparent Grade: USD 1065/ton (CFR Huangpu);

Pipes: USD 1100/ton (CFR Shanghai).