U.s. california upgrades plastic bag regulations! ube adds 2 new products; this year marks the start of mass production era for brain-computer interfaces

News Brief:

Raw Material News - From Exemption to Ban: California's Plastic Bag Regulation Upgrade, New Plastic Limit Policy Takes Effect in 2026

Major News from Big Companies - Musk Strikes Again, Brain-Computer Interfaces to Enter Mass Production Era in 2026! Global Competition for the Billion-Dollar Track

Adjuvant News - Technip Energies Completes Acquisition of Ecovyst's Advanced Materials and Catalyst Business

Electronic News - Korean Media: Samsung Decides Not to Increase Pricing for New Galaxy S26 Series

Automotive News - Report: Global Electric Vehicle Sales Growth Rate Expected to Hit Post-Pandemic Low in 2026

Macroeconomic News - Trump Threatens Cuba and Colombia

Here are the details of international news:

From Exemption to Ban: California Upgrades Plastic Bag Regulations, New Plastic Limitation Policy Effective in 2026

Recently, several supermarkets and grocery stores in the Los Angeles area of the United States have taken the lead in banning plastic bags at checkout. Starting from January 1, 2026, this measure will be officially implemented across the entire state of California—at that time, consumers throughout the state will not be able to obtain plastic shopping bags at any business.

In 2014, the California legislature passed a bill banning the use of single-use plastic bags at most retail locations, but made an exemption for thicker plastic bags. These plastic bags are typically made from high-density polyethylene and were classified as reusable at the time, with recyclable attributes under certain conditions.

2. Denka has completed the acquisition of Ecovyst's advanced materials and catalysts business.

On January 4th, ZhuanSuShiJie learned that Technip Energies recently announced the completion of the acquisition of the Advanced Materials & Catalysis (AM&C) business from Ecovyst, a global leader in the field of specialty catalysts and advanced materials.

This strategic transaction expands Technip's capabilities in the advanced catalysts field, further enriching the company's business portfolio. The deal will support its Technology, Products, and Services (TPS) business unit's robust growth strategy in mature markets: enhancing recurring revenue on one hand, and accelerating business opportunities in sustainable fuels, circular chemistry, and carbon capture on the other. These are not only the core drivers of long-term value creation but also key areas in the energy transition.

Severe downturn in the European and American markets! This year's global electric vehicle sales growth is expected to hit the lowest since the pandemic.

A recent report indicates that the growth rate of global electric vehicle sales in 2026 is expected to hit the lowest level since the COVID-19 pandemic impacted the global economy in 2020, as the transition away from fuel-powered vehicles faces new obstacles.

According to research firm Benchmark Mineral Intelligence, due to a significant slowdown in the growth of the European market and a sharp contraction in the U.S. market, global electric vehicle sales (including pure electric vehicles and plug-in hybrid vehicles) are expected to grow by only 13% to 24 million units in 2026, far below the estimated 22% increase in 2025.

Executives and analysts pointed out that factors such as the Trump administration's cancellation of electric vehicle tax incentives and the EU's relaxation of the fuel vehicle ban originally set to take effect in 2035 will impact the industry's fate this year.

Elon Musk takes action again: the era of mass production of brain-computer interfaces will begin in 2026! Global competition for the billion-dollar track.

Recently, American entrepreneur Elon Musk stated on social media that his brain-machine interface company Neuralink will begin large-scale production of brain-machine interface devices in 2026 and will transition to a more streamlined and almost fully automated surgical process.

CITIC Securities Research Report pointed out that technological advancements in the upstream and midstream of the brain-computer interface industry chain are leading to continuous breakthroughs in downstream applications. In recent years, milestone achievements have been made in research related to motor recovery and language communication in the medical field both domestically and internationally. Driven by technological innovations and policy benefits, domestic brain-computer interface companies are expected to gradually achieve commercial applications.

Plasreco promotes PFAS-free coating solutions for use in packaging, leather, and textiles.

The Plasreco project is developing silicon-based functional coatings using atmospheric plasma technology as a sustainable alternative to PFAS-based coating treatment solutions.

The Plasreco project is conducted in collaboration between the footwear technology center Inescop and the plastics technology center Aimplas. Leveraging their expertise in surface treatment and functional coating formulations, the two institutions are assisting in the industrial application of this technology, providing a scalable alternative to traditional PFAS-based coating systems.

The core research direction of the project is design.A novel organosilicon monomer tailored for atmospheric pressure plasma processes.The coating prepared in this way needs to achieve stable and repeatable performance under harsh conditions such as wear, humidity, and thermal stress.

Samsung adopts dual-strategy to consolidate market share! Korean media: Samsung decides not to increase the pricing of the new Galaxy S26 series.

Facing the global pressure of a 10%-15% increase in smartphone component costs, Korean media recently reported that Samsung Electronics will maintain the prices of the Galaxy S26 series and the new generation of foldable screen phones. They aim to balance profit and market share through a dual strategy of "maintaining shipments to secure market share."

Samsung plans to optimize its cost structure by adjusting its configuration lineup. For instance, the base model of the S26 will have a strengthened battery of 4300mAh, the Plus version will be upgraded with 3x zoom HDR, the Ultra version will introduce privacy display technology, and the Fold 8 will focus on weight reduction and battery expansion. This strategy is also influenced by competitive product strategies. Samsung's DX division revealed that the Ultra model is expected to continue using Qualcomm Snapdragon processors, while the base and Plus versions may mix Snapdragon and self-developed Exynos chips to control costs. Notably, Samsung will slightly increase the prices of its mid-to-low end Galaxy A series to balance profits, with the A57 5G priced at $499 and the A36 5G at $389. Industry analysts point out that Samsung's strategy of maintaining stable prices for high-end models to secure its core market, while raising prices for mid-range models to compensate for profit, helps avoid consumer price sensitivity risks and alleviate supply chain pressure.

Ube Launches U-BE-INFINITY® Brand Polymer Products

UBE Corporation announced that its eco-friendly product brand U-BE-INFINITY® has added two certified products, one is a product under development and the other is a commercialized product.

The two products certified this time are: the bio-based composite nylon being developed by Ube Industries, and the ISCC PLUS certified polybutadiene product that is produced using the ISCC mass balance approach and is already in mass production and sales by the group member company Thai Synthetic Rubbers Company Limited.

The U-BE-INFINITY® brand is awarded to products under the Ube Industries Group that have outstanding environmental benefits. It encompasses both research-stage and commercialized products, with the aim of enhancing product value and promoting the widespread application of such products to help address global environmental issues.

The following is the overseas macro market:

[Trump Threatens Cuba, Colombia]

CCTVInternational News: On January 3, local time, U.S. President Trump issued threats to Cuba and Colombia during a press conference at Mar-a-Lago. In response to questions from reporters on site, he stated that "Cuba will eventually become a topic we need to discuss" and also mentioned that Colombian President Petro should "be careful." Analysts pointed out that Trump is hinting that as tensions in the Latin American region escalate, the U.S. might extend its focus from Venezuela to more countries.

Brazil recognizes Rodriguez as the leader of Venezuela.

On the afternoon of the 3rd local time, the Brazilian government held Maria da Rosa, the Executive Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs of Brazil, Defense Minister José Múcio, and Justice Minister Ricardo Lewandowski attended the meeting to discuss the situation in Venezuela. President Lula and the Brazilian ambassador to Venezuela participated via video conference.

Maduro has arrived at a detention center in New York.

According to reports from the headquarters, Venezuelan President Maduro arrived at a detention center in Brooklyn, New York, on the evening of January 3rd local time. He is expected to "appear in court" at a courthouse in New York City next week. (CCTV News)

South Korean President Lee Jae-myung arrives in Beijing, commencing his first state visit to China since taking office.

According to CCTV News, this afternoon (4th), South Korean President Lee Jae-myung arrived at Beijing Capital International Airport, commencing a four-day visit to China. During his visit, the leaders of China and South Korea will hold meetings and talks in Beijing. This marks the second meeting between the two countries' leaders following their talks at the 32nd APEC Informal Leaders' Meeting in Gyeongju, South Korea, in November 2025, after a two-month interval. The meeting is expected to further consolidate the momentum of the comprehensive restoration of the strategic cooperative partnership between China and South Korea.

Price Information:

Non-trading days have no trading information.

Upstream raw material US dollar market price

On January 2, CFR Northeast Asia was 745 USD/ton, CFR Southeast Asia was 725 USD/ton.

On January 2, the FOB Korea average price of propylene in Northeast Asia reached 710 USD/ton, and the CFR China average price reached 742 USD/ton.

LLDPE USD Market Price

Film: USD 760/ton (CFR Xiamen);

Injection molding: $890/ton (CFR Yantian);

[HDPE USD Market Price]

Film: $890/ton (CFR Huangpu);

Injection molding: $770/ton (CFR Huangpu);

Hollow: $795-805/ton (CFR Huangpu);

Pipe material: USD 1,000/ton (CFR Huangpu).

[LDPE USD Market Price]

Film: $940/ton (CFR Huangpu);

Coating: 1050-1180 USD/ton (CFR Qingdao).

[PP USD Market Price]

Injection Molding: $765/ton (CFR Dongguan);

Copolymer: 820-850 USD/ton (CFR Nansha);

Membrane material: $970/ton (CFR Huangpu).

Transparent: $1000/ton (CFR Huangpu);

Pipe material: USD 1100/ton (CFR Shanghai).