LyondellBasell Narrows Q4 Profit Margins! Asahi Kasei Launches New Low-Friction Fluorine-Free Polyamide Engineering Plastics

International News Brief

Major Company News – From Profit to Loss! LyondellBasell Narrows Q4 Profit Margins; Recycling News – Nordic Recycling Technologies Assist Singapore in Building Efficient Plastic Bottle Recycling System;

Packaging News – Kendon Packaging Launches Coreless Baking Paper Rolls to Reduce Waste; Automotive News – Farewell to PFAS! Asahi Kasei Unveils New Low-Friction Fluorine-Free Polyamide Engineering Plastics;

Macro News – Spokesperson for Iranian Foreign Ministry: Details of Negotiations with the US Under Review;

Price Information – The Central Parity Rate of RMB against USD is Set at 6.9695.

International News Highlights:

1. Nordic Recycling Technologies Assist Singapore in Building Efficient Plastic Bottle Recycling System

Recently, recycling technology enterprises from Norway and Sweden will play a pivotal role in Singapore's newly launched national beverage container recycling program. The scheme will officially kick off on April 1st and is expected to process over one billion beverage containers annually, injecting strong impetus into Singapore's environmental protection initiatives.

Singapore's beverage container recycling program introduces a refundable 10-cent deposit for bottled and canned beverages with capacities ranging from 150 milliliters to 3 liters. Upon the launch of the system, consumers can easily reclaim their deposits at approximately 1,000 return points across the island. This measure aims to encourage public participation in beverage container recycling through economic incentives.

2. Ampacet Launches Bio-Based Black Masterbatch with Superior Pure Black Performance

Ampacet has introduced an innovative black masterbatch, Natura Jet, manufactured with naturally derived pigments, delivering unparalleled pure blackness to injection-molded products. As a sustainable alternative to traditional petroleum-based carbon black, Natura Jet outperforms other bio-based counterparts in pure blackness and is compatible with various resins, including Polyethylene (PE), Polypropylene (PP), Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET), Polycarbonate (PC), Polyamide (PA), Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS), Polylactic Acid (PLA), and Thermoplastic Polyurethane (TPU).

3. From Profit to Loss! LyondellBasell Narrows Q4 Profit Margins

LyondellBasell released its financial report on January 30th, reporting an adjusted net loss of USD 79 million in the fourth quarter, shifting from a profit of USD 330 million quarter-on-quarter and a year-on-year decline from a profit of USD 255 million, significantly missing the S&P Capital IQ analysts' consensus estimate of a USD 63 million profit.

The company stated that profit margins in most business segments contracted quarter-on-quarter due to rising costs of Natural Gas Liquids (NGLs) feedstocks and natural gas, increased maintenance activities, and seasonal weak demand.

Total fourth-quarter sales amounted to USD 7.091 billion, down 8% quarter-on-quarter and 9% year-on-year; the net loss stood at USD 140 million, a substantial narrowing from the quarter-on-quarter loss of USD 890 million and an improvement from the year-on-year loss of USD 603 million.

Items recognized in the financial report included asset impairment and plant closure costs totaling USD 53 million, lower than the USD 1.2 billion in the third quarter and USD 1.1 billion in the fourth quarter of 2024.

4. Farewell to PFAS! Asahi Kasei Launches New Low-Friction Fluorine-Free Polyamide Engineering Plastics

As global regulatory policies on Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) tighten continuously in the European Union and the United States, manufacturers across industries are urgently seeking high-performance alternative materials that meet escalating environmental and safety standards without compromising core technical performance.

To address this market demand, Asahi Kasei has developed a brand-new PFAS-free Polyamide (PA) engineering plastic, tailored for applications with stringent low-friction requirements.

For decades, the engineering plastics sector has relied on PFAS additives to achieve low-friction and wear-resistant properties. Amid mounting regulatory pressure, numerous industries such as automotive and industrial machinery are hunting for substitutes. Asahi Kasei's newly launched PFAS-free polyamide perfectly combines environmental attributes with the high-end material performance required for next-generation components, precisely catering to the industry's transitional needs.

5. Kendon Packaging Launches Coreless Baking Paper Rolls to Reduce Waste

Kendon Packaging has introduced the coreless version of Multibake silicone non-stick baking paper, designed to cut packaging waste and optimize operational efficiency in high-capacity baking and catering service scenarios.

By eliminating paper cores, the company plans to reduce the volume of packaging materials for disposal while streamlining warehousing and roll-changing processes in material preparation and production.

Reportedly, Multibake baking paper features excellent non-stick properties, making it particularly suitable for sticky frosting and high-fat products.

Overseas Macro Market Information:

Spokesperson for Iranian Foreign Ministry: Details of Negotiations with the US Under Review

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Nasser Kanaani stated on the 2nd regarding negotiations with the US that the overall situation and certain details of advancing the process to resume negotiations are currently under review. He expressed hope that more details would be announced in the coming days.

Spokesperson for Iranian Foreign Ministry: Iran Summons All European Ambassadors to Lodge Written Protests

A spokesperson for the Iranian Foreign Ministry stated on the 2nd, in response to the European Union listing Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a "terrorist organization", that as a minimum measure, Iran had summoned all ambassadors of European countries to Iran and lodged written protests.

Chief of General Staff of Iranian Armed Forces: Regional Conflicts Will Spread to the US and Its Allies

Major General Mohammad Bagheri, Chief of the General Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces, noted that regional conflicts would spread to the United States and its allies. He emphasized that Iran fears no apparent hegemony of its enemies and is fully prepared for all-round confrontation.

Japan Claims "Discovery of Rare Earth Resources"

According to a report by Kyodo News on February 2nd, Japan's Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology announced on social media platform X that the deep-sea drilling vessel Chikyū, conducting silt sampling operations in the waters of Minamitorishima in the Pacific Ocean, successfully extracted rare earth-containing silt at a water depth of 6,000 meters.

New Zealand Treasury: Inflation Data Does Not Indicate Excessive Economic Stimulus

The New Zealand Treasury indicated that price growth was expected amid economic recovery and rebounding demand. However, the recent Consumer Price Index (CPI) results do not signify excessive economic stimulus, especially as the labor market still exhibits considerable spare capacity.

The Treasury projects that employment growth will remain slow through 2026; although the current unemployment rate of 5.3% "may have peaked in the current cycle".

Iranian Official Denies Plans for Live-Fire Drills in the Strait of Hormuz

According to CCTV News, recent reports claimed that the naval forces of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps would conduct live-fire exercises in the Strait of Hormuz. On February 1st local time, an Iranian official stated that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps had no plans for such drills, and no Iranian official had issued any statements to that effect. Previous reports of Iran's upcoming live-fire exercises in the area were "false".

Price information:

The central parity rate of the RMB against the US dollar was set at 6.9695, down 17 points from the previous trading day. The previous trading day's central parity rate was 6.9678, the official closing price was 6.9486, and the overnight trading closing price was 6.9566.

Upstream Raw Material USD Market Prices

CFR Northeast Asia Ethylene: USD 700/MT; CFR Southeast Asia: USD 685/MT

FOB South Korea Average for Northeast Asia Propylene: USD 785/MT; CFR China Average: USD 835/MT

North Asia Frozen Cargo CIF: Propane USD 577-579/MT; Butane USD 597-599/MT

South China Frozen Cargo CIF (Early March Shipment): Propane USD 613-623/MT; Butane USD 608-618/MT

Taiwan Region Frozen Cargo CIF: Propane USD 577-579/MT; Butane USD 597-599/MT

LLDPE USD Market Prices

Film Grade: USD 830/MT (CFR Xiamen)

Injection Molding Grade: USD 910/MT (CFR Xiamen)

HDPE USD Market Prices

Film Grade: USD 910/MT (CFR Huangpu)

Injection Molding Grade: USD 800/MT (CFR Huangpu)

Blow Molding Grade: USD 7850/MT (CFR Huangpu)

Pipe Grade: USD 1000/MT (CFR Huangpu)

LDPE USD Market Prices

Film Grade: USD 1025/MT (CFR Huangpu)

Coating Grade: USD 1240/MT (CFR Huangpu)

PP USD Market Prices

Injection Molding Grade: USD 840/MT (CFR Dongguan)

Copolymer Grade: USD 870/MT (CFR Nansha)

Film Grade: USD 960/MT (CFR Huangpu)

Transparent Grade: USD 1080/MT (CFR Huangpu)

Pipe Grade: USD 1130/MT (CFR Shanghai)