On September 10, LG Chem and TK Chemical, a subsidiary of SM Group, signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on the development of eco-friendly biodegradable materials (PBAT) and business cooperation at the LG Twin Towers in Yeouido, Seoul. The two companies plan to sign a formal contract within the year and aim to construct a PBAT production line and commence product manufacturing in South Korea in the second half of 2022. Specific details such as production capacity are undisclosed per the agreement. TK Chemical plans to build the PBAT production line leveraging its stable operational capabilities in PET polyester facilities.

ExxonMobil’s offers for China’s main ports rose this week: the mainstream duty-free Singapore-origin metallocene grade was quoted at $1,395 per ton for September shipment. Actual transactions are subject to firm deals.

On September 1, 2026 (Netherlands time), the EU-funded project ReBioCycle announced its latest findings: polylactic acid (PLA) bioplastic can be recovered from mixed plastic waste and reprocessed into recycled PLA of quality equivalent to virgin material. TotalEnergies Corbion, as an industrial partner, participated in the project and was responsible for a key step in the recycling chain—repolymerizing the recovered lactic acid into high-quality PLA. The project confirmed that PLA can be effectively separated from mixed waste streams using existing sorting technologies, then chemically depolymerized back into lactic acid monomers, and finally repolymerized into high-quality PLA with performance identical to that of virgin material.

On September 1, Avantium N.V. announced that Swiss masterbatch company Sukano AG has signed a capacity reservation agreement for releaf® (PEF). This agreement secures Sukano’s access to PEF production capacity from Avantium’s future industrial-scale plant, marking an escalation of their partnership from joint masterbatch development in 2022 to a formal capacity reservation arrangement.

(000651)8月26日披露半年报，2026年上半年，公司实现营业收入893.98亿元，同比下降8.15%;归属于上市公司股东的净利润132.78亿元，同比下降7.87%;基本每股收益2.38元。2026年上半年，受海外销售下滑、原材料价格高企等多重因素影响，公司利润额增长态势受阻。从业务区域来看，上半年公司实现内销主营业务收入725.12亿元，同比增长1.90%，稳中有升，实现外销主营业务收入127.44亿元，同比下降21.98%。

8月24日，金发科技（600143.SH）发布2026年半年度报告。公司实现营业收入341.18亿元，同比增长7.85%；归母净利润6.85亿元，同比增长17.02%；经营活动现金流净额21.68亿元，同比增长116.27%。生物降解塑料销量14.45万吨，同比增长40.70%，第二季度环比第一季度增长约10%。

山东联泓一期、山东鲁西MTO装置预计将于8月中下旬、8月底附近逐步恢复重启。

On August 17, Jiangsu Deway New Materials Co., Ltd.'s holding subsidiary, Jiangsu Derong Polymer Materials Co., Ltd., officially signed a strategic cooperation agreement with Beijing Lianke New Materials Co., Ltd. A team of technical experts from the Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, including Researcher Zhang Jun and Researcher Dong Jinyong, will collaborate with Deway New Materials.The signing ceremony was attended by key management and technical teams from both parties, including representative Qiu Guowen from the controlling shareholder, Wang Xingning, Director of Polymer Products at Derun, Fan Jun, Senior Vice President of Qulian Chuangye Group, and Yang Lifang, General Manager of Lianke New Materials, marking a key step in the localization and high-end development of polypropylene cable materials.

今年8月，由扬子石化-巴斯夫有限责任公司(BYC)生产的首款零产品碳足迹(ZeroPCF)EVA产品正式推向市场。这也是巴斯夫石油化学品C2产业链的核心重点产品，标志着巴斯夫在绿色发展征程上迈出了坚实一步，也为下游客户的低碳转型注入了全新动力。

8月18日，印度救济总局（DGTR）发布公告，正式对原产于或出口自中国的“聚氯乙烯悬浮树脂”发起反补贴调查立案，万华化学、君正化工、新疆天业、中泰化学、天津渤化等44家中国企业被列入名单。这是继2025年印度对进口PVC反倾销调查中途搁置、BIS认证政策推迟落地之后，印度针对中国PVC产品祭出的又一张“贸易牌”。

  On August 18, according to foreign media reports, the Russian newspaper "Vedomosti" cited unnamed sources as saying that the Russian government is considering a potential export ban on aromatic products such as benzene, phenol, toluene, and xylene. A working group began discussions on this issue in mid-August, but no specific decision has been reached due to disagreements among parties regarding benzene and phenol. Various ministries will solicit opinions from market participants before further consultations. The discussions are taking place against the backdrop of reduced aromatic production due to refinery maintenance, while fuel production has increased its consumption of aromatics. Aromatics can be used as octane boosters for gasoline and as petrochemical feedstock; refining companies can shift more naphtha components toward fuel production instead of selling them to petrochemical buyers. Some Russian refineries are currently permitted to produce Euro 2 and Euro 3 standard fuels, which can have higher aromatic content than Euro 5 gasoline.

On August 17, the Korea Economic Daily, citing anonymous government officials, reported that Lotte Chemical has disclosed plans to sell its overseas basic chemical business to creditors and the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy of South Korea, involving assets in Malaysia, Indonesia, and the United States. The company is currently assessing market conditions and seeking potential buyers.

The Ministry of Commerce and eight other departments issued the "Opinions on Further Stimulating the Vitality of Lower-Tier Markets and Activating County-Level Consumption," proposing to expand the supply of high-quality and reasonably priced goods. Enterprises are encouraged to actively introduce high-quality products into county markets, launch new products simultaneously in eligible counties, and promote the "same quality and same enjoyment" of identical products in both urban and rural areas. Enterprises are guided to develop high-quality products that meet the consumption characteristics of counties, and support trade and circulation enterprises in building flexible supply chains through "own brands + production based on demand." Strong support is given to the promotion of new energy vehicles, green intelligent products, green building materials, and other items to rural areas, as well as expanding the coverage of rural charging facilities.

On August 17, Gravis Robotics announced the completion of a $200 million Series A funding round led by SoftBank. The company stated that this is the largest Series A financing in the field of construction robotics and will be used to advance the automation of heavy construction machinery and expand deployment on construction sites worldwide. Founded in 2022 and incubated by ETH Zurich, Gravis Robotics primarily develops artificial intelligence systems for heavy construction machinery such as excavators.

On August 17, Lianhong Xinke (003022) disclosed its semi-annual report for 2026. In the first half of 2026, the company achieved operating revenue of 5.366 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 84.31%; net profit attributable to shareholders of the listed company was 427 million yuan, compared to 161 million yuan in the same period last year, representing a year-on-year growth of 165.68%. In the first half of 2026, revenue from biodegradable materials reached 156.95 million yuan, a year-on-year increase of 445.94%, accounting for 0.99% of total operating revenue.

SadaraThe financial report for the first half of 2026 has been released: sales revenue declined by 49.639% year-on-year to 2.5598 billion Saudi Riyals (approximately 682 million USD), compared to 5.083 billion Saudi Riyals (approximately 1.354 billion USD) in the same period last year. The main reason was a temporary production halt that limited the supply of finished products, causing a significant drop in sales volume. Although the average selling price of the company’s product portfolio increased and profit margins improved significantly, sales revenue still declined year-on-year. Net loss widened by 39.375% year-on-year to 3.531 billion Saudi Riyals (approximately 940 million USD), compared to a net loss of 2.533 billion Saudi Riyals (approximately 675 million USD) in the same period last year, mainly due to lower sales volume and the adverse impact of asset impairment provisions on other gains and losses. It is reported that Sadara is a joint venture between Saudi Arabia’s national oil giant Aramco and the American chemical company Dow.

Shaanxi Construction Machinery Co., Ltd. (referred to as "Construction Machinery") issued a trading suspension announcement regarding the planning of major matters and related-party transactions. In the announcement, Construction Machinery stated that it received the "Notice on the Project Approval for the Merger and Restructuring of Pucheng Clean Energy Company by Shaanxi Construction Machinery Co., Ltd." from its controlling shareholder Shaanxi Coal and Chemical Industry Group Co., Ltd. (referred to as "Shaanxi Coal Group"). The project involves the company acquiring 100% equity of Pucheng Clean Energy Chemical Co., Ltd. (referred to as "Pucheng Clean Energy Company") through a combination of share issuance and cash payment, and simultaneously raising supporting funds. Pucheng Clean Energy Company mainly engages in the production and sales of polyolefin products such as polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP).

  On August 13, oil prices slightly declined after rising for five consecutive trading days, as traders awaited signs of progress on the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz. WTI crude oil fell below $82 per barrel, following an 11% cumulative increase over the past five trading days; Brent crude briefly dropped below $87 per barrel. Regarding the Middle East situation, there were almost no signs of progress on reopening the Strait of Hormuz. U.S. President Trump stated that the United States has "full control" over this waterway. The International Energy Agency (IEA) indicated that as the U.S.-Iran conflict continues, the global oil market faces a supply shortfall of 1.8 million barrels per day this quarter, more than twice previous estimates; by 2026, the oil supply deficit could reach its largest level in five years. According to the American Automobile Association, gasoline and diesel prices in the U.S. have never been this high for this time of year.

IEA Monthly Report: Global oil demand in 2026 is expected to decline by 1.6 million barrels per day due to disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz and high oil prices (previously forecasted to decline by 1 million barrels per day).

Recently, Zhuhai Maide Biological Technology Co., Ltd. received approval for its "single-use sterile tissue closure clip" as a Class II medical device (Yue Medical Device Registration No. 20262020844), becoming the first domestic medical device approved made from polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA). PHA has officially transitioned from the laboratory to clinical use, marking a milestone breakthrough for domestic biomedical materials.