Recently, LyondellBasell has expanded its Purell product portfolio and further deepened its collaboration with healthcare customers. The Purell series of materials, specifically developed for the healthcare sector, is widely used in products such as syringes, ampoules, IV bottles, diagnostic device housings, laboratory ware, inhalers, and medical packaging.

The main plastic futures contract on Dalian Commodity Exchange rose by over 2%, to 8,347 yuan/ton. The main bottle chip futures contract on Zhengzhou Commodity Exchange surged by 6%, to 8,886 yuan/ton.

On April 20, Wanhua Chemical released its 2025 Annual Report and the First-Quarter Financial Report for 2026. The first quarter of 2026 witnessed significant growth: revenue reached RMB 54.052 billion, a substantial year-on-year increase of 25.50%, setting a new record; net profit attributable to shareholders amounted to RMB 3.718 billion, up 20.62% year-on-year. Specifically, revenue from polyurethane products totaled RMB 19.294 billion; revenue from petrochemical products and trading reached RMB 20.506 billion; and revenue from fine chemicals and new materials products amounted to RMB 10.345 billion.

On April 20, at the media day of CHINAPLAS 2026 International Plastics Exhibition, Bao Lewei, Senior Vice President of Basf Asia-Pacific Specialty Materials, stated that Asia-Pacific remains the growth engine of the global plastics industry. He pointed out that in 2025, the Asia-Pacific region will account for 46%-55% of global plastics market revenue and production.

Chengzhi Co., Ltd. announced that, focusing on its existing core business, it plans to extend its chemical new materials industrial chain. Through Nanjing Chengzhi Clean Energy Co., Ltd., a wholly-owned subsidiary, and Nanjing Chengzhi New Materials Co., Ltd., a wholly-owned subsidiary of the former, the Company will invest in the construction of an ethylene value-chain extension project (60,000 tons/year of n-propanol and 200,000 tons/year of methyl methacrylate (MMA)) and a high-end optical new materials project (100,000 tons/year of polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA)) at the Nanjing Jiangbei New Area New Materials Science Park. The total investment for the project amounts to approximately RMB 3.901 billion.

Geelonghui, April 13 | Nanjing Juli Long (300644.SZ) stated on the investor interaction platform that the company has formed a special R&D team for chip encapsulation materials business in 2025. Currently, it is in the early stage of technology exploration and R&D, and has not yet formed cooperative supply with customers.

Mitsubishi Chemical High-Performance Materials project is established in the Economic Development Zone. The project will focus on the research and production of advanced products such as ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMW-PE), polyether ether ketone (PEEK), and polyethylene terephthalate (PET), which are widely used in high-end fields such as humanoid robot joints, medical implants, lightweight automotive, and aerospace heat-resistant applications. The project features high technical barriers and broad market prospects. This project marks the first production base established by Mitsubishi Chemical's Advanced Materials Business Group in China, signifying the beginning of localized production of the group's high-performance engineering plastics, which holds significant strategic importance. The project is expected to start production by the end of this year, with a planned capacity of over 600 tons. After completion, the new company in Changshu is expected to achieve annual sales revenue of over 300 million yuan.

On March 31, INVISTA announced a force majeure for PA66.

Caifeng News, March 27: Toray Industries of Japan will introduce a surcharge mechanism for certain products, including resins and carbon fibers, to promptly reflect fluctuations in raw material costs.

According to the China Trade Remedy Information Network, on March 21, the Ministry of Commerce and Industry of India issued a notice, making an affirmative preliminary ruling on PET films [Polyethylene Terephthalate Film (PET Films)] originating from or imported from China, Bangladesh, and Thailand, and recommending the imposition of provisional anti-dumping duties on products from these countries. The rates are as follows: China at 56-216 USD/ton, Bangladesh at 206-330 USD/ton, and Thailand at 139-245 USD/ton. For detailed tariff information, see the attached table. Additionally, in light of the withdrawal application submitted by the petitioner, the anti-dumping investigation on PET films originating from or imported from the United States has been terminated. The products under investigation are PET films with a thickness of 8 to 100 microns, excluding PET films for solar panels and thermal lamination films. The Indian customs codes for the products under investigation are 39206210, 39206220, 39206290, 39206919, and 39219094. On September 30, 2025, India’s Ministry of Commerce and Industry announced the initiation of an anti-dumping investigation concerning polyethylene terephthalate (PET) film originating in or exported from China, Bangladesh, Thailand, and the United States, pursuant to an application submitted by domestic Indian companies Chiripal Poly Films Limited, Ester Industries Limited, and Vacmet India Limited. The period of investigation for dumping spans April 1, 2024, to March 31, 2025 (12 months). The injury investigation period covers the following four periods: April 1, 2021, to March 31, 2022; April 1, 2022, to March 31, 2023; April 1, 2023, to March 31, 2024; and April 1, 2024, to March 31, 2025.

Recently, Celanese, a global specialty materials and chemical company, announced that it will increase prices for a range of engineering materials products due to recent market developments and global supply chain disruptions, among other factors. This price increase will take effect on April 1, 2026, or as otherwise specified in the contract.

Wanhua Chemical’s R&D expenditure for the first half of 2025 amounted to RMB 2.291 billion, representing a 10.1% year-on-year increase. During the period, the company was granted 106 patents, including a new invention patent for “polyethylene glycol monoricinoleate,” enhancing the performance of coating additives. Its total patent count reached 6,702, reflecting sustained high-intensity R&D investment to support its strategic layout in high-end materials.

On the previous working day (March 12), the domestic PC market in China traded sideways. International crude oil and upstream products along the value chain rebounded slightly, partially recovering from earlier declines. Consequently, although profit-taking activities persisted in the market, no significant downward movement emerged, and market sentiment stabilized, with quotations for certain grades rising modestly. Outlook for today: Profit-taking continues to be digested; macroeconomic and upstream market developments remain volatile, leading participants to adopt a wait-and-see stance and trade on a just-in-time basis. The domestic PC market is thus expected to trade sideways today.

The morning session saw all commodities decline, with the main contract of ethylene glycol down more than 9%, PX and PTA main contracts down more than 5%, and the bottle-grade PET main contract down more than 4%.

Overseas market news indicates that GNFC’s TDI plant located in Dahej, Gujarat, India, was temporarily shut down on March 5, 2026, due to technical issues; the resumption date remains pending further updates.

On March 5, Dow Europe GmbH announced an increase in its polyether prices.PolyolProduct Pricing: Effective immediately, or as permitted under the terms of the contract, the Company will increase the price of all polyether polyol products sold in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and India (EMEAI) by EUR 100 per metric ton (or the equivalent in local currency). This adjustment follows the previously announced price increase of EUR 100 per metric ton on February 27, 2026. Dow states that this price adjustment is primarily driven by evolving conditions in the Middle East, which have led to significant increases in energy, raw material, and logistics costs.

On March 5, Dow announced an increase.MDIProduct Pricing: Effective immediately or as permitted under contractual terms, the Company will increase prices for MDI products in the European region by EUR 200 per metric ton. Additionally, for MDI products sold in the India, Middle East & Africa (IMEA) region, the Company will implement a price increase of USD 300 per metric ton (or the equivalent in local currency). Dow states that this price adjustment is primarily driven by the evolving situation in the Middle East, which has led to significant increases in energy, raw material, and logistics costs, thereby raising MDI production and supply costs.

An investor asked on the investor interaction platform: With the significant increase in the cost of pure benzene as a raw material, will it affect the company's performance? On March 4th, Hengshen New Materials (000782.SZ) responded on the investor interaction platform that the main raw material for the company's nylon 6 chip is caprolactam. Pure benzene is not the company's raw material, but rather the raw material for the upstream industry. From the perspective of the petrochemical industry chain, an increase in the price of upstream raw materials usually leads to a price increase in the downstream and terminal products. However, the transmission mechanism is influenced by complex factors such as market supply and demand and competitive landscape, making it difficult to predict simply. For specific subsequent operating performance, please pay attention to the relevant announcements disclosed by the company.

On February 23, 2026, the Executive Management Committee of the Brazilian Foreign Trade Commission (GECEX) issued Resolution No. 858 of 2026, concluding the public interest assessment procedure for anti-dumping measures on polyether polyols originating from China and the United States, with a molecular weight between 300 and 4500 g/mol and a purity of no less than 90%, including mixtures of polyether polyols with a concentration of no less than 90%. The anti-dumping measures on the products from these two countries will not be suspended or adjusted. The HS code for the involved product in MERCOSUR is 3907.29.39. The resolution shall take effect from the date of publication.

According to Xinhua News Agency, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who is visiting China, led a delegation to visit Unitree Robotics in Hangzhou, Zhejiang on the afternoon of the 26th. According to the itinerary, Merz and his delegation will also visit German companies in China. Merz is on an official visit to China from the 25th to the 26th, accompanied by about 30 top executives from leading German companies in sectors such as automotive, chemicals, biopharmaceuticals, mechanical manufacturing, and circular economy, fully demonstrating Germany's strong willingness to deepen practical cooperation with China. According to China News Service, Wang Xingxing, CEO of Unitree Robotics, expressed his profound honor in an interview, stating that this event serves as a window for establishing broader cooperation with more German enterprises and presents an opportunity to jointly advance the intelligent robotics industry globally. He noted that the German market holds tremendous potential and expressed confidence that the robust development trend of the intelligent robotics and AI industries would greatly benefit both the industry’s growth and humanity as a whole.