London (Platts)--15Nov2012/927 am EST/1427 GMT
EU chemicals production fell by 2.2% year-on-year in the first eight months of 2012, according to the latest Cefic Chemicals Trends Report released Thursday. Output decline in August was led by two chemicals subsectors -- specialty chemicals and consumer chemicals -- which fell by 4.6% and 3.6% respectively. In the month, polymers production fell by 2.8%, rubber and plastic products declined 2.6%, petrochemicals slumped 2.3% and basic inorganics dipped by 0.2%. The only sector that posted positive output was the machinery and equipment industry. Chemical prices in the EU in the month of August climbed 1% year-on-year led by an overall price hike in basic inorganics. Overall prices for chemicals in the first eight months of 2012 rose by 2.7% compared to the same period in 2011. Article continues below...Sign up to Petrochemical Alert today. Petrochemical Alert gives you everything you need to stay informed and react to changing market conditions, including minute-to-minute updates on news and pricing for all your petrochemical needs. From news flashes to long-range analysis, and real-time deal reporting to end-of-day price assessments, Petrochemical Alert is consistently first to deliver breaking news that moves the world's petrochemicals markets. It's an indispensable tool for those making crucial decisions.
EU chemicals production fell by 2.2% year-on-year in the first eight months of 2012, according to the latest Cefic Chemicals Trends Report released Thursday. Output decline in August was led by two chemicals subsectors -- specialty chemicals and consumer chemicals -- which fell by 4.6% and 3.6% respectively. In the month, polymers production fell by 2.8%, rubber and plastic products declined 2.6%, petrochemicals slumped 2.3% and basic inorganics dipped by 0.2%. The only sector that posted positive output was the machinery and equipment industry. Chemical prices in the EU in the month of August climbed 1% year-on-year led by an overall price hike in basic inorganics. Overall prices for chemicals in the first eight months of 2012 rose by 2.7% compared to the same period in 2011.
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Petrochemical Alert gives you everything you need to stay informed and react to changing market conditions, including minute-to-minute updates on news and pricing for all your petrochemical needs. From news flashes to long-range analysis, and real-time deal reporting to end-of-day price assessments, Petrochemical Alert is consistently first to deliver breaking news that moves the world's petrochemicals markets. It's an indispensable tool for those making crucial decisions.
Based on Eurostat data, the production index of the EU manufacturing sector as a whole went down by 1.6% in the first eight months this year compared with the year-ago period. Sectoral analysis shows that construction and basic metals categories -- key chemicals industry customers -- each fell by 4.7%. Output in the food and beverage sector, as well as the auto sector, was anemic in this timeframe, Cefic said. --Michelle Ho, Michelle_Ho@platts.com--Edited by Maurice Geller, maurice_geller@platts.com
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