Australia investigates Japanese PVC dumping

(plasticsnews) -- The Canberra-based Australian Customs and Border Protection Service (ACBPS) is inviting submissions from industry into whether anti-dumping measures, implemented to stop Japanese manufacturers exporting PVC at prices less than the resin's normal value in Australia, should continue.

Anti-dumping measures currently apply to PVC exports from Japan and the U.S., but the measures for Japanese imports expire Oct. 21, 2012. ACBPS invited industry Dec. 9 to respond to whether measures imposed on Japanese imports should continue for another five years.

Anti-dumping measures were first implemented in 1992 and reimposed in 1997, 2002 and 2007.

ACBPS's most recent inquiry was told about 30 percent of Japanese PVC exports from 2003 to 2006 to all countries were at prices below domestic prices. It was told Australia's PVC market price exceeded Japan's dumped goods by 8 percent.

ACBPS ruled in Nov. anti-dumping measures imposed on U.S. manufacturers exporting PVC to Australia should remain. The measures were due to expire on Jan. 22, 2012.

ACBPS said without anti-dumping measures, it is likely dumped U.S. PVC will undercut other imports in the Australian market and significantly undercut Australia's selling prices.

MRC

(chemmonitor) -- Recently, the investigations conducted by the European Union in regard to polyethylene terephthalate (PET) products supplied from the countries of the Middle East to the EU were stopped since the complaints had been retracted.

The PET imports from Saudi Arabia and Oman were put under investigation around a year ago on suspicion of subsidization and dumping.

Saudi Basic Industries Corporation (SABIC) and Oman-headquartered Octal were suspected of unfair competition.

MRC

(chemmonitor) -- Current instability in US economic situation and the debt of the EU entailed negative outlook for North America styrene market.

Styrene market consumers are very cautious about the perspectives of a raw material benzene and crude oil, while styrene producers are more positive.


Styrene traders and suppliers did not expect such tight market conditions next year.
Styrene North America market players predict unsteady benzene market and dependence on the economy of the U.S.

However, some styrene market players did not predict such a volatile market.

MRC

(perstorp) -- Joint venture agreement was signed between Perstorp & PTT Global Chemical Public Company Ltd. (PTTGC) for the global production and specialty chemicals sales for the polyurethane industry on December 22, 2011.

The JV, focused on the production and trades of aromatic (tolylene diisocyanate (TDI)) and aliphatic (Isophorone diisocyanate (IPDI), hexamethylene diisocyanate (HDI) and derivates) isocyanates, comprises the founder Perstorp Business Group ⌠Coating Additives and its production units at Pont-de-Claix (France) and Freeport (the United States). 51 percent of the JV will be owned by PTTGC and 49 percent by Perstorp.

PTT Global Chemical Public Company Limited is Thailand's largest chemical producer and chemical flagship of PTT Group The company's business value chain consists of upstream business with petrochemical capacity of 8.2 million tons per year and petroleum products capacity of 228,000 barrels per day. Downstream business includes polymers, EO-Based Performance, Green Chemicals, and High Volume Specialties.

MRC

(Acron) -- JSC Acron (Russia) plans to start up a new ammonia unit in late 2014.

The company concluded an agreement with Haldor Topsoe (Denmark) on the design of the facility.

The ammonia unit is projected to have the capacity of around 2,060 metric tons per day. It will be fit mainly with the equipment from two other units currently operated by JSC Acron.

The facility will be situated in Veliky Novgorod (Russia) at the site of an unfinished ammonia plant the construction of which was postponed in 1990's.

Acron Group is a world's leading mineral fertiliser producer with a high level of vertical integration, including potash and phosphate asset development. The Group's key business segments include ammonia, nitrogen and complex mineral fertilisers, as well as organic and non-organic compounds.

MRC