Thailand's Formosa Plastics to complete IIR plant in 2013

(ICIS) -- Formosa Plastics Group (FPG), the biggest plastics group in Taiwan, will complete the construction of 50,000 tonnes/year isobutylene isoprene rubber (IIR) plant at Ningbo of Zhejiang province at the end of the second quarter of 2013, a company source said on Friday.
The company, with investment of yuan (CNY) 18bn (USD2.84bn), started the construction of the plant in September 2011, according to the source.

⌠Domestic IIR producers will facing a challenging market because IIR output is expected to exceed downstream demand in the future, a market player said.




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South Stream pipeline gets Turkey green light

(bbc.co.uk) -- Turkey has given permission for the South Stream gas pipeline to be built across its territories, giving the project a clear run into the lucrative energy markets of Europe.
The pipeline will transport Russian gas to Europe under the Black Sea. It will now be able to bypass Ukraine, which had failed to reach an agreement with the pipeline's owners.


Gazprom has a 50% stake in the project, Italy's Eni 20% and France's EDF and Germany's Wintershall 15% each. A short statement from Gazprom said "all necessary and unconditional permits were granted".
The full pipeline is expected to be completed by the end of 2015.
The main rival to the South Stream project is the EU-backed Nabucco pipeline, which is set to carry gas from the Caspian region to Austria, passing through southern Europe.

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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.

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European Union Cleared Middle Eastern SABIC and Octal of Suspicion of Subsidization and Dumping

(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.

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