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EU proposes support package for chemicals sector
EU proposes support package for chemicals sector
The measure aims to address high energy costs, global competition and weak demand, writes Dafydd ab Iago Brussels, 15 July (Argus) — The European Commission on 8 July proposed measures to support the EU chemicals sector, aiming to address high energy costs, global competition and weak demand. The plan includes extending emissions trading system (ETS) compensation to more producers and simplifying fertilizer registration rules. The commission says the simplification measures could save the sector €363mn/yr ($423mn/yr). The proposals are part of a broader plan to boost competitiveness and secure supply chains. A new Critical Chemicals Alliance will identify key production sites needing policy support, targeting trade issues such as supply chain dependencies and market distortions. The commission also pledged to apply trade defence measures more quickly and expand chemical import monitoring. Although the commission stopped short of proposing a Critical Chemicals Act — which would legally define specific chemicals for support — it named steam crackers, ammonia, chlorine and methanol as "essential" to the EU economy. The alliance will aim to align investment and co-ordinate support, including through the bloc's Important Projects of Common European Interest programme. The commission also defined low-carbon hydrogen and plans to allow more state aid for electricity-intensive chemical producers by year-end. It encouraged the use of carbon capture, biomass, waste and renewables. The plan uses "all levers" to put the sector back on a growth track, with measures to retain steam crackers and other key assets in Europe, EU industry commissioner Stephane Sejourne says. He also highlighted efforts to secure domestic demand for "clean and made-in-Europe chemicals". Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
Alt-fuel ship orders fall in 1H25: DNV
Alt-fuel ship orders fall in 1H25: DNV
Sao Paulo, 15 July (Argus) — Ship orders for new alternative-fuelled vessels fell to 151 in the first half of 2025 compared with 179 a year earlier, according to Norway-based classification agency DNV. These orders represented 19.8mn gross tonnes, up by 78pc from the same period in 2024. LNG-fuelled vessels accounted for 87 of the new orders in the first half, followed by 40 methanol-fuelled ships, 17 LPG-powered vessels, and four hydrogen and three ammonia-fuelled ships. Orders stood at 19 in June, up from 16 in May, with two of these LPG-fuelled carriers. The total fleet of ships that could run on LPG stood at just over 150 in the final quarter of last year , with around 126 on order by 2028 following the latest additions, as orders lag other fuel types despite low prices because of safety issues and a lack of four-stroke engines. New orders, 1H 2025 Fuel Number of vessels LNG-fueled 87 Methanol-fueled 40 LPG-fueled 17 Hydrogen-fueled 4 Ammonia-fueled 3 DNV Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
Trump threatens 35pc tariff on Canada by 1 August
Trump threatens 35pc tariff on Canada by 1 August
Houston, 15 July (Argus) — The US will impose a 35pc tariff on all imports from Canada effective on 1 August, President Donald Trump said in a 10 July letter to Canadian prime minister Mark Carney. The letter, which Trump posted on social media, noted that Canada previously planned retaliatory tariffs in response to the US' first tariff threats in the spring. He repeated his earliest justification for the tariffs — the illegal smuggling of fentanyl into the US from Canada — and said he would consider "an adjustment" to the tariffs if Canada worked with him to stop that flow. Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
Price cap continues to challenge Mexico’s LPG industry
Price cap continues to challenge Mexico’s LPG industry
Domestic associations have called for a built-in margin for distributors that would cover their costs and investments, writes Cas Biekmann Mexico City, 15 July (Argus) — Mexico's LPG distributors are still grappling with weak profit margin challenges stemming from the government-set LPG retail price cap, but robust demand and falling international prices have helped prevent the problem from worsening. Higher wholesale LPG prices in Mexico and a rigid retail price cap are making it difficult for distributors to operate, domestic distributors association Amexgas says. The average retail price cap across 2,747 cities was unchanged on the week at 10.93 pesos/litre ($2.19/USG) over 6-12 July. This had increased during the week ending 28 June following a climb in US propane prices — the first gain in 12 weeks. State-owned Pemex has a major influence on domestic LPG prices, including the retail price cap, despite its limited presence in the retail market and a multitude of smaller-scale private-sector importers and wholesalers. Pemex's LPG production from gas processing fell to a record low of 50,000 b/d (133,000 t/month) in May — the same month it decided to cut exploration and production spending by 41pc this year . Ethane production also fell to a record low at 31,000 b/d. Pemex's LPG imports were nevertheless relatively stable on the year at 83,400 b/d in May, down from 92,700 b/d in April, suggesting private-sector importers picked up the slack. The decline in output means Mexico is becoming more reliant on imports. Pemex and private-sector importers brought in around 196,000 b/d (6.2mn t/yr) in 2024, with Pemex accounting for about 82,000 b/d of this and private-sector firms 114,000 b/d, according to energy ministry data. This trend has remained largely the same in 2025. Seaborne imports to the country stood at 2.15mn t over January-June, up from 1.95mn t a year earlier, Kpler data show. Domestic demand stood at about 200,000 b/d in 2024, energy ministry data show. The ministry expects this to increase slightly until 2037, as those still using more harmful fuels such as firewood move to LPG and as demand for use as autogas grows. Mexico imports nearly all of its LPG from the US, with import prices pegged to US Gulf coast Mont Belvieu hub assessments. Mont Belvieu propane prices increased to an average of 87.8¢/USG ($458.50/t) in March, but dropped off in April. In June, the average was 76.59¢/USG, up by 1pc from 75.55¢/USG in June 2024. Regardless of international prices, domestic LPG associations have called for a built-in margin for distributors of Ps4.25/l plus value-added tax, "which would cover the necessary costs and investments for distributors", Amexgas said on 9 April. Pemex's LPG wholesale prices averaged Ps6.65/l over the week ending 13 July. With the Ps10.93/l price cap, that leaves a profit margin of Ps4.28/l, sufficient for distributors to help restore financial stability and allow companies to invest in maintenance, Amexgas says. But the spread frequently moves below the Ps4/l mark, at times getting closer to Ps2/l, which barely covers the costs to keep operations running, let alone make profits, it says. The fleeting nature of a positive spread for distributor margins places them at odds with the government's position, which since the administration of former president Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, maintains that the cap was necessary to prevent distributors from price gouging. Counter strike The government has not altered its retail price strategy, leading to distributors taking action by threatening strikes and blocking roads in Mexico City. A recent strike was delayed after Amexgas urged members to wait while it continues negotiations. Talks between the government and distributors are going slowly, with Amexgas focusing on explaining the maths behind the perceived unsustainable profit margins. President Claudia Sheinbaum has backed the price cap policy she inherited from Lopez Obrador. But the government and regulators are sympathetic to the problems distributors face, market participants say, paving the way for a new solution that would hopefully be amenable to the industry and the consumer. Propane USGC del east coast Mexico Mexico LPG imports Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
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