Polyurethanes
Overview
Polyurethanes are a feature of everyday life. They’re present in our furniture, bedding, clothes, shoes, buildings, and cars. The journey from base chemicals such as propylene or benzene to end-use polyurethanes involves multiple steps and chemical products. Argus can help you to navigate this complex and volatile value chain and make better commercial decisions around sales, marketing, distribution and procurement.
Argus’ polyurethanes services give you in-depth global and regional pricing insight, including feedstock analysis, in single, concise and integrated reports. In addition to pricing, you get access to global industry news and analysis of key economic drivers on a weekly basis. We cover isocyanates, propylene oxide, propylene glycols and polyols.
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Latest polyurethanes news
Browse the latest market moving news on the global polyurethanes industry.
LyondellBasell agrees sale of select European assets
LyondellBasell agrees sale of select European assets
London, 17 June (Argus) — Petrochemicals firm LyondellBasell is in exclusive negotiations with Munich-based industrial investment firm Aequita regarding the sale of four olefin and polyolefin assets in Europe. The deal includes its integrated cracker and polyolefin assets in Berre, France, and Muenchsmuenster, Germany, as well as stand-alone polypropylene sites in Carrington, UK, and Tarragona, Spain. The deal is contingent on local council approval and is expected to close in the first half of 2026, LyondellBasell says. The sites were part of six put under strategic review in May 2024. The assets "represent a scaled olefins and polyolefins platform strategically located in proximity to a long-standing customer base", the firms say. Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
Growth, challenges for Mexico’s chemical industry: ANIQ
Growth, challenges for Mexico’s chemical industry: ANIQ
Houston, 5 June (Argus) — The Mexico chemical industry faces challenges in the coming years, said National Chemical Industry Association (ANIQ) foreign trade director Guillermo Miller said this week. There has been a decline in chemical production from Mexico's state-owned Pemex. The company produced around 9mn metric tonnes (t) of chemicals in 2010 but only 2.5mn t in 2024. This is a challenge to the industry which needs to find formulas that allow Pemex to increase production, Miller said at the UTECH Las Americas polyurethane conference in Mexico City, Mexico. Additionally, investment has slowed into the chemicals industry in Mexico. The last peak was in 2014 for a polyethylene project. Logistics also pose a challenge for the country and increase costs as the current infrastructure is forcing product to move around to be used, said Miller. Mexico currently relies heavily on imports of chemical feedstocks, with the majority coming from the US. The availability of raw materials is extremely limited, especially for byproducts of natural gas, ethane and propane. Despite these challenges, the chemical industry, which was 1.7pc of the country's GDP in 2024, is projected to have growth of 5pc on average over the next 10 years, Miller said. There also remains a strong demand for polyurethane since Mexico is in the top five countries for car and refrigerator production and is first in television production, said Miller. The country should focus on innovation, infrastructure, certainty in investments and addressing the raw material shortage, said Miller. By Catherine Rabe Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
LyondellBasell agrees sale of select assets: Correction
LyondellBasell agrees sale of select assets: Correction
Changes financial figures in third paragraph to € from $ London, 5 June (Argus) — LyondellBasell said it is in exclusive negotiations with Munich-based industrial investment firm Aequita, regarding the sale of four olefin and polyolefin assets in Europe. The deal includes its integrated cracker and polyolefin assets in Berre, France and Muenchmuenster, Germany, and stand-alone polypropylene (PP) sites in Carrington, UK and Tarragona, Spain. The deal is contingent on consultations with local works councils and is expected to close in the first half of 2026. The sites were part of six put under strategic review in May 2024. LyondellBasell's Brindisi PP asset is not part of the deal and its future remains under review. Lyondell Basell confirmed the closure of its Maasvlakte propylene oxide-styrene monomer plant — the final site included in its initial review — in March. The companies said that the package of assets "represent a scaled olefins and polyolefins platform strategically located in proximity to a longstanding customer base and with access and connectivity to key infrastructure". LyondellBasell will contribute €265mn ($303mn) of €275mn total cash funding to support the separated business, but said that the sale would reduce its annual capex by around €110mn, reduce fixed costs by €400mn, and reduce the scope for decarbonisation investments. Decarbonisation of the Berre and Muenchmuenster sites by 42pc of 2020 levels by 2030, as previously committed to by LyondellBasell, would cost hundreds of millions of euros, or more on a faster timescale. Sale of the assets was preferential to closing them, which would incur environmental liabilities, now assumed by Aequita, LyondellBasell said. Aequita is a private equity group focussed on companies in special situations and group carve outs. It has no other chemicals businesses, but other investments include industrial and automotive parts suppliers. Managing partner Christoph Himmel said "Each site brings a strong operational foundation and a highly experienced, committed employee base. We are confident in our ability to accelerate their development". LyondellBasell indicated that it remains committed to Europe, and said the sale will concentrate its European footprint on "economically sustainable sites". Its remaining European assets are centred around two crackers and downstream units in Wesseling, Germany, PP assets in Italy and propylene oxide capacity in France and the Netherlands. Tarragona and Carrington have capacities of 390,000 t/yr and 210,000 t/yr of PP, respectively. Muenchmuenster has capacity of 400,000 t/yr of ethylene, 265,000 t/yr of propylene, 67,000 t/yr of crude C4s and downstream production of 320,000 t/yr of high-density polyethylene (HDPE). Berre has capacity to produce 465,000 t/yr of ethylene, 270,000 t/yr of propylene and 155,000 t/yr of crude C4s. The site at Berre also has downstream capacity for 320,000 t/yr of low-density polyethylene (LDPE), 350,000 t/yr of PP and 80,000 t/yr of butadiene extraction. Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
Global footwear market to grow in 2025: Industry
Global footwear market to grow in 2025: Industry
London, 5 June (Argus) — Global footwear consumption could increase by 7.6pc on the year in 2025, according to a survey by footwear industry association World Footwear, potentially supporting demand for polyurethane (PU) this year. The increase in global footwear consumption could boost demand for key components in the production of PU for the footwear industry, including monomeric MDI (MMDI), aliphatic polyester polyols and polymeric polyester polyols. Consumption will grow by 14.9pc in Africa, by 7.5pc in Asia, by 3.9pc in North America and by 2pc in Europe, according to the survey, but could decline by 0.5pc in South America and by 3.9pc in Oceania. The geographic divergence "highlights the shifting centre of gravity in the global footwear industry toward emerging markets [...] while established markets face greater challenges," World Footwear said. World Footwear also said that supply chain pressures and higher input costs continue to squeeze profit margins. Survey respondents said that the cost of raw materials was the top concern for the industry. By Laura Tovey-Fall Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
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