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Economic Indicators: CEPCI

The preliminary value for the January 2015 CE Plant Cost Index (CEPCI; most recent available) edged downward from the previous month’s value for the fourth consecutive month. The first calculated value for 2015 sits only 0.11% higher than the year-earlier…

OECD CLI predicts growth in most major economies, ACC report says

Data from the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)’s latest composite leading indicator (CLI) indicate stable growth momentum for the most of the world’s major economies, according to the latest Weekly Chemistry and Economic Report from the American Chemistry…

Chemical equities outpace S&P 500 since start of the year, ACC says

The S&P index for chemical companies is up 5.6% from the beginning of 2015, while the wider S&P 500 Index is up only 2.2%, according to the latest Weekly Chemistry and Economic Report from the American Chemistry Council (ACC; Washington,…

Clariant completes sale of its energy storage business to Johnson Matthey

Specialty chemical maker Clariant (Muttenz, Switzerland; www.clariant.com) today announced the completion of the sale of its Business Line Energy Storage to Johnson Matthey Plc, which was announced on October 29th,2014. The sale was closed on February 28th 2015. “The divestment…

Bayer MaterialScience acquires composite materials specialist

Bayer MaterialScience (Leverkusen, Germany; materialscience.bayer.com) has concluded the takeover of Thermoplast Composite GmbH (TCG; Langenfeld, Germany; thermoplast-composite.com), a technology leader specializing in the production of thermoplastic fiber composites. Bayer MaterialScience will use the acquisition to expand its range of products…

Current Economic Trends

The preliminary value for the December 2014 CE Plant Cost Index (CEPCI; most recent available) inched downward compared to the final value for November, continuing a three-month trend. The index value sits at 1.45% above its level from December 2013.…

Global and U.S. CPRI rose in January, ACC says

The Global Chemical Production Regional Index (Global CPRI) rose in January on a three-month-moving-average basis, as did the U.S. CPRI, the American Chemical Council (ACC; Washington, D.C.; www.americanchemistry.com) said in its latest Weekly Chemistry and Economic Report. ACC’s Global CPRI…

Specialty chemicals start 2015 on soft note, ACC says

Specialty chemical market volumes in the U.S. fell 0.5% in January, beginning the year on a soft note, according to the latest Weekly Chemistry and Economic Report from the American Chemistry Council (ACC; Washington, D.C.; www.americanchemistry.com). The drop in January…

Total U.S. chemical trade up 3.5% in 2014, ACC report says

Total trade in chemicals, including both imports and exports, in the U.S. expanded 3.5% in 2014, to $388 billion, according to the latest Weekly Chemistry and Economic Report from the American Chemistry Council (ACC; Washington, D.C.; www.americanchemistry.com). The 2014 expansion…

Chemical construction spending up Y/Y, but equities slip in January, ACC reports

Spending on the construction of new chemical manufacturing facilities is up 73.5% year-over-year, according to the latest Weekly Chemistry and Economic Report from the American Chemistry Council (ACC; Washington, D.C.; www.americanchemistry.com). The ACC’s current list of chemical industry projects totals…