During the week ending May xxth, Ethylene Dichloride (EDC) prices in Germany declined from USD xxx/MT to USD xxx/MT. The European market faced significant upheaval with the recent announcements of permanent cracker closures: SABIC decision to close its cracker at Geleen in the Netherlands and ExxonMobil&#xx;s announcement regarding the closure of its cracker at Notre-Dame-de-Gravenchon, France. These closures contributed to a slightly loose the market balance in Europe for April. While some derivative shutdowns mitigated the impact of these closures, there were also notable investments and expansions in ethylene oxide, EDC, and polyethylene. Despite these efforts, there remained a net loss in Ethylene consumption, raising concerns about potential additional closures due to low demand. While the traditional North European hubs remained dominant, the emergence of the Port of Barcelona as a competitive player marked a notable shift in trade route dynamics, particularly for shipments between the Far East...
