European chemical sector records mixed fortunes in first quarter

That is according to the latest Cefic Chemical Trends Report, which says global economic activity improved in recent months, despite political uncertainty and increased inflation.

Between January and February – versus the same period last year – production in the EU chemicals sector increased 1.6% in dyes and pigments, 4.7% in plastics in primary forms, and 8.6% in industrial gases.

However, output declined in subsectors like synthetic rubber, which saw a 3.5% decrease and fertilisers, which saw a 2.3% decrease. Petrochemical production fell 1.5%, the report shows.

Elsewhere in the document, extra-EU exports in value went down by €0.9bn in 2016 compared to 2015. Exports outside the EU went down by €133 million in the same time.

Despite this, overall output in the EU chemicals sector grew 1.6% during the same period, the report shows.

The report also shows that in Q1, the business climate “improved” for the EU chemical sector and the total demand experienced by chemical companies was up.

Cefic said it expected this “relatively positive trend” to last beyond this quarter.