INSIGHT: EU chemicals output could grow marginally next year in challenging environment

摘要

LONDON (ICIS)--Polymer producers in Europe have benefitted in 2016 from relatively strong automotive demand. Chemical industry economists, however, are not too optimistic about the pull from automotive being sustained at this level next year, although they forecast stronger polymers output on the back of demand in packaging and from construction. Backwards-integrated producers then should be relatively confident for the year ahead, although they will be prepared for the likelihood of an upturn in the oil price over the course of the year, particularly if OPEC and non-OPEC producers do cut production as have they have said they will, starting on 1 January.