ACC: Trade tensions, manufacturing weakness to weigh on growth

摘要

Continuing trade tensions between the US and China, and a related pronounced slowdown in manufacturing, are taking some of the wind of out of US chemicals output growth, according to ACC’s Year-End Situation and Outlook. Nevertheless, growth is forecast for both 2019 and 2020, with shale gas providing a major boost and broader economic growth underpinning demand. ACC forecasts US chemicals output to rise by 0.6% in 2019, and 0.4% in 2020. These fgures are down from 4.1% growth in 2018. “Defnitely, a slowdown is occurring,” says Kevin Swift, chief economist at ACC.