Cefic has released its report on the performance of the European chemical industry in the first eight months of the year and, we can say straight away, the figures are not good. The reasons for the crisis are well known: energy costs in Europe remain among the highest in the world – about three times higher than in the United States – and demand is not taking off, while international competition remains very strong, especially from China. Furthermore, according to the European Chemical Industry Council, “the strategies that worked in the past seem to have run their course: Europe is paying the price for an open market and an unparalleled level of regulation, to the point that it has entered a critical phase”. Geographically, chemical production trends in the first nine months of the year were mixed: the Netherlands recorded a -6.2% decline in chemical production, France -3.9%, while Spain kept the loss below one percentage point; Germany and Italy recorded declines of -3.2% and -2% respectively. Only Belgium, among the major European countries, reported a slight increase of +0.2%. Finally, on the price front, there were no significant changes compared to 2024, but – due to low demand – sales in value terms fell by -2.3% between January and August.

Source: https://www.polimerica.it/articolo.asp?id=34953