Paint & Coating News

BASF announced on October 30 that it will construct a new, state-of-the-art electronic-grade ammonium hydroxide facility at its Ludwigshafen site in Germany.

• BASF

Swiss specialty chemical company Sika AG revealed that it will cut up to 1,500 jobs globally, a decision deeply tied to the underperformance of its Chinese business and broader structural weaknesses in the construction-chemicals sector.

Celanese Corporation, a global leader in chemicals and specialty materials, has announced plans to cease operations at its acetate tow manufacturing facility in Lanaken, Belgium, by the second half of 2026.

• Celanese

BASF’s decision to restructure its Antwerp complex by cutting 600 jobs by the end of 2028 has sent fresh tremors through Europe’s already weakened chemical landscape.

Kraton Corporation, a global leader in specialty polymers and high-value, pine-based sustainable products, today announced a strategic plan to streamline its polymer operations at its Berre, France facility.

• Kraton

Braskem has announced that its Board of Directors has approved an investment of approximately 4.2 billion Brazilian reais to increase the production capacity of its petrochemical complex in Rio de Janeiro to 220,000 tons of ethylene per year.

• Braskem

In late October, U.S. and Chinese trade negotiators convened in Kuala Lumpur, reaching what both sides cautiously described as a “framework agreement” on tariffs, export controls, and enforcement cooperation.

Dow Inc. released its third-quarter 2025 results on October 23, showing continued weakness across all business segments.

After the National Day holiday, China’s EVA market continued to weaken, defying expectations of post-holiday restocking.

As the calendar turns to October, China’s PVC market enters the final stretch of 2025 under a chill of weak fundamentals and fading expectations.

Evonik has officially commissioned "Alu5," a new, state-of-the-art production plant for fumed alumina in Yokkaichi, Japan.

• Evonik

Recently, from Dow, INEOS, Trinseo, and Arlanxeo to Toray, 3M, and Polyplastics, a wave of plant shutdowns and strategic divestments has rippled across the sector.

Brenntag, a leading global distributor of chemicals and ingredients, announced the expansion of its partnership with Momentive Performance Materials to the Philippines.

• Brenntag

BASF has announced the start-up of a new neopentyl glycol (NPG) unit at its Zhanjiang integrated site, significantly increasing the company’s global production capacity.

• BASF

On October 17, BASF Coatings and Xiaomi Auto announced a three-year strategic partnership to co-develop 100 innovative automotive paint colors.

On October 17, LB Group, the world’s largest titanium dioxide supplier, announced its acquisition of the titanium dioxide assets of the bankrupt UK-based Venator Materials company — marking a major step forward in the group’s international expansion.

• LB Group
• Venator

Stahl announced the reopening of its state-of-the-art coatings plant in Ranipet. The reopening underscores Stahl's commitment to innovation, sustainability, and customer collaboration through locally produced, high-performance specialty coatings.

• Stahl

Nouryon, a global leader in specialty chemicals, announced significant investments in China to meet growing domestic demand for high-performance polymers.

• Nouryon

Europe’s chemical sector is facing a deepening wave of shutdowns as INEOS, one of the region’s largest industrial producers, announced the closure of two major plants in Germany and significant layoffs in the UK.

India’s Ministry of Commerce and Industry announced the termination of its anti-dumping investigation into imports of Siloxane Polyoxyalkylene Copolymers (with viscosity up to 2500 cst) originating in or exported from China.