Category: Industry News

LME Most Recent LTL Carrier to Close its Doors

Just a mere two weeks ago a Midwestern regional less-than-truckload (LTL) carrier ceased operations. LME posted a notice on their website on July 11th stating that they will no longer be accepting pick ups effective immediately. LME joins the five other carriers that have been major closings in 2019. LME states on their website “Given... Read more »

Grease the Rainbow

Even as a baby, colors mean something. Usually, we associate boys with blue and girls with pink. Colors are used to decorate, convey messages, entertain, and stimulate. For example, red is usually associated with heat while blue is associated with cold or water. This is also true in the chemical industry when it comes to... Read more »

Export Import Bank Restored

The trade war isn’t the only thing in the news that is hindering exports and imports with the United States. The Export-Import Bank of the United States hasn’t been able to reach a quorum, causing United States manufacturers to be severely weakened in foreign markets until recently. The Export-Import Bank of the United States is... Read more »

PVC Pricing Update

After a 2 cent PVC hike in February, polyvinyl chloride (PVC) prices were mostly unchanged through the end of March. The demand for North America PVC market was valued around 8 billion in 2017 and is expected to grow at a CAGR of a little over 2% over the period of 2018-2023. This growth can... Read more »

Section 301 Tariff Update

Last September the Trump Administration enacted a 10% tariff on more than $200 billion worth of Chinese goods. Over the past weekend, President Trump announced via Twitter that the tariffs will be increased from 10% to 25% effective May 10, 2019. The increase had initially been slated to go into effect on January 1st, 2019... Read more »

Bioplastics, the Answer to a Problem or Just Another Waste?

Did you know that eighteen billion pounds of plastic flows into the ocean every year? Did you know that only 9% of all plastic ever produced has been properly recycled? It isn’t new news that plastic is a problem and that recycling isn’t equipped to deal with the problem. This has many asking what now?... Read more »

Beer in a Bag?

Plastic bags are no longer going to be the only thing from the grocery store to be recycled, as flexible food packaging continues to grow. Recycling, along with usability and different features, are the main concerns facing this new wave of packaging. The industry has begun to take note of this and is working to... Read more »

U.S. Puts End to Duty-Free Imports from India and Turkey

On March 4th, the U.S. Trade office under the direction of President Trump, announced that it will be terminating the GSP (Generalized System of Preference) duty-free eligibility for India and Turkey.   The GSP program is intended to help developing nations grow their economy through trade. The announcement cited the reason for termination as being that... Read more »

Chinese Section 301 Tariff Increase Again Delayed

President Trump again delayed a 10 to 25 percent increase on Section 301 tariffs that was scheduled to go into effect on March 1st.  This came with the announcement that President Trump will be meeting with Chinese President Xi Jingping in late March to continue negotiations.  The reaction to this news has been mostly positive,... Read more »