From China to Malaysia: The Domino Effect of Plastic Waste Import Bans
July 2, 2025 – Global Plastic Waste Trade Faces Paradigm Shift as Malaysia Closes Doors The international recycling industry is bracing for disruption following Malaysia’s sweeping ban on plastic waste imports, effective July 1. This policy move – the most significant since China’s 2018 National Sword initiative – forces developed nations to confront their unsustainable…
Beyond Durability: How Wodefu’s Green Polyketone Tech is Reshaping Manufacturing
July 2, 2025 – Chinese Materials Innovator Wodefu New Materials Redefines High-Performance Plastics Landscape At a time when global manufacturers seek advanced material solutions, Suzhou-based Wodefu New Materials is emerging as a game-changer in specialty engineering plastics. The company’s breakthrough polyketone technology is setting new industry benchmarks for durability and sustainability across multiple high-tech sectors….
German Giant BASF Moves Electronics HQ to Taiwan, Tapping into Semiconductor Boom
July 2, 2025 – BASF Shifts Electronics Materials HQ to Taipei in Strategic Asia Push In a landmark decision signaling Asia’s growing importance in global electronics, BASF has relocated its Electronic Materials division headquarters to Taipei while appointing industry veteran Jens Liebermann as the new global business head. The move comes as the German chemical…
Sustainable Plastics Leap: Traceable PMMA Recycling Sets New Industry Standard
July 2, 2025 – In a groundbreaking move for Europe’s engineering plastics sector, Pekutherm Kunststoffe and POLYVANTIS have unveiled an innovative recycling initiative targeting PLEXIGLAS® waste. This pioneering program establishes a fully traceable circular economy model for PMMA materials, setting new sustainability benchmarks for the plastics industry. Industry insiders report the collaboration combines POLYVANTIS’s manufacturing…
Covestro’s Shanghai Mega-Lab Ushers New Era for Sustainable Polymers
July 1, 2025 - Covestro Unveils Cutting-Edge Polymer Research Hub in Shanghai Covestro has inaugurated its newly expanded Asia-Pacific Innovation Center in Shanghai, featuring 3,000 square meters of advanced research facilities dedicated to next-generation polymer solutions. The €25 million upgrade establishes the site as Covestro’s largest materials science hub outside Germany. The facility now houses…
From Colorants to Car Parts: The Domino Effect of Trump’s Hardline Trade Policy
July 1, 2025 - Trump’s Trade Ultimatum: Global Industries Brace for Impact In a Fox News interview airing June 29, former President Donald Trump declared no extensions would be granted for expiring global tariff exemptions set to lapse July 9. The hardline stance threatens to reignite trade wars, with Japan’s automotive sector emerging as a…
Southeast Asia’s First Major Lithium Separator Facility Opens in Malaysia
July 1, 2025 - China’s SEPM Launches Landmark Lithium Battery Separator Plant in Malaysia SEPM, China’s leading lithium-ion battery separator manufacturer, has officially commenced operations at its new ASEAN production base in Penang, Malaysia. The 5-billion-yuan facility represents Southeast Asia’s first large-scale battery separator manufacturing site with an annual capacity of 2 billion square meters….
Guangdong’s Green Petrochemical Milestone: Yisike Project Nears Completion
July 1, 2025 - Guangdong Yisike’s High-End New Materials Project Clears Fire Safety Inspection The carbon four and carbon five-based high-end new materials project, constructed by China National Chemical Engineering No. 13 Construction Co., Ltd., has successfully passed its fire safety inspection, marking a critical milestone for the Guangdong-based initiative. As a key project under…
Policy vs. Profit: Can Europe’s Recycled PET Market Survive the Price Gap?
July 1, 2025 – rPET Price Crisis Threatens Europe’s Circular Economy Goals The European recycled PET (rPET) market is grappling with unprecedented pricing pressures, creating a major hurdle for sustainability commitments across the industry. With rPET prices soaring to €1,800 per ton—80% higher than virgin PET (vPET)—manufacturers are struggling to justify the cost of using…
From Reactors to Deep Sea: How Hualing Cable is Redefining Extreme-Environment Wiring
June 30, 2025 - China’s Hualing Cable Advances Nuclear Power Technology with Breakthrough Wiring Solution Shandong Hualing Cable Co., Ltd. has achieved a significant milestone in specialized cable development, with its newly designed nuclear-grade wiring for the “Hualong One” reactor system now entering third-party certification. This advancement marks crucial progress in China’s domestic nuclear material…