The global chemical industry entered the year with announcements for new facilities and sustainability-related initiatives as companies continued to counter headwinds created by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Chemical players’ continued investments offers hope that there is light at the end of the tunnel.
Powder & Bulk Solids editors selected these posts to provide our audience with an overview of some of the most interesting chemical industry-related developments that were reported in the last month.
Powder & Bulk Solids editors examined various perspectives and forecasts on the chemical industry’s progress over the course of 2021 to provide a view of what might lie on the horizon. Crystal ball gazers predict that certain regions and end-markets will experience greater growth than others during the period.
December 2020 Chemical Activity Barometer Rises But Remains In Contraction
from the American Chemistry Council
The Chemical Activity Barometer (CAB), a leading economic indicator created by the American Chemistry Council (ACC), rose 1.1% in December on a three-month moving average (3MMA) basis, unchanged from November and October. On a year-over-year (Y/Y) basis, the barometer fell 1.1% percent in December.
The unadjusted data show a 0.7% gain in December following a 1.8% increase in November and a 0.7% gain in October. The diffusion index was stable at 71% in December. The diffusion index marks the number of positive contributors relative to the total number of indicators monitored. The CAB reading for November was revised upward by 0.24 points and that for October was revised upward by 0.89 points. These were highly volatile months for the data. As always, the December data are provisional and subject to revision.