Mary Wilson
Well-known member
Published Wednesday, September 29, 2021 2:06PM EDT
Last Updated Wednesday, September 29, 2021 2:06PM EDT
Paul Wiseman and Tom Krisher
In an economy upended by the coronavirus, shortages and price spikes have hit everything from lumber to computer chips. Not even toilet paper escaped.
Now, they're cutting into one of the humblest yet most vital links in the global manufacturing supply chain: The plastic pellets that go into a vast universe of products ranging from cereal bags to medical devices, automotive interiors to bicycle helmets.
Like other manufacturers, petrochemical companies have been shaken by the pandemic and by how consumers and businesses responded to it. Yet petrochemicals, which are made from oil, have also run into problems all their own, one after another ...
... The price of polyvinyl chloride or PVC, used for pipes, medical devices, credit cards, vinyl records and more, has rocketed 70%. The price of epoxy resins, used for coatings, adhesives and paints, has soared 170%. Ethylene - arguably the world's most important chemical, used in everything from food packaging to antifreeze to polyester - has surged 43%, according to ICIS figures.
The root of the problem has become a familiar one in the 18 months since the pandemic ignited a brief but brutal recession ...
https://www.ctvnews.ca/business/fro...tent&utm_medium=trueAnthem&utm_source=twitter
Last Updated Wednesday, September 29, 2021 2:06PM EDT
Paul Wiseman and Tom Krisher
In an economy upended by the coronavirus, shortages and price spikes have hit everything from lumber to computer chips. Not even toilet paper escaped.
Now, they're cutting into one of the humblest yet most vital links in the global manufacturing supply chain: The plastic pellets that go into a vast universe of products ranging from cereal bags to medical devices, automotive interiors to bicycle helmets.
Like other manufacturers, petrochemical companies have been shaken by the pandemic and by how consumers and businesses responded to it. Yet petrochemicals, which are made from oil, have also run into problems all their own, one after another ...
... The price of polyvinyl chloride or PVC, used for pipes, medical devices, credit cards, vinyl records and more, has rocketed 70%. The price of epoxy resins, used for coatings, adhesives and paints, has soared 170%. Ethylene - arguably the world's most important chemical, used in everything from food packaging to antifreeze to polyester - has surged 43%, according to ICIS figures.
The root of the problem has become a familiar one in the 18 months since the pandemic ignited a brief but brutal recession ...
https://www.ctvnews.ca/business/fro...tent&utm_medium=trueAnthem&utm_source=twitter