Paint & Coating News

The President of the German Central Bank, Joachim Nagel, warned on March 12 that US tariffs could push Germany, Europe's largest economy, into recession.

Canadian Environmental and Climate Change Department (ECCC) and the Health Canada released a significant report on Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS), alongside a set of risk management measures.

At the Aquatech exhibition in Amsterdam, Lanxess will introduce the online version of its LewaPlus software, designed for the planning and design of ion exchange systems.

BASF, a global leader in melamine foam production, has unveiled its new Basuert® EcoBalanced product, which significantly reduces the carbon footprint (PCF) by 50% compared to standard grades.

On March 5, reports revealed that Tesla has reached a tax incentive agreement with Waller County, paving the way for the construction of a massive new energy storage facility near Houston, Texas.

Rianlon announced that it intends to establish a wholly-owned subsidiary in Singapore and, through the Singapore subsidiary, establish a wholly-owned company in Malaysia.

• Rianlon
• Singapore

Industry sources said China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC) plans to start up an upgraded joint-venture refinery complex around June, marking the state-owned producer's further expansion into refining and petrochemicals.

• CNOOC

OMV and the European Executive Agency for Climate, Infrastructure and Environment (CINEA) have signed a funding agreement for OMV’s planned industrial ReOil plant, securing up to €81.6 million in funding.

• OMV
• CINEA

BASF has signed a supply agreement for Braven PyChem with Braven Environmental, a market leader in advanced recycling.

• BASF
• Braven

Recently, Pemex, Mexico's state-owned oil company, announced a plan to invest 20 billion Mexican pesos over the next six years to revitalize its petrochemical operations.

Shard Capital Partners, a UK investment firm, announced that Egypt plans to invest $7 billion in the construction of a new petrochemical facility in New Alamein City in the northwest.

On March 4, Mitsubishi Chemical Group (MCG) announced its participation as the sole Japanese member in the Global Impact Alliance (GIC), a platform aimed at creating a low-carbon future.

BASF's Coatings Division announced a significant Letter of Intent (LoI) with NIO, a pioneer in the global smart electric vehicle market, to establish a strategic partnership that aims to enhance collaboration in the automotive coatings sector.

Shandong Dawn Polymer Materials Co., Ltd. (the "Company") convened the 21st meeting of its fifth board of directors, where it approved the resolution to terminate the investment in the Dawn Biodegradable Materials Project.

Brennetag has renewed its distribution agreement with Syensqo to provide high-quality and sustainable aroma products, specifically Rhovanil vanillin and Rhodiarome ethyl vanillin, to customers in Southeast Asia, Australia, New Zealand and Taiwan, China.

• Brennetag
• Syensqo

On March 3, the U.S. Trade Representative's Office (USTR) announced a significant legislative proposal that could alter the trade landscape between the United States and China.

In a surprising move, Li Ka-Shing, once the richest man in Asia, has announced the sale of 43 global ports, including critical locations such as the Panama Canal ports of Cristobal and Balboa.

On March 7, the General Administration of Customs released the latest trade statistics, revealing that in the first two months of 2025, China's total exports reached $539.9 billion, marking a 2.3% year-on-year increase.

On March 5, BASF announced that Heather Remley, currently the President of Global Engineering Services, will take over as the new President and CEO at BASF’s Florham Park, New Jersey location starting April 1, 2025.

BASF, along with the Yangtze River Delta Physical Research Center and Beijing Weilan New Energy Technology Co., Ltd., signed a groundbreaking cooperation agreement to develop the next generation of solid-state battery packs.