Houston — The US Department of Homeland Security has identified the US chemical industry and its workers as essential critical infrastructure with a "special responsibility" to maintain work schedules and operations while following US Centers for Disease Control workforce and customer protection guidelines in response to the growing global coronavirus pandemic
休斯頓——美國國土安全部已經把美國化工產業及其工人確定為具有“特殊責任”的重要基礎設施，以維持工業安排的進展和運作。同時遵循美國疾病控制中心的勞動力和客戶保護準則，以應對全球冠狀病毒病例日益增長的趨勢。
The identification ensures the sector can continue producing chemicals needed for disinfectants, plastics for food preservation, medical equipment and staples like diapers and soap.
這一確立保證了該行業能夠繼續生產消毒劑、食品保鮮塑料、醫療設備以及尿布和肥皂等主要產品所需的化學品。
The pandemic response has left millions hunkering down in their homes across the globe to try to stem its spread, slashing oil and gas demand just as Russia and Saudi Arabia launched a crude price war with increased output. Both issues have impacted the chemical sector, which relies on crude production for cracker feedstocks and consumer demand for end products.
全球數以百萬計的人躲在家裡應對疫情，試圖阻止病毒蔓延，在俄羅斯和沙特阿拉伯為提高產量而發動原油價格戰之際，這大幅削減了人們對於石油和天然氣的需求。這兩個問題都對化工行業產生了影響，因為化工行業依賴於裂解原料的原油生產和消費者對最終產品的需求。
Here are the latest industry developments:
以下是業界的最新進展:
NEWS新聞
- 美國對二甲苯現貨價格週一延續跌勢，下降了35美元/噸後現價接近525美元/噸。US spot paraxylene prices extended declines Monday, falling $35/mt to close at $525/mt FOB USG, the lowest level since S&P Global Platts began assessing the product in October 2006. Prices began declining in Q2 2019 amid vast capacity builds in Asia, and continued their slide into 2020 amid global supply length and poor producer economics in the US.
- 美國苯乙烯單體價格自週一以來已下跌逾56％，並跌至歷史低點375美元/噸。US styrene monomer prices have declined more than 56% since late January and fell to a historic low of $375/mt (17.01 cents/lb) FOB USG for prompt-month loading on Monday, down 18.5% from Friday.
- 陶氏化學週一表示，該公司已開始每月生產300公噸的洗手液，以捐贈給德國的藥房和醫院。Dow Chemical on Monday said the company has begun producing 300 mt/month of hand sanitizer at its manufacturing site in Stade, Germany, for donation to pharmacies and hospitals in Germany. The company was "rapidly repurposing" an existing US facility to do so as well. The company did not identify which US facility. "More informationabout this effort will be shared soon," Dow said in a statement.
- 亨斯邁週一宣佈，該公司計劃開始生產加氫酒精溶液，以用於製造洗手液。Huntsman announced Monday that the company will begin making hydro alcoholic solution to produce hand sanitizer in the Swiss Canton of Vaud and the General Hospital of Lausanne, Switzerland, at its manufacturing sites in Monthey, Switzerland.
- 荷蘭皇家殼牌公司3月18日宣佈暫停其位於賓夕法尼亞州60億美元的石化廠的建設。Royal Dutch Shell announced on March 18 that the company has temporarily suspended construction at its $6 billion petrochemical complex in Pennsylvania on coronavirus pandemic concerns.
PRICING價格
- 週一美國乙烯現貨價格穩定在3月20日達到的歷史新低。Mont Belvieu乙烯為10美分/磅，Choctaw乙烯為9美分/磅。US spot ethylene prices on Monday held steady at new all-time lows reached on March 20. Mont Belvieu ethylene was unchanged from Friday at 10 cents/lb Mont Belvieu, the lowest level since S&P Global Platts began assessing spot ethylene in July 2004. Choctaw ethylene held at 9 cents/lb FD Choctaw.
- 美國現貨乙烯維持正利潤率在10美分/磅，但乙烷正達到零利潤率。Upstream, non-LST ethane fell 0.25 cent to 9.20 cents/gal on Monday, a 3% decline from Friday. US spot ethylene maintains positive margins at 10 cents/lb, but is reaching zero margin for ethane.
- 埃克森美孚和NOVA化學暫停了3月份實施的聚乙烯價格上漲。ExxonMobil and NOVA Chemicals have suspended March price increases for domestic polyethylene despite higher demand amid the coronavirus pandemic, both companies said in letters to customers dated March 23. ExxonMobil had sought a 4 cents/lb price increase for all PE grades, in addition to 2 cents/lb for low density PE in February. NOVA suspended its 5 cents/lb price increase for all PE grades except LDPE, for which a 2 cents/lb increase remains in place as of March 1. Both companies said production and supply chains remain operational.
- 週一美國聚合物級丙烯現貨價格下跌1.25美分，至18.625美分/磅， 即期煉廠級丙烯現貨價格連續第四日保持在10美分/磅。US March spot polymer-grade propylene prices fell 1.25 cents to 18.625 cents/lb FD USG on Monday tracing weak crude oil prices. Prompt spot refinery-grade propylene remained flat at 10 cents/lb FD USG for the fourth consecutive session.
- 週一，美國MTBE跌至21年低點，評估價為60.45美分/加侖。US MTBE reached a 21-year low on Monday, falling to an assessed value of 60.45 cents/gal FOB USG.
- 週一美國甲醇價格保持不變，76美分/加侖。US methanol was unchanged Monday at 76 cents/gal FOB USG.
- 週一美國苯價格從上週五的131美分/加侖下跌19.8％至105美分/加侖。US benzene prices fell 19.8% to 105 cents/gal DDP USG on Monday from 131 cents/gal on Friday.
- 3月和4月甲苯的價格分別下跌31美分/加侖和93美分/加侖March and April FOB USG toluene each down 31 cents/gal to 93 cents/gal.
- 3月和4月混合二甲苯價格各下跌了32美分/加侖。March and April FOB USG mixed xylenes each down 32 cents/gal to 32 cents/gal.
- 週一標準石腦油價格下跌至25.220美分/加侖。lLight直餾石腦油的價格下跌至32.75美分/加侖。USGC standard naphtha barges prices fell 33.7% on Monday to 25.220 cents/gal, down from 38.060 cents/gal on March 20. USGC lLight straight-run naphtha prices fell 21.5% on Monday to 32.75 cents/gal from 41.75 cents/gal on Friday.
- 紐約商業交易所4月RBOB汽油收於每加侖41.18美分，較上週五的收盤價下跌19.36美分。April RBOB settled at 41.18 cents/gal on the NYMEX, down 19.36 cents, or 32%, from Friday's close to a fresh all-time low.
LOGISTICS物流
US ports, warehouses and trucking companies have been exempted from shelter-in-place orders like those issued last week in California and in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, which is home to the Port of Charleston's Wando Welch terminal. The Port of Savannah has canceled truck gate hours through the middle of April, but weekday operations remain as normal.
美國港口、倉庫和卡車運輸公司已免於就地庇護令，包括上週在加利福尼亞州和南卡羅來納州的芒特普萊森特（查爾斯頓港碼頭所在地）發佈的那些。到4月中旬為止，薩凡納港口已取消了卡車的通行時間，但工作日的工作仍照常進行。
The Port of Houston Authority on March 18 shut down its Bayport and Barbour's Cut container terminals along the Houston Ship Channel after an International Longshoremen's Association worker tested positive for COVID-19. The worker was isolated and hospitalized. Vessel operations resumed at the terminals the evening of March 19, and gate operations resumed the morning of March 20. The biggest chunks of all exports from the port are resin and plastics (34%) and chemicals and minerals (17.8%). Houston is the second-largest petrochemical port in the world behind Rotterdam.
休斯頓港務局於3月18日關閉了休斯頓船舶航道沿岸的Bayport和Barbour's Cut集裝箱碼頭。此前，一名國際濱海人協會的工人檢測出了冠狀病毒陽性， 該工人被隔離並住院。3月19日晚上碼頭重新開始船隻運營，3月20日早晨重新開始登機閘操作。該港口所有出口產品中最大的一塊是樹脂和塑料（34％）以及化學物和礦物（17.8％）。休斯頓是僅次於鹿特丹的世界第二大石油化工港口。
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