Supply Chain Resilience

Recent developments

Europe’s chemicals hub flagged competitiveness risk at the European Industry Summit, with the Port of Antwerp-Bruges urging faster permitting, carbon-leakage safeguards, and fair-trade defenses. Europe’s chemical industry is at risk without rapid action on energy and carbon costs, INEOS warned. BASF is reconfiguring Global Business Services, centralizing Finance/HR in a new global Hub in India and consolidating supply chain services in Kuala Lumpur. At thyssenkrupp, Materials Services is evolving into a supply chain service provider alongside group-wide restructuring.

Producers expanded regional footprints to cut lead times and add redundancy. ARLANXEO opened a Therban HNBR plant in Changzhou to serve mobility and energy markets. Evonik is expanding its HTPB production in Germany and China and engineering a further Asian unit. DOMO began building an Asia Application Development Center at its Haiyan site to support TECHNYL applications. To speed distribution in Nordics, Neste opened a lubricants warehouse in Jönköping.

Europe deepened LNG optionality: Poland’s Świnoujście terminal handled 81 cargoes in 2025 and will be complemented by an FSRU in Gdańsk. Japan secured emergency and long-term supply via a memorandum of understanding with METI and JERA and a 27-year Sales and Purchase Agreement. New African capacity advanced as the Congo LNG project reached 3 MTPA, while Azerbaijan’s Southern Gas Corridor CJSC attracted new investment.

Nigeria’s Dangote Petroleum Refinery confirmed capacity exceeding domestic demand, improving buffers and import substitution. In North Africa, MOL Group expanded access through a joint venture with Repsol and TPAO for Libya’s O7 block and a Memorandum of Understanding in Budapest with NOC covering exploration and crude trading.

Elkem will sell the majority of its Silicones division to Bluestar and is adjusting Norwegian silicon capacity amid volatile trade conditions. Yara reported improved earnings and advanced ammonia projects with Air Products to diversify energy exposure. UPM Adhesive Materials announced investments in the U.S., Malaysia, and Vietnam despite European closures, while Borealis won Nouryon’s Supplier of the Year Award for reliable ethylene and fuel gas supply.

Companies advanced low-carbon and localized sourcing: Sony launched a global supply chain for renewable plastics using mass balance. Aramco’s iktva program hit 70% local content, targeting 75% by 2030. Airbus secured clean firm power contracts with TotalEnergies. Symrise was recognized by CDP; WuXi Biologics earned an EcoVadis Platinum Medal. Europe backed new graphite routes via the Critical Raw Minerals Act, while Lilly announced a manufacturing facility in Lehigh Valley to onshore capacity.