ACC's Moore: Major tariff increases may be problematic | Narrow House majority may impede Trump's agenda | N.J. bill eyes 100% compostable, recyclable plastic packaging by 2034
The US economy has been improving and US chemical production is expected to expand by 1.9% in 2025, but uncertainties remain, says Martha Moore of the American Chemistry Council. "There's a lot of uncertainty about what trade policy is really going to look like--you know, how much of it is talk and how much of it is going to translate into actionable policies," says Moore. "But certainly if tariffs are raised to the levels that have been talked about, that would be very troubling to the US economy."
Destination net zero: Fast-tracking progress
Chemical companies are making progress toward net zero, but the pace of decarbonization is not fast enough to meet global climate targets. Chemical companies can accelerate their decarbonization journey with the right mix of foundational levers and next-gen solutions like AI. Learn more.
Some Republican senators have expressed concern that the narrow majority in the House of Representatives could hinder President-elect Donald Trump's agenda, particularly if annual appropriations bills are delayed until March. "I think it's a bad strategy. I just think clearing the deck would have been so much better," said Sen. Kevin Cramer, R-N.D.
Olin has shuttered diaphragm-grade chloralkali capacity at a facility in Alabama and plans to do the same at a facility in Freeport, Texas, leaving some in place at the latter to support asbestos-based solutions. The unit also provides supplies for propylene oxide production at Dow, but the latter plans to shutter the supported PO unit by the end of 2025.
Importers in the US are bracing for disruptions as a temporary agreement between East Coast dockworkers and port operators approaches its Jan. 15 expiration, while President-elect Donald Trump floats tariff hikes for major trading partners. Import volumes have surged, straining the supply chain, but expanded warehouse capacity since the pandemic has eased some pressure, even as Western railroads face tight conditions.
Albert Invent has raised $22.5 million to advance Albert Breakthrough, an artificial intelligence-based platform that is trained on data from more than 15 million chemical structures. Albert, which counts companies such as Chemours and Nouryon among its customers, plans to use the platform to accelerate chemical research and development. "This is a SaaS product that's being used by the largest chemical companies in the world to reinvent the physical world fundamentally," said co-founder and CEO Nick Talken.
Google entered into a deal with startup Terradot to remove 200,000 tons of carbon dioxide from the environment using enhanced rock weather technology. The deal marks Google's largest carbon removal investment to date and lifts Terradot's total funding to nearly $60 million.
You can inspire and positively influence your direct reports to support your ideas and decisions by getting to know them, giving them relevant and rational information and using storytelling to create emotional connection, writes Paul Thornton. "Authentic passion is a powerful catalyst -- when you believe deeply in your ideas and show it, you effortlessly ignite the same spark in others," Thornton writes.