New Energy research report from Business Monitor International is now available from Fast Market Research

Boston, MA -- (ReleaseWire) -- 04/14/2014 --In 2012, the industrial production index for chemicals declined 0.7% on average, while for rubber and plastic products it plummeted an average of 9.0%, compared with growth of 0.2% and -1.5% respectively in 2011. In the first four months of 2013, the chemicals production index fell by a further 7.3% while the rubber and plastics index fell by 5.0%. This signalled a deterioration of chemical and petrochemicals performance in H113. Although there was an uptick in April, the operating environment has not changed radically to support a sustained recovery.

With the rest of the eurozone caught up in a pronounced slowdown, Spain's capacity to export its way out of recession has disappeared entirely. We estimated that GDP contracted 1.4% in 2012 and the recession should deepen in 2013, when growth should fall to -1.7%. Only a fiscal stimulus is likely to provide a turnaround to escape the debt-deflationary trap Spain is in, but this appears off the cards over the next year.

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Over the last quarter BMI has revised the following forecasts and views:

- La Seda Barcelona's (LSB) decision in June 2013to file for insolvency underlined the parlous state of the industry, with rising raw material costs combined with low demand and increased inventories. This puts in doubt LSB's plans to expand its PET plant at El Prat de Llobregat fFrom 220,000tpa to 265,000tpa in 2013.
- Overall, 2013 could be a worse year for chemicals production, while plastics are set to remain in a slump. However, we believe Spain's economic contraction is now bottoming out, with the country's increasinglycompetitive labour market moderately boosting export growth and the outlook for investment spending improving over a medium-term time horizon, which should see the industry turn the corner in 2014. - Spain scores 66.7 points, leaving it in sixth and last place in our Western Europe petrochemicals business environment ratings. It lies 4.9 points behind the United Kingdom.
The Spanish petrochemicals industry will see a strengthening in its recovery in 2014, although this will depend primarily in export growth in domestic markets set to remain fragile. BMI's latest Spain Petrochemicals Report foresees continued structural problems in the industry and constraints to growth, while a permanent reduction in capacity due to plant closures will prevent a return to pre-recession levels of production.

In 2013, the chemicals production index fell by an average of 1% year-on-year (y-o-y), while the rubber and plastic index grew by an average of 1.6%. While the performance was disappointing, the sector appeared to have reached a turning point in spite of Repsol's longer-than-expected temporary closure of ethylene capacity in Q413. Nevertheless, BMI believes that production has stabilised and is on course for growth, albeit at a modest rate.

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