Tariffs weigh on September US manufacturing PMI

Operating conditions in the US manufacturing sector continued to improve in September, but less than in August owing to slower growth in new orders, according to Chemweek.

The seasonally adjusted PMI came to 52.0 in September, down from 53.0 in August. A PMI above 50 indicates improvement from the previous month, while a figure below 50 indicates decline.

“US manufacturing production rose for a fourth successive month in September, but the upturn lost momentum as companies reported a drop in order book growth alongside a buildup of unsold finished goods inventories,” said Chris Williamson, chief business economist at S&P Global Market Intelligence.

New orders increased for a ninth consecutive month, but only modestly and at a level below the survey average, said Market Intelligence. Exports were a key factor, falling for a third month in a row. Survey respondents cited tariffs, particularly for exports to Canada and Mexico.

“Despite a slowing in demand growth, many factories produced more goods, using up raw materials that had been stockpiled ahead of tariff implementation,” Williamson said. “This poses a downside risk to future production in the absence of a pickup in demand, though [it] also hints at some alleviation of price pressures -- there is already evidence of companies offering excess stock to customers at reduced rates.”

Williamson said tariff-related vendor delays increased in September. If they persist or intensify, he added, they could result in production constraints and higher prices.

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Syensqo SA has invented a proprietary chemical recycling technology that depolymerizes sulfone polymers to obtain purified raw material monomers, enabling the infinite circularity of sulfone polymers, the company said in a statement Oct. 1, as per Chemweek.

The new technology builds on Syensqo’s sustainable sulfone polymers portfolio and relies on proprietary chemical recycling processes to break down formulated polyarylethersulfone (PAES) content in postindustrial production scrap and postconsumer parts into monomer feedstock for reuse in new polymer products, the company said.

The purified monomers can be incorporated infinitely into the company’s polysulfone, polyphenylsulphone and polyethersulfone products, as well as into other thermoplastics or even epoxy resin formulations without loss of performance, Syensqo said.

“By enabling the recycling of sulfone polymers from both production scrap and end-of-life products, we help reduce carbon footprint and increase recycled content in a wide range of applications, from hemodialysis and water filtration to aerospace,” said Floryan De Campo, vice president/life solutions at Syensqo specialty polymers.

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On Tuesday, SM prices dropped in Asia, as per Polymerupdate.

An industry source in Asia informed a Polymerupdate team member, "SM prices were evaluated lower due to declining upstream benzene prices combined with pessimistic market sentiments in the Asian markets.

On Tuesday, FOB Korea SM prices were assessed at the USD 830-840/mt levels, a fall of USD (-10/mt) from Monday.

CFR China SM prices were assessed at the USD 840-850/mt levels, down USD (-10/mt) from Monday's assessed levels.

Meanwhile, upstream benzene prices on Tuesday were assessed at the USD 695-705/mt FOB Korea levels, a drop of USD (-5/mt).

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The US government will acquire a 5% stake in Lithium Americas Corp. and a separate 5% stake in the Thacker Pass lithium project in Nevada, US Energy Secretary Chris Wright said Oct. 1, as per Chemweek.

This development comes after the Energy Department's Loan Programs Office restructured a $2.26 billion loan agreement with the company, after a review raised concerns about Lithium Americas' ability to repay due to low lithium prices. The agreement was initially approved by the Biden administration in 2024.

The revised deal ensures that Thacker Pass, the only source of lithium carbonate in the US, will proceed. It includes more than $100 million in new equity, and will help fund the construction of lithium carbonate manufacturing facilities.

"Despite having some of the largest deposits, the [US] produces less than 1% of the global supply of lithium," said US Energy Secretary Chris Wright. "Today's announcement helps reduce our dependence on foreign adversaries for critical minerals by strengthening domestic supply chains and ensures better stewardship of American taxpayer dollars."

Thacker Pass is expected to produce about 40,000 metric tons of battery-grade lithium carbonate per year once fully operational. Lithium Americas currently holds a 62% stake in the project, while General Motors Co. holds 38%.

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Agchem giant Corteva Inc. has announced plans to split into separate, publicly traded seeds and crop protection companies, as per Chemweek.

The move will “unleash two distinct market leaders” with operating models and capital allocation priorities tailored to support their respective growth outlooks and strategic directions, according to Corteva.

2025 net sales attributable to the crop protection business, dubbed “New Corteva,” are forecast to total $7.8 billion. The seeds business, or “SpinCo,” is expected to post sales of $9.9 billion.

The crop protection market has been grappling with destocking and price competition from Chinese manufacturers, whose lower production costs and aggressive export strategies are pressuring margins across the industry.

“The seed and crop protection markets have evolved, and as a result, we see the opportunities ahead for both companies diverging – this is the right time to act to stay ahead of the market,” said Corteva CEO Chuck Magro. “This separation will allow both businesses to maximize long-term value creation by focusing on their own priorities. As such, we see this separation as the logical next step in their growth trajectory.”

New Corteva will benefit from a stronger strategic and operational focus, including supply chain optimization, organic investment in differentiated solutions, and “disciplined” M&A to expand market positions in attractive portfolios or geographies. As a standalone company, SpinCo’s capital allocation will prioritize targeted M&A, sustained investment in R&D, and the fulfillment of existing opportunities, including out-licensing, hybrid wheat, biofuels and gene editing.

Restructuring has been a hallmark of the agchems industry, especially during periods of economic or regulatory stress.

The last downturn in ag markets in 2015–16 spurred the top-five agchem companies to consolidate into three $10 billion-plus giants. In 2017, Dow Chemical and DuPont merged to set up a 2019 split into three independent pure-play companies, one of which was Corteva. That same year, state-owned ChemChina acquired Syngenta for $43 billion. In 2018, Bayer acquired Monsanto for $63 billion, a deal that required Bayer to offload several of its seeds and crop protection products to BASF for €7.6 billion to obtain antitrust approval. DuPont and FMC also engaged in an asset swap in 2017 through which FMC gained DuPont’s cereal broadleaf herbicides and chewing insecticides portfolios.

More recently, BASF announced that it is preparing an IPO for its agricultural solutions business. The company is targeting the second half of 2027.

Corteva said the tax-free transaction is expected to be completed in the second half of 2026, subject to certain conditions. Lazard and Morgan Stanley & Co., LLC are serving as financial advisors; Cravath, Swaine & Moore LLP is acting as legal advisor.

Upon separation, current Corteva Chair Greg Page will become Chair of New Corteva; current Corteva CEO Chuck Magro will become CEO of SpinCo. Full board and management teams of both companies will be announced at a later date.

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