Interviews

Jakob Sigurdsson

2025-04-10

The last five years have been incredibly volatile for the chemical industry. Demand collapsed when COVID hit, then rebounded sharply, leading to supply chain shortages. This prompted a shift from "just-in-time" to "just-in-case" inventory strategies. Then, following the invasion of Ukraine, demand fell again, leading to another downturn.

Mauricio Adade

President of Latin America & Global Malnutrition Partnerships and Programs

DSM-Firmenich

2025-04-10

The challenges differ by region: malnutrition is more prevalent in the Global South, while overnutrition and obesity are bigger concerns in the Global North. This crisis is worsening, and not improving, which is why companies like ours are focused on developing solutions to tackle both extremes.

Bruce Bodine

CEO

The Mosaic Company

2025-04-10

Countries like Brazil still have room for agricultural expansion, but in mature markets, growth must come from better technology. That’s why we’re investing in specialty fertilizers and biologics to improve efficiency rather than just increasing output. For us, the biggest opportunity is in the Americas, particularly Brazil.

Dave Roesser

CEO

ENCINA

2025-04-10

To fund and build a plant, we need key elements in place: feedstock contracts, engineering and construction agreements, and offtake commitments from end users. Banks and investors require those agreements before financing a billion-dollar project. Large buyers like Covestro and BASF signing supply agreements with us provide credibility and financial security.

Christian Hartel

President & CEO

Wacker Chemie AG

2025-04-10

Asia remains our fastest-growing market, but we also see strong potential in Europe and the U.S. Countries like India and Indonesia are key, with a growing middle class driving demand for high-quality consumer goods, advanced infrastructure, and cutting-edge technology.

Greg Moffatt

President & CEO

The Chemistry Industry Association of Canada (CIAC)

2025-04-10

Tariffs are essentially taxes, increasing costs for individuals and businesses alike. When the U.S. imposes tariffs on imports, it raises input costs for manufacturers, ultimately impacting consumers. In response, Canada has announced a first round of retaliatory tariffs and is consulting on broader measures. We hope these will be targeted and strategic.

Daniel Mitchell

Executive President

Acoplásticos

2025-04-10

In Latin America, only Brazil and Colombia are currently engaged in chemical recycling at scale. We have facilities processing waste into feedstock, which is then refined and used again in plastic production. Potential investments could add another 100,000 tons in capacity.

Manuel Diaz

Director General

The Latin American Petrochemical and Chemical Association (APLA)

2025-04-10

Nearshoring is a growing opportunity, with Mexico being the main beneficiary. The country is attracting investments in personal care, pharmaceuticals, automotive, and other industries. However, it likely won’t absorb all the demand, leaving room for countries like Colombia, Brazil, and Argentina to benefit.

Jan Krueder

CEO

Química Anastacio & Anastacio Overseas

2025-04-10

Agriculture is a major market in Brazil, as we are the top exporter of commodities like sugar, coffee, and soybean. We expect it to remain a key area for growth in 2025 as demand continues to grow in Brazil and Latin America.

Paco Koudstaal & Thies Grage

Regional Director Latin America & Head of Innovation & Sustainability

HOYER Group

2025-04-10

TG: The logistics industry is hard to decarbonize. Our emissions come from road transport (our own trucks and suppliers’ fleets) and ocean shipping. In Europe, we've made progress by increasing intermodal transport—using rail and short-sea shipping to cut road emissions.

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