亚太、海合会贸易合作机遇凸显

Core Insights - The GCC region's chemical exporters face significant challenges due to U.S. tariff policies and economic headwinds, prompting a shift in focus towards the Asia-Pacific region [1] - The GPCA plays a crucial role in fostering cooperation between GCC and Asian companies, particularly in China, with joint ventures processing approximately 2.7 million barrels of crude oil daily and operating over 23 million tons of downstream petrochemical capacity annually [1] - Despite challenges, there are opportunities in Asia, with over 50% of GCC's total exports directed towards the region, particularly China, India, and Turkey [1] GCC Chemical Industry Challenges and Opportunities - U.S. tariffs are expected to increase the prices of GCC chemical products in the U.S. market, particularly affecting high-volume, price-sensitive exports like urea and PET [1] - The GCC region can potentially fill the gap in the Chinese market if the country reduces imports from the U.S., provided swift action is taken to capture market share and diversify trade partners [1] Competitive Advantages and Strategic Focus - GCC chemical producers maintain a cost advantage over naphtha-dependent competitors due to the availability of natural gas feedstock, even in the context of declining oil prices [1] - The region's chemical companies are shifting investments towards high-value downstream sectors such as specialty elastomers, crude-to-chemicals, and materials for packaging and electric vehicles [1] - The GPCA aims to benchmark costs and efficiencies among its members to promote best practices across the Gulf region [1] Supply Chain Resilience - Supply chain resilience has become a key focus for GCC chemical producers, emphasizing the need for flexibility in export routes, end-to-end visibility, regional buffer inventories, and digital risk forecasting [2] - The use of AI, blockchain, and IoT is transforming supply chain management from reactive to predictive, reducing reliance on single regions through diversified sourcing and strategic inventory [2] Energy Transition and Hydrogen Production - GCC countries are committed to energy transition, aiming for 25% to 50% of their energy structure to come from renewable sources by 2030 [2] - Ambitious hydrogen production targets have been set by Oman, UAE, and Saudi Arabia, with goals of producing 1 million tons, 1.4 million tons, and 4 million tons of hydrogen per year by 2030, respectively [2] - These initiatives are part of a strategy to maintain competitive advantages while reducing environmental impacts, with significant cooperation potential with the Asia-Pacific region [2]