韩国拟削减25%石脑油产能，六部门部署规范光伏产业竞争秩序

Industry Overview - The chemical sector's overall performance ranked 15th this week (2025/08/18-2025/08/22) with a fluctuation of 2.86%, indicating a mid-range position in the market. The Shanghai Composite Index rose by 3.49%, while the ChiNext Index increased by 5.85%, showing that the chemical sector underperformed by 0.63 percentage points against the Shanghai Composite and 3.00 percentage points against the ChiNext [2][3]. Key Trends and Recommendations - The chemical industry is expected to continue its differentiated trend in 2025, with a focus on synthetic biology, pesticides, chromatography media, sweeteners, vitamins, light hydrocarbon chemicals, COC polymers, and MDI [2]. - Synthetic biology is anticipated to reach a pivotal moment, driven by energy structure adjustments. Traditional chemical companies will face competition based on energy consumption and carbon tax costs, with a shift towards green energy solutions and larger overseas markets [2]. - The quota policy for third-generation refrigerants is set to be implemented, leading to a high-growth cycle for these products. The supply of second-generation refrigerants will decrease, while demand remains stable due to market expansions in Southeast Asia [3]. - Electronic specialty gases are crucial for the electronics industry, with high technical barriers and value. The domestic market is experiencing a mismatch between rapid upgrades in wafer manufacturing and insufficient high-end electronic specialty gas capacity, presenting significant domestic substitution opportunities [4]. - The trend towards light hydrocarbon chemicals is becoming global, with a shift from heavy naphtha to lighter raw materials like ethane and propane. This transition is characterized by lower carbon emissions and energy consumption, aligning with global carbon neutrality goals [5]. - The industrialization of COC polymers is accelerating, with domestic companies making breakthroughs in production. The shift of downstream industries to domestic sources is enhancing the willingness for local substitution [6]. - Potash fertilizer prices are expected to rebound as major suppliers reduce output, leading to a decrease in inventory pressure and an increase in demand from farmers [7][8]. - The MDI market is characterized by oligopoly, with demand steadily increasing due to the expansion of polyurethane applications. The supply landscape is expected to improve as major producers maintain low production levels [9]. Price Tracking - The top five price increases this week included nitric acid (6.67%), PTA (4.62%), and sulfur (3.57%), while the largest declines were seen in liquid chlorine (-866.67%) and NYMEX natural gas futures (-7.48%) [10]. - A total of 153 companies in the chemical industry had their production capacities affected this week, with 12 new maintenance activities and 5 restarts reported [11].