Episode 1000: Think Tank: Chemical distributors no longer so insulated from economic pressures

Chemical distributors are benefitting less from their traditional resilience to economic cycles as converging crises hit downstream demand; opportunities exist to capture growth from value-added services.   -          Chemical distributors impacted by multiple macroeconomic challenges-          Distributors suffer from destocking by customers-          Usual counter-cyclical switch by customers from producers to distributors not apparent-          No sign of hoped-for upturn in China to rescue global economy-          Distributors can add digitalization, technical services to add value, gain business-          Sourcing from cheaper regions can help improve competitive position-          Distributors historically grow 1-1.5% more than chemical producer market -          Distributors need to play full part in net zero carbon agenda