Australia’s December Trade Surplus Expands but Falls Short of Expectations 
Vietnam’s Trade Surplus With US Jumps as Exports Surge and China Imports Hit Record 
Dollar Steadies Ahead of ECB and BoE Decisions as Markets Turn Risk-Off 
Gold and Silver Prices Rebound After Volatile Week Triggered by Fed Nomination 
Silver Prices Plunge in Asian Trade as Dollar Strength Triggers Fresh Precious Metals Sell-Off 
Japanese Pharmaceutical Stocks Slide as TrumpRx.gov Launch Sparks Market Concerns 
Oil Prices Slip as U.S.–Iran Talks Ease Supply Disruption Fears 
U.S.-India Trade Framework Signals Major Shift in Tariffs, Energy, and Supply Chains 
U.S. Stock Futures Edge Higher as Tech Rout Deepens on AI Concerns and Earnings 
Gold Prices Slide Below $5,000 as Strong Dollar and Central Bank Outlook Weigh on Metals 
Thailand Inflation Remains Negative for 10th Straight Month in January 
Trump Endorses Japan’s Sanae Takaichi Ahead of Crucial Election Amid Market and China Tensions 
Asian Markets Slip as AI Spending Fears Shake Tech, Wall Street Futures Rebound 
South Korea Assures U.S. on Trade Deal Commitments Amid Tariff Concerns 
Bank of Japan Signals Readiness for Near-Term Rate Hike as Inflation Nears Target 
Asian Stocks Slip as Tech Rout Deepens, Japan Steadies Ahead of Election 
Global Markets Slide as AI, Crypto, and Precious Metals Face Heightened Volatility 
Hanwha Total Petrochemical Co is now the largest polypropylene (PP) producer in South Korea with a capacity of 1,120 tons after completing the extension of its PP and ethylene manufacturing facilities in Daesan.
The extension, which adds 400,000 tons to Hanwha Total’s previous annual PP production capacity of 720,000 tons, required an investment of 530 billion won and took 28 months to complete.
It is expected to generate additional revenue of 840 billion won annually.
PP is a synthetic plastic material used in disposable food packaging, food containers, other household products, and in auto vehicles and electronic components.
The material is seen attracting higher demand this year due to the increasing use of disposable food packaging amid the pandemic.
The extension also increased the company’s annual production capacity for ethylene from 1.38 million to 1.53 million tons.
The new facility uses liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) instead of naphtha, which is a more costly petrochemical material.
Hanwha Total Petrochemical Co. is a 50:50 joint venture between Hanwha Group and France's Total SE.
