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wayne vinton's avatar

My father worked at ICI Wilton in 1970's. Back then every kid in my school's father worked either at ICI or Teesside Steelworks-75,000 employees all told. I recall ICI shareholders seeking to release value was one of the major causes of the company break-up but your analysis is spot on. Sadly, associated jobs now in the hundreds.

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CESAR ALFREDO BARBERO's avatar

Nice text. There are some technical details missing. China makes ethylene from ethane (natural gas). So much that it have to lower down retaliatory tariffs on US ethane, otherwise the plastic industry collapsed. UK cannot do the same?. They can even buy natural gas from some technical ignorant (or capital/technology strapped) countries like my own: Argentina, which sell the raw natural gas, including ethane and propane. Use the methane or energy and the rest for more pricey olefins. With respect to energy prices, if you impose your industry high energy price because of climate change, you should apply a tariff on any product made with cheap non green (coal) energy. Last time I check, the CO2 emitted in China is the same than in the UK. Or you are just a fool

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