[ZeroGravitas]

I don't know what weird agenda politico has here but talking so much about how salt is used to make PVC while downplaying the other input of ethylene (made from imported oil and gas) feels really weird.

As does talking about various existing trade policies and carbon markets but not mentioning Carbon Border Adjustments.

[leonidasrup]

From the article "PVC manufacturing is an energy-intensive process, and electricity prices are higher in Europe than in the U.S. or China."

"It’s an energy-intensive process — Vynova’s plant uses as much electricity as the entire city of Antwerp — and EU electricity prices for industry are double those paid by its U.S. and Chinese competitors.

The European chemicals sector, like other energy-intensive industries, is also subject to one of the world’s highest carbon prices under the EU Emissions Trading System — currently around €75 per ton of CO2. The industry complains that this adds extra costs that Chinese competitors don’t face."

The Chinese don't have cost advantage in the input cost of ethylene (made from imported oil and gas), but they very much have cost advantage in the energy costs.

Plastics and organic chemicals are not covered by Carbon Border Adjustments.

https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/qanda_...

"CBAM currently applies to several basic material goods: aluminium, cement, electricity, fertilisers, hydrogen, and iron and steel."

https://plasticseurope.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Plasti...

[ZeroGravitas]

Apparently China makes 80% of their PVC from coal via the carbdide route. And use coal mine adjacent plants to make the electricity needed.

And that is 3x more carbon intensive than ethylene production.

Sound like a decent use case for a Carbon Border Adjustment to protect local business. But they apparently didn't want to make that argument.

Maybe it's a bad idea for some reason the journalist know and didn't feel like telling us.

Maybe it s a good idea for some reason that they didn't feel like telling us.