Odd Lots episode description

Everyone knows by now that the war in Iran is curbing the flow of oil around the world. But oil isn’t just a gasoline and jet fuel story, of course. It’s also a crucial feedstock for a range of petrochemicals, including the building blocks of a variety of plastics. And we’re already seeing polyethylene prices start to surge, with some producers in Asia declaring force majeure and curbing their output. So how much of the world’s petrochemicals supply is now in danger? And what does it mean for the future of plastics and packaging, which are basically in everything nowadays? In this episode, Philip Geurts, chemicals and oil analyst at BloombergNEF, joins to walk through the numbers.

Episode date

April 1, 2026