The U.S. Chemical Production Regional Index (U.S. CPRI) was 0.4% higher in May, following a 0.6% gain in April, according to the latest Weekly Chemistry and Economic Report from the American Chemistry Council (ACC; Washington, D.C.; www.americanchemistry.com). Chemical output was higher in all U.S. regions except the West Coast, the ACC report says, and the index was ahead of last May by 2.1%.
The Global CPRI also rose in May, by 0.1%, on a three-month-moving-average basis, the ACC report says, a result that may indicate slower growth in the second quarter. Globally, “production gains occurred in most regions, Latin America and Central and Eastern Europe being the exceptions. The Global CPRI is up 4.2% compared to last year at this time, the report noted.
Looking at the wider economy, the ACC report notes that the week’s economic reports were mostly positive, with overall improvement in housing and production growth in business equipment, construction and materials.