Congestion at Asian ports has been driven by extreme weather events and wider supply chain disruption

Marcus Hand,Editor

September 3, 2026

Credit: Pixabay

Analysts Sea-Intelligence say that all 14 of the busiest container ports in Asia have seen a decline in on-time vessel arrivals.

The world’s two largest container ports – Shanghai and Ningbo-Zhoushan have been consecutive typhoons this year, most recently typhoon Saudel last week causing severe delays at the ports.

Ningbo, which became the world’s second largest container port in the first half of 2026, saw its reliability fall by 20.1 percentage points to 34.6% in the month of July according to Sea-Intelligence.

The analyst described the picture in Shanghai as “particularly alarming” with a 19.2 percentage points drop in reliability resulting in just 21% of vessels arriving on time at port in July.

“Outside of extreme pandemic‑era supply chain disruptions, schedule reliability in Shanghai has never dropped this low in 14 years of recorded data,” commented Alan Murphy, CEO of Sea-Intelligence.

The largest drop in schedule reliability among top Asian ports was seen at Yantian in South China with a 23.5 percentage point plunge to 48.3% in July. Hong Kong also saw a 20.4 percentage point drop in reliability to 51.6% for July.

The fall in reliability was pronounced at the world’s largest transhipment hub of Singapore with a 5.7% percentage point drop in July, however reliability sat at just 43.2% Sea-Intelligence said. Looking at other ports in the region Port Klang had 33.3% reliability and Busan 40.9%.

The growth in delays at major Asian ports has driven a drop in schedule reliability for container to 56.1% falling 6.1 percentage points the steepest single month decline since the height of the pandemic in January 2021 the analyst said.

“With the region’s busiest ports operating with more than half of their incoming vessels delayed, this backlog will naturally cascade through the maritime network, likely triggering a new wave of delays for critical head‑haul trade lanes in the coming months,” Murphy said.

Port congestion in Asia is pushing lines to end two and half year long rerouting of Asia – Europe services via the Cape of Good Hope back to the Suez Canal and the Red Sea despite the ongoing security threat from the Houthi in Yemen with its “blockade” of Saudi Arabian ports.

https://www.seatrade-maritime.com/ports-logistics/over-50-of-vessels-delayed-at-asia-s-busiest-container-ports

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Sep 02, 2026, 12:44 PM ETSomnigroup International Inc. (SGI) Stock

Somnigroup International Inc. (SGI) Discusses Strategic Acquisition of Leggett & Platt and Enhanced Vertical Integration September 2, 2026 8:00 AM EDT

Company Participants

Lauren Avritt – Director of Investor Relations
Scott Thompson – Chairman of the Board, CEO & President
Bhaskar Rao – Executive VP & CFO

Scott Thompson
Chairman of the Board, CEO & President

Thank you, Lauren, and good morning, everyone. Today is a significant day. We have officially closed the Leggett & Platt transaction, and I’m pleased to welcome the Leggett & Platt team to the Somnigroup family. This milestone marks the next chapter in our strategic journey and one we believe strengthens Somnigroup’s competitive position around the world.

A few facts on Somnigroup post-closing. Over $11 billion in trailing 12-month sales, over $750 million trailing 12 months net income, $20 billion enterprise value, $15 billion market cap. Over 170 manufacturing plants around the world. 2,800-plus retail stores with various formats customized for each international market. Over 40 e-commerce websites, selling direct to consumer with aggregate sales of over $500 million per year. 36,000 talented associates led by a very experienced management team. And customers, both retail and wholesale in over 100 countries. We are building a special vertically integrated company with numerous competitive advantages, outstanding cash flow generation attributes, a diversified customer base and a passionate workforce dedicated to customers in various markets and industries.

What we see in Leggett & Platt is a company with 143-year long legacy of exceptional people, world-class manufacturing, strong commitment to customer service and best-in-class expertise in bedding components. They also have a long track record as one of our most important suppliers. We know them well, and they know us well. That familiarity is an asset as we move forward as a combined company. First and foremost, the combination deepens our vertical integration, and it adds significant scale expanding sourcing opportunities, enhancing operational flexibility to a portfolio of assets that is already industry-leading. It also extends our reach across industries beyond bedding which will provide the company solid free cash flow and growth as markets normalize and these strategies are implemented. Strategically and economically, this is the right deal at the right time with the right partner.

Let me take you through how this transaction advances the strategic pillars we outlined at our Investor Day last March. Global scale and vertical integration, relentless consumer-centric innovation, relentless cash generation, disciplined capital allocation and a uniquely favorable position in the $120 billion global bedding market recovery. The Leggett & Platt acquisition checks every one of these boxes. Most directly, it strengthened our vertical integration advantages. Leggett & Platt is a primary supplier of important components to the bedding industry and particularly to our own manufacturing operations. They supply innerspring units, specialty foam and other key components to producers around the world, bringing their capabilities in-house further fortifies our supply chain in an uncertain world and allows us to optimize cost and drive quality end-to-end in the supply chain. The combination brings component engineering closer to mattress design and closer to the consumer insights we generate every day across our retail platform. That proximity supports accelerated innovation cycles. It means we can develop more cost-effective and consumer-centric products.

In addition to expanding our addressable market in bedding, Leggett & Platt’s product portfolio includes automotive seating systems, furniture components, geo components, and hydraulic cylinders also allow us to participate in industries beyond global bedding. These diversified sales streams as well as Leggett & Platt’s geographic footprint broadens our earnings base, and mitigates reliance on any single category, product or geographic market.

Let me say a word about how we intend to operate Leggett & Platt within the Somnigroup portfolio. Leggett & Platt will operate as a stand-alone business unit within Somnigroup, consistent with our approach with Tempur Sealy, Mattress Firm and Dreams. We believe this decentralized operating model is one of our structural advantages. It allows each business unit to stay close to its customers and markets and quickly respond and develop strategies in an ever-changing world, while also benefiting from Somnigroup’s expertise, scale, strong balance sheet and operational leverage.

A word on leadership. First, we’re very fortunate that Leggett & Platt has an experienced workforce dedicated to quality and customer service, which is led by a strong committed executive team with depth and a passion to succeed. To enhance their leadership structure, you most likely saw we announced the appointment Tyson Hagale as President of Leggett & Platt. Tyson is a 25-year Leggett & Platt veteran with a broad expertise across all corners of the business, including strategic planning, operational leadership and M&A. Most recently, he served as President of the Bedding Products segment, delivering results and operational improvements through some of the most dynamic conditions in the industry has ever seen. He knows Leggett & Platt well, including the non-bedding components. Karl Glassman will continue to lead Leggett & Platt as CEO over the near term, working closely with Tyson and Somnigroup executives as we bring the companies together. I’m looking forward to working with Karl and Tyson.

Moving to near-term strategic initiatives. We expect some early wins. We have long believed that high-quality innerspring systems represent a meaningful point of differentiation and important feature for customers. While the mattress category has traditionally emphasized finished product branding, we see the opportunity to elevate awareness of underlying technologies and components that contribute to comfort, support, durability and overnight fleet quality. Simply put, what is in your mattress matters. As a result, we are working to amplify the differentiated innovation by incorporating Leggett & Platt innerspring branding on the exterior selected mattress products. We believe this approach helps highlight the value of the technology inside the mattress while creating greater transparency and confidence for customers at the point of purchase. This initiative will initially roll out with our launch of the all-new Stearns & Foster collection this fall. It represents an important step in our broader strategy to increase consumers’ recognition of the premium component of engineering that differentiates our products. We believe stronger visibility of the Leggett & Platt innerspring technology can enhance the consumer shopping experience, support our retail partners’ merchandising efforts and further reinforce the value proposition of mattresses that incorporate our technology.

Ultimately, we view this as much more than a branding initiative. This is a reflection of the strategic vision behind the acquisition of Leggett & Platt’s bedding business and the unique capabilities that the transaction creates. By bringing ownership of innersprings, the heart of the bed, into the portfolio we are now able to more closely integrate component innovation, mattress design, driving consumer engagement. We believe that position enables us to set higher standards for innovation, durability, quality and transparency across the industry, while creating connection between the technology inside the mattress and the magic consumers experience every night. We should also note that Mattress Firm as it continues to focus on customer first, recently communicated to its supplier base, new and more stringent merchandising criteria, including the qualification of key component inputs, both Leggett & Platt’s innerspring systems and the foams produced by ECS, their specialty foam operations have been qualified under these enhanced standards. This is direct validation of the quality and consistency that Leggett & Platt brings us to our supply chain. I’ll say it again, what is inside your mattress matters.

In closing, I want to leave you with a few key thoughts. We are the leading vertically integrated bedding company in the world. We now forge our own steel, create our own springs and foam. We design and build our own products. We develop and market our brands and sell our products, which cover all price points in a balanced omnichannel format across the world. We believe that the $120 billion global bedding market remains structurally intact and positioned to normalize from its historically depressed levels. Now let’s be clear, the bedding market has experienced an extended period of weakness, and we have used that time deliberately to build the platform you see today, while also growing adjusted EPS and deleveraging. We are investing ahead of the recovery and building our brands, driving upper funnel advertising and strengthening our infrastructure. It’s not a question if the bedding market is going to turn around. It’s a question of when and whether you are positioned to lead when it does, and we are positioned to win and win big.

Bhaskar Rao
Executive VP & CFO

Thank you, Scott. Let me start with some housekeeping items on our reporting structure going forward. Leggett & Platt will be reported as a single consolidated reportable segment within Somnigroup, consistent with our other reporting segments, Tempur Sealy North America, Tempur Sealy International and Mattress Firm. Now moving to synergies. When we announced this transaction, we identified approximately $50 million in synergy opportunities on an annual run rate basis, focused on sourcing, operations and product innovation. That figure was based primarily on our internal diligence work at that time. Since then, we have worked with Leggett to refine our expectations. As a result of the team’s combined efforts, we are increasing that synergy estimate by 50% to $75 million on an annual run rate basis with additional opportunities in our synergy funnel that will be evaluated over the next year. .

Within sourcing, we see opportunities to expand profitability by bringing select components in-house and/or improving purchasing economics across our supplier base. To date, we have included $35 million of sourcing related synergies in our target. One of the most immediate and tangible examples is innersprings. Beginning in January 1, 2027, we expect to manufacture over 90% of our total U.S. spring needs internally, creating a meaningful cost savings opportunity and further strengthening integration across the business. We are reviewing additional supply chain opportunities and expect our combined sourcing efforts to support greater cost efficiency, particularly in chemicals. In addition, we expect the broader platform to create savings across third-party professional services.

Rafe Jadrosich
BofA Securities, Research Division

I just wanted to follow-up on the sourcing synergies that the 90% of — the expectation that you’ll be 90% internal sourcing for your springs. Can you talk about where that is today, like what that delta is? How much you’re getting from Leggett versus either other suppliers or internal right now, so like what that changes? And then does that include anything with Elite Comfort Systems in the foam side? Or is that all — that sourcing number all innersprings?

Scott Thompson
Chairman of the Board, CEO & President

Yes. We were under a long-term contract with Leggett pre-combination of 80% of our springs in the U.S., this is just a U.S. comp discussion coming from Leggett, so you should think about it as incrementally 10%, and we’ll probably be a little bit north of 90% over time would be my guess. That number is in the synergies. There’s nothing significant currently in the synergy number on the ECS side as we work through the ECS side of the house. We have a great supplier currently, what I’m going to call base foam, and they’re doing a great job, and we’re working with them and working with ECS and trying to find an optimal structure there, but we’ve got great suppliers on the base foam already.

Michael Lasser
UBS Investment Bank, Research Division

There are very few examples where one company such as Somnigroup control such a disproportionate amount of the profitability within the sector, and the bedding industry is interesting in that historically, it’s relied heavily on pricing as a key contributor to the overall growth of the sector. So my two-part question is, a, Scott, do you see any changes in the overall economics of the bedding industry as a result of Somnigroup’s unique position; and b, how are you looking at the overall pricing architecture of the industry moving forward as a key contributor to the overall top line results?

Scott Thompson
Chairman of the Board, CEO & President

Thank you for the question, and there’s probably some of my lawyers on the phone now that are going like, I hope he doesn’t really say much on that question, but let me talk about — first of all, you’re right. It’s a couple of things that are really unique. It’s really unique that a company was able to take a downturn, and the downturn has been, on a historical basis, it’s been the worst downturn ever, and be able to build what we’ve built. I mean it really is game changing. And you’re right, I don’t know what percentage of worldwide bedding profits Somnigroup now has, but it’s large, we’ll say it.

As far as the pricing architecture, I think the profitability of the bedding industry is going to be enhanced as we take out redundant costs and we add synergies. I think the economists and certainly, history would be the FTC would look at that and expect that some of that would creep into the customers’ pocket. And maybe it does, maybe it doesn’t. But from a competitive advantage standpoint, it certainly should create a competitive advantage in the marketplace.

Peter Keith
Piper Sandler & Co., Research Division

Big picture on the industry and potential rebound, so it looks like we’re now entering our fifth year of mattress industry sales declines. We do have positive GDP growth, there’s been a tax refund cycle earlier in the year. When you guys are thinking about the industry rebounding and getting better, what do you think needs to happen in the economy looking forward? And I understand housing would be an easy answer, but we all agree that, that’s a minority of total mattress sales purchases?

Scott Thompson
Chairman of the Board, CEO & President

The real answer is housing is an incremental headwind or incremental tailwind usually not hugely material, but you’d rather have a tailwind than a headwind. It’s consumer confidence which I would point back into a little less — a little more stable environment because look, these are discretionary goods, they are expensive and so when consumers are not confident and sentiment is really negative, they have — some portion of the customers tend to postpone. It’s interesting because it’s in-floor traffic. The customer who actually is in the funnel to purchase a bed, once in the funnel, gets through the funnel fairly quickly, or in standard form and it gets into the store and the closing rates are very strong.

So you don’t have an issue on pricing. You don’t have an issue on quality of products, quite frankly, the products, ours and others in the bedding industry are good. You’ve got a strong kind of health and wellness concept that goes through the industry. People do care about their bed. They do care about their health, and people with means are showing up and buying. Who’s not showing up are the more of the entry-level customers, if you want to say, the K economy or whatever or people who are a little unsettled by current events. So the first thing I’d say is we just need less drama in the world. And we’ve had it a few times, okay, where there’s a period where there’s a little less drama, and you can see it in the numbers. I mean, floor traffic picks up, sales pick up, but then we get some tariff drama, some Middle East drama and people’s hands go back into their pockets. That would be my first answer to that.

And the second answer is we need to continue to have the industry advertise, have effective advertising, make sure it’s compelling and get it placed in a way in the marketplace that consumers are seeing the ads and that it’s influencing them to think about their bed to get into the purchase funnel. The biggest — the issue is getting people triggered to think about their beds. If you look at the installed base, and this isn’t like the car business where you can look at a VIN and you know exactly what the average age of all the cars are on the road, how many miles they’ve driven. We don’t have that kind of data, but there is no question if you look at the volume declines over what — you’re right, into the fifth year that the products that are in the marketplace are probably older than they’ve ever been. There’s also no question that beds do wear out, and there’s no question that people are going to sleep on beds. The industry is structurally sound. There’s nothing that’s threatening the industry from a structural standpoint. So that’s why I kind of go back to — I don’t know, I can’t tell you the exact turn, but there’s — but everything points to what we just need is a little more stability in the way the consumers are thinking about the world.

https://seekingalpha.com/article/4942424-somnigroup-international-inc-sgi-discusses-strategic-acquisition-of-leggett-and-platt-and?position=rta_analysis_sublogic_fromline_control_main_3_textlink&mailingid=47311349&serial=47311349.265&messageid=2800&source=email_2800

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By Dakota Smith

August 31, 2026 | 9:42 pm CDT

Elevated borrowing costs, rising inflation and broad economic uncertainty continue to curb buyer demand and hold back new home sales.

Sales of newly built single-family homes declined 10.5% in July to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 607,000, following a sharply upwardly revised June estimate, according to newly released data from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and the U.S. Census Bureau. The pace of new home sales was 6.3% lower than a year earlier.

“New home sales fell in July to their slowest pace since the start of the year as affordability challenges limited home buyer traffic,” said Bill Owens, chairman of the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) and a home builder and remodeler from Worthington, Ohio. “NAHB surveys show that a majority of builders continue to offer sales incentives, including mortgage rate buydowns, to support new home sales.”

“The single-family home building market is on track for a second consecutive annual decline in 2026,” said NAHB Chief Economist Robert Dietz. “New home sales are down more than 4% on a year-to-date basis. NAHB research and economic data show community builders continue to outperform the broader market, while the Northeast remains a relative bright spot, with new home sales up nearly 9% year-to-date.”

A new home sale occurs when a sales contract is signed, or a deposit is accepted. The home can be in any stage of construction: not yet started, under construction or completed. In addition to adjusting for seasonal effects, the July reading of 607,000 units is the number of homes that would sell if this pace continued for the next 12 months.

New single-family home inventory in July rose to 488,000 units, up 1.9% from June, and down 1.6% compared to a year ago. This represents an elevated 9.6 months’ supply at the current building pace, the highest measure since January.

The median new home sales price in July fell 2.3% from June to $393,800 and was down 0.9% from a year ago. The new home sales market is showing relative strength at the higher end of the market. The market share of new home sales priced above $800,000 increased from 5% a year ago to 8% in July.

Regionally, on a year-to-date basis, new home sales are up 8.8% in the Northeast but fell in the other three regions, with declines of 6.4% in Midwest, 3.7% in the South and 6.4% in the West.

https://www.woodworkingnetwork.com/news/woodworking-industry-news/economic-uncertainty-weighs-new-home-sales-reports-homebuilding

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Chemical Grade Propylene is $0.45/lb in August 2026. Down 1.5cpp from July, which was up 3cpp from June.

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By Larry Adams

August 27, 2026 | 11:21 am CDT

DALLAS — Somnigroup International Inc. has completed merger with Leggett & Platt to create a combined company that operates over 170 manufacturing facilities across 37 countries worldwide and is supported by a global workforce of more than 36,000 colleagues.

Chairman and CEO Scott Thompson said, “Today (August 26) marks an exciting milestone for Somnigroup as we complete the combination with Leggett & Platt. Building on nearly 50 years of collaboration, we are bringing together complementary businesses with shared values and a commitment to customer service and product innovation. By combining Leggett & Platt’s engineering expertise and manufacturing capabilities with Somnigroup’s global scale and industry-leading brands, we are fortifying our foundation for future growth and long-term value creation. The addition of Leggett & Platt deepens our vertical integration, secures a critical part of our supply chain, and adds a highly cash-generative business to our portfolio. We thank the employees of both organizations for their dedication and support throughout this process, as well as our suppliers, advisors, and shareholders for their continued partnership and confidence in our team.”

The combination was an all-stock transaction valued at approximately $2.3 billion based on Somnigroup’s closing share price on August 25, 2026, and inclusive of Leggett & Platt’s existing indebtedness. Leggett & Platt shareholders received 0.1455 shares of Somnigroup common stock in exchange for each share of Leggett & Platt common stock they owned. Upon completion of the transaction, former Leggett & Platt shareholders own approximately 9% of the combined company on a fully diluted basis.

Tyson Hagale has been appointed as president of Leggett & Platt, effective immediately. Hagale will report to Karl Glassman, Chief Executive Officer of Leggett & Platt, and will have oversight responsibility for all of Leggett & Platt. 

https://www.woodworkingnetwork.com/news/woodworking-industry-news/somnigroup-completes-23b-leggett-platt-acquisition

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August 24, 2026 5 min read

U.S. trade flows in polyethers shifted noticeably during the first half of 2026, as outbound volumes weakened while imports continued to expand. The latest data point to a gradual rebalancing of the U.S. market, with the country maintaining a net export position but by a significantly narrower margin than a year earlier.

Key Figures (H1 2025 vs. H1 2026)

• Total U.S. exports: down 10.4%, to 178.0 million kg
• Imports for consumption: up 9.1%, to 106.4 million kg
• Net trade surplus: narrowed 29.2%, to 71.6 million kg
• Fastest-growing export market: Peru, up over 500%
• Fastest-growing import source: Turkey, up 104.0%
• China: exports up 40.5% and imports up 28.8%, expanding in both directions

U.S. Trade Surplus Narrows Sharply

During January–June 2026, total U.S. polyether exports reached approximately 178.0 million kg, down 10.4% from 198.7 million kg during the same period of 2025.

Domestic exports, which exclude foreign-origin material subsequently re-exported from the United States, followed a similar trajectory. Volumes declined by 9.5%, from 193.9 million kg to approximately 175.4 million kg.

Imports moved in the opposite direction. U.S. imports for consumption increased by 9.1% year on year, reaching 106.4 million kg, compared with 97.5 million kg during H1 2025.

The result was a substantial contraction in the U.S. net trade surplus. The volume surplus narrowed from roughly 101.2 million kg in H1 2025 to 71.6 million kg in H1 2026, a decline of around 29%.

The movement is significant because it reflects pressure from both sides of the trade balance: the United States is shipping less product abroad while simultaneously absorbing more foreign material into the domestic market.

North American Export Markets Remain Dominant but Soften

Mexico and Canada continued to anchor U.S. outbound polyether trade, together accounting for more than 45% of total H1 2026 exports. Nevertheless, shipments to both countries declined from a year earlier.

Exports to Mexico fell 6.8% to approximately 42.2 million kg, while shipments to Canada decreased 6.2% to 38.5 million kg.

Although the reductions were moderate relative to some other destinations, their impact on the overall export total was amplified by the scale of the two markets.

More pronounced contractions were recorded across several South American, Asian and overseas destinations.

Exports to South Africa fell 38.9% to around 2.6 million kg, while shipments to Chile declined 38.4% to 2.3 million kg. U.S. exports to Colombia dropped 35.2% to 4.6 million kg and those to India fell 35.1% to 4.3 million kg.

Brazil, another important polyurethane market in the Americas, also purchased less U.S. material. Volumes fell approximately 21.0% year on year to 10.0 million kg.

Exports to Belgium, meanwhile, declined 11.6% to 16.4 million kg.

Taken together, the data suggest that the decline in U.S. exports was relatively broad rather than being driven by the loss of a single major destination.

Peru and China Buck the Export Downtrend

Not every export market weakened.

Peru recorded the strongest percentage increase among the major destinations reviewed, with U.S. shipments rising from roughly 650,000 kg in H1 2025 to approximately 4.0 million kg in H1 2026. This represented an increase of more than 500%, although from a comparatively small starting base.

Exports to China also increased strongly, rising 40.5% from 8.4 million kg to approximately 11.9 million kg. The increase elevated China to the fourth-largest destination for U.S. polyether exports during the first half of 2026.

Shipments to Taiwan increased by approximately 47.6%, from 1.7 million kg to 2.4 million kg, although volumes remained relatively modest compared with the largest destination markets.

These increases partially offset losses elsewhere but were insufficient to reverse the broader decline in outbound trade.

Imports Rise as South Korea Retains Leading Position

The import picture was markedly different.

South Korea remained the dominant supplier to the U.S. market, shipping approximately 40.4 million kg during January–June 2026. Volumes increased by 3.7% year on year, giving South Korea a share of roughly 38% of total U.S. imports for consumption.

China continued to strengthen its position as the second-largest source.

U.S. imports from China rose 28.8%, reaching approximately 23.5 million kg in H1 2026. The increase means South Korea and China together supplied close to 60% of total U.S. polyether import volume during the period.

Imports from Canada recorded an even faster percentage increase, rising 52.8% to approximately 9.7 million kg.

Other suppliers also expanded their presence. Shipments from Germany increased 11.4% to 8.1 million kg, while imports from Vietnam climbed 27.8% to approximately 4.9 million kg.

Turkey registered the largest percentage gain, with shipments more than doubling, although volumes remained comparatively small. Imports increased 104.0%, from approximately 358,000 kg to 731,000 kg.

By contrast, imports from Taiwan declined 32.3%, while volumes from the Netherlands fell 29.6%.

China Emerges as an Increasingly Important Two-Way Trade Partner

One of the more notable features of the data is the simultaneous expansion of polyether trade in both directions between the United States and China.

U.S. exports to China increased 40.5% to 11.9 million kg, while U.S. imports from China rose 28.8% to 23.5 million kg.

Rather than pointing to a straightforward substitution of U.S. production with Chinese supply, the figures indicate increasingly active two-way trade within the broad polyether category.

The U.S. nevertheless imported nearly twice as much polyether material from China as it exported there during H1 2026.

The development may also reflect differences in product grades, downstream applications, producer positioning and regional supply economics within the broad HS classifications. Because the trade codes aggregate several polyether products, the data alone cannot establish that identical grades are moving simultaneously in opposite directions.

What the Shift Means for the U.S. Polyether Market

The H1 figures indicate that the U.S. polyether market entered 2026 with a changing trade configuration.

The United States remains a substantial net exporter, supported particularly by its established trade relationships with Mexico and Canada. However, its export surplus is becoming less pronounced as overseas shipments decline and imported volumes gain ground.

The stronger presence of Asian supply is particularly notable. South Korea already represents the largest foreign source, while China continues to increase its share of the U.S. import market. Together with rising volumes from Vietnam, the figures point to continued Asian participation in U.S. polyether supply.

At the same time, weaker exports to several Latin American destinations, including Brazil, Colombia and Chile, suggest that U.S. suppliers faced greater difficulty maintaining volumes in some regional markets during the first half of the year. This could reflect changing regional sourcing patterns, competitive pricing from Asian suppliers, softer downstream consumption or a combination of these factors, although trade statistics alone cannot determine the underlying cause.

The direction of the trade balance will therefore be important to watch through the remainder of 2026. If import growth persists while exports remain below 2025 levels, foreign-origin supply could play an increasingly important role in U.S. market availability and competitive pricing.

https://www.pudaily.com/news/66505/us-polyether-trade-flows-shift-as-export-volumes-fall-and-imports-climb-through

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Shell could sell U.S. chemicals division for $8 billion as it refocuses on oil and gas

A Shell fuel tanker truck – Credit: K.D.P / DepositPhotos – License: DepositPhotos

Shell has attracted interest from several potential buyers for its chemical business in the United States, according to the Financial Times. Among those reportedly considering a deal are ExxonMobil, LyondellBasell and investment firm Apollo, sources told the newspaper. Shell could raise around $8 billion by selling its U.S. chemical assets, the Financial Times reports. However, the company has not yet decided whether it will proceed with a sale.

Several potential buyers have already made preliminary offers, either for the division as a whole or for individual parts of the business. Kuwait Petroleum Corporation, the state-owned Kuwaiti oil company, is also said to be among those interested.

Shell operates four chemical plants across Louisiana, Texas and Pennsylvania, producing chemicals used in a range of products, including plastics, medicines and cleaning agents. One of its largest facilities is the Monaca plant in Pennsylvania, which can produce up to 1.6 million tons of polymers each year.

A $8 billion sale of the entire chemicals division would represent a substantial shortfall compared with Shell’s previous investments in its U.S. chemicals business, the newspaper reports.

The potential sale comes as Shell increasingly focuses on its core oil and gas operations. The company made its biggest acquisition in more than a decade earlier this year, paying $13.6 billion for Canadian oil and gas producer ARC Resources.

Shell, ExxonMobil and Apollo declined to comment when contacted by the Financial Times. LyondellBasell and Kuwait Petroleum did not respond to the newspaper’s questions.

The potential sale would not cover all of Shell’s U.S. operations, as the company also owns offshore drilling platforms and oil refineries in the country.

https://nltimes.nl/2026/08/24/shell-sell-us-chemicals-division-8-billion-refocuses-oil-gas

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Aug 20, 2026, 11:50 AM ETSomnigroup International Inc. (SGI), LEG

CARTHAGE, Mo., Aug. 20, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Leggett & Platt (LEG) today announced that its shareholders voted to approve the merger of the Company with Somnigroup International Inc. (SGI). The Merger remains subject to a remaining required regulatory approval and we anticipate that the transaction will close upon satisfaction of the remaining closing conditions.

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS: This press release contains “forward-looking statements,” identified by words such as “expect,” “anticipate,” “estimate,” “believe,” or by the context in which they appear, including, but not limited to, the anticipated closing of the Somnigroup transaction upon satisfaction of the remaining closing conditions, including required regulatory approvals. Such statements are expressly qualified by cautionary statements described in this provision and reflect only the beliefs, expectations, and assumptions of the Company at the time the statement is made. Because all forward-looking statements deal with the future, they are subject to risks, uncertainties and developments which might cause actual events or results to differ materially from those envisioned or reflected in any forward-looking statement. Moreover, we do not have, and do not undertake, any duty to update or revise any forward-looking statement to reflect events or circumstances after the date on which the statement was made, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law. Some of these risks include: risks associated with the Agreement and Plan of Merger, dated April 13, 2026 (as may be amended from time to time, the “Somnigroup Merger Agreement”), by and among Somnigroup International Inc. (“Somnigroup”), Sparrow Unity Corporation, a Missouri corporation and a direct, wholly owned subsidiary of Somnigroup (“Merger Sub”) and the Company, pursuant to which, subject to the terms and conditions of the Somnigroup Merger Agreement, Merger Sub will merge with and into the Company (the “Somnigroup Merger”), with the Company surviving the Somnigroup Merger as a direct, wholly owned subsidiary of Somnigroup, including (i) the completion of the Somnigroup Merger is subject to certain conditions that may not be satisfied or waived, including certain governmental and regulatory approvals; (ii) an event, change or other circumstance could give rise to delays in completing the Somnigroup Merger or the termination of the Somnigroup Merger Agreement; (iii) the Company’s business relationships (including with Somnigroup and its affiliates) may be subject to disruption due to uncertainty associated with the Somnigroup Merger; (iv) the diversion of management time from ongoing business operations and opportunities as a result of the Somnigroup Merger; (v) failure to complete the Somnigroup Merger could negatively impact the share price and the future business and financial results of the Company; (vi) litigation against the Company could result in substantial costs, an injunction preventing the completion of the Somnigroup Merger and/or a judgment resulting in the payment of damages; (vii) the Company will incur significant transaction and merger-related costs in connection with the Somnigroup Merger; (viii) the possibility that the expected benefits of the Somnigroup Merger are not realized when expected or at all; and (ix) other risks inherent in the Company’s and Somnigroup’s businesses.

All such factors are difficult to predict, are beyond the Company’s and Somnigroup’s control and are subject to additional risks and uncertainties, including those detailed in Somnigroup’s annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2025 and those detailed in the Company’s annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2025 and Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q for the quarters ended March 31, 2026 and June 30, 2026. These risks, as well as other risks related to the proposed transaction, are included in the Form S-4 and proxy statement/prospectus that Somnigroup and Leggett & Platt filed with the SEC in connection with the proposed transaction. There may be other factors that may cause the Company’s and Somnigroup’s actual results to differ materially from the forward-looking statements. The Company does not undertake any obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements that speak only as of the date hereof.

FOR MORE INFORMATION: Visit Leggett’s website at www.leggett.com.

https://seekingalpha.com/pr/20625910-leggett-and-platt-announces-shareholder-approval-of-merger-with-somnigroup

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Expanded capabilities bring U.S.-based polymer chemistry, process engineering and equipment design together to help manufacturers move from the laboratory to the production floor

August 13, 2026 09:00 ET  | Source: Edge-Sweets Company (ESCO)

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich., Aug. 13, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Edge-Sweets Company (ESCO), a Grand Rapids-based engineering and manufacturing firm with more than 140 years of industrial manufacturing history, is expanding its in-house capabilities to help manufacturers move new materials and establish the processes and equipment required to produce them at commercial scale.

Building on its longstanding expertise in custom polyurethane processing equipment, ESCO has expanded its capabilities to include polymer chemistry, applications development and process engineering, allowing customers to solve technical and manufacturing challenges with a single partner.

“Customers don’t always come to us with a finished formulation,” said Rick Speas, Applications Engineer at ESCO. “Often they know the product they want to manufacture, but the chemistry, processing requirements and production equipment are all evolving at the same time. By bringing chemists and engineers together, we can solve those challenges as one development process instead of several separate ones.”

Equipment design depends on chemistry. Variables such as viscosity, filler content and flow characteristics determine how a production system must be engineered, yet many manufacturers begin exploring production equipment before those parameters have been fully established. The expanded capability brings chemists and engineers together earlier in the development process, helping customers move more efficiently from formulation to full-scale production.

ESCO’s recent collaboration with Colorado-based Flora Materials, a developer of bio-based materials, demonstrates how these capabilities can be applied to an emerging material and its intended commercial application. ESCO supported on the formulation development, rapid prototyping, process engineering, and large-scale sample generation, which was recognized with a Best of NeoCon Sustainability Award, and are now helping the company scale up manufacturing to meet demand.

“Taking a new material from hand-poured samples to a repeatable manufacturing process takes the right combination of chemistry, equipment and people willing to solve problems together,” said Natalie York, CEO and founder of Flora Materials. “ESCO has been that kind of partner for Flora. Their team understands both the material and how it needs to be made, and working with them close to home has helped us continue testing, refining and moving toward production.”

Across its growing portfolio of polymer-development work, ESCO is helping companies address a wide range of material, processing and scale-up challenges. Projects include applications ranging from specialized aviation foam to composite panels made with difficult-to-recycle materials. Through its work with Sustainable Solutionz, for example, ESCO has developed a binder and production approach for composite panels incorporating recovered photopolymer printing plates and recycled feedstocks, while also exploring new applications for ocean-recovered plastics.

“Some of the most rewarding projects are the ones that don’t fit a standard process,” Speas said. “Those applications require chemistry, engineering and manufacturing expertise to evolve together. That’s where we believe we can create the greatest value.”

As manufacturers continue developing more advanced polymer systems, ESCO expects demand for integrated chemistry and engineering support to continue growing and is actively seeking opportunities to collaborate with product developers, chemical suppliers, manufacturers and entrepreneurs bringing new materials to market.

Projects typically begin under a mutual nondisclosure agreement, with intellectual-property ownership and any continuing chemistry-supply arrangements determined individually.

Manufacturers interested in polymer formulation, applications development, process engineering or custom dispensing equipment can contact Rick Speas at rspeas@edge-sweets.com to learn more.

About Edge-Sweets Company
Edge-Sweets Company (ESCO) is a Grand Rapids, Michigan-based engineering and manufacturing company specializing in polyurethane processing equipment, custom automation and polymer processing technologies. With industrial roots dating to 1883 and more than 140 years of manufacturing history, ESCO designs and builds custom equipment while providing polymer chemistry, applications development and process engineering support for manufacturers developing innovative products. The company serves customers across industries including furniture, bedding, construction, automotive, aerospace, medical and advanced manufacturing.

https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2026/08/13/3344536/0/en/edge-sweets-company-esco-expands-polymer-development-capabilities-to-help-companies-take-new-materials-from-idea-through-formulation-and-production.html

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By Deric Rush

Published: Aug. 17, 2026 at 7:41 PM EDT|Updated: 14 hours ago

FAIRFIELD COUNTY, S.C. (WIS) – A massive industrial fire that reignited overnight has destroyed the MLily USA mattress factory in Winnsboro, forcing major road closures, sparking environmental monitoring, and leaving hundreds of employees in a close-knit community facing sudden job loss.

Emergency crews from across the state remained on the scene Monday evening, battling a fire that has been burning continuously since late Sunday night. Officials warned it could be Tuesday before the active blaze is completely extinguished.

The Challenge of Water-Resistant Foam

The fire first began Sunday morning around 9 a.m. when a smoke alarm sounded at the plant. Fairfield County Fire Department crews initially brought the fire under control and contained it to a small area by Sunday evening.

However, at 11:30 p.m., the fire reignited and quickly tore through the entire production facility.

Firefighters faced unique obstacles trying to douse the flames inside the factory due to the tight layout and the chemical makeup of the materials used to manufacture mattresses.

“The foam is in a conveyor racking system that’s multi-levels high,” said Fairfield County EMS Chief Jamie Webb. “It’s very large pieces of foam. It’s hard to access in the locations it’s in. And that’s what created a challenge with it. It’s close quarters and a lot of material in one spot.”

In addition to the physical layout, the foam used in the mattresses is highly flammable yet water-resistant, making it incredibly difficult to fully put out. The stubborn nature of the chemical fire forced local agencies to request statewide reinforcements to handle the expanding scene.

Road Closures and Community Disruptions

As thick, black smoke drifted across Fairfield County, authorities shut down a major shipping corridor. Highway 321 South remains closed between Highway 34 and Highway 269, and officials expect it to stay blocked for the remainder of the day.

While local schools—including Fairfield County School District, Richard Winn Academy, and the STEM school—remained open on normal schedules, the detours heavily impacted school bus routes and morning commutes.

Bridgette Howell, a nearby gas station clerk, saw the flashing emergency lights and police blockades when she arrived for her shift early Monday morning.

“I turn into my job, then the customers start coming in telling me that the building was on fire,” Howell said. She added that the roadblock created a massive headache for her regulars. “It did mess up some customers. I mean, that go straight down 321, they had to detour 34, and then some of them had to go all the way around and come up 269.”

EPA Called in to Monitor Environmental Impact

Because of the heavy chemicals and foam stored inside the facility, local officials requested assistance from the federal government.

The South Carolina Department of Environmental Services (DES) brought in the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to monitor air and water runoff around the site.

“Any time you have a large fire, an industrial fire, there is runoff. And it gets into creeks. That’s just a side effect of any fire you have to fight,” said Fairfield County Administrator Vic Carpenter. “Contractors have already been brought on to start managing that. That’s one of the key things that EPA will be checking.”

State environmental officials and the EPA are currently analyzing air quality readings. Both agencies report that there is currently no hazardous air threat to the public, though they are still waiting on official finalized test results.

Local officials have urged residents to avoid the area due to shifting smoke plumes that can suddenly drop driving visibility to zero.

Sudden Job Loss Hits Close-Knit Town

The economic impact of the total loss of the facility is expected to be deeply felt. MLily USA is one of Fairfield County’s largest employers, sustaining several hundred local jobs.

While county officials say employees worked a condensed shift Sunday morning, they stressed employees safely evacuated when the fire broke out, and no injuries have been reported among factory staff or first responders.

Verdan Glover, who has worked as a groundskeeper at MLily since March, said employees had been warning management about maintenance and safety issues for months.

“I knew it was going to happen. Eventually. I knew it was going to happen,” Glover said. “Something. It was like the Bible. It was either going to be by water or by fire.”

Glover said that the factory’s equipment was constantly breaking down and that employees had suggested shutting down the plant temporarily to make necessary repairs, but management patched over the issues instead.

Now, Glover and hundreds of others are left without jobs.

“Life goes on. I’m just going to get another job. Especially after they see this,” Glover said, though he acknowledged the devastating impact this will have on colleagues who have fewer options. “Instead of taking those two weeks off [to fix things], now you don’t have a job at all.”

Fairfield County PIO Gene Stephens echoed the emotional toll on the community.

“This hurts a community like ours. We have such a close-knit community here,” Stephens said. “And something like this impacts a lot of people. Some are waking up today not knowing… they don’t have a job right now.”

MLily USA Releases Statement

In a statement sent to WIS on Monday afternoon, MLily USA officials expressed appreciation for local emergency crews and asked the public for patience:

“The fire at our facility remains an active scene at this time. Our immediate priority is the safety of our employees, first responders, and the surrounding community. Emergency personnel are on site and actively working to contain the fire, and we are cooperating fully with their response efforts. Because this is an active and developing situation, we do not yet have complete information regarding the cause of the fire or the extent of the damage. We are not aware of any injuries to individuals at this time.

We will provide additional information as it becomes available and can be confirmed. We are grateful to the first responders working at the scene and appreciate the community’s patience as emergency crews continue their response.”

https://www.wistv.com/2026/08/17/winnsboro-factory-fire-puts-jobs-hold-closes-roads

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