In the second quarter of 2018, Huntsman's MDI business's EBITDA was nearly 50% higher than the second quarter of 2017. EBITDA for the second quarter of 2018 was $246 million, compared to $165 million for the second quarter of 2017.
Peter Huntsman said at the meeting that MDI business grew by 9% year-on-year. Except for the spray foam business Demilec, which grew by 10% year-on-year, other differentiated investment businesses grew by 13% year-on-year.
The largest growth in the Americas, compared with the same quarter in 2017, sales in the region increased by 21%.
Part of the growth was attributed to the Demilec business. In the first quarter of this year, Huntsman announced the acquisition of Demilec, a new business that increased sales of basic business by 5%.
The growth in the United States also benefited from the company's driving with BASF's joint venture MDI plant in Shanghai. He added that this means that raw materials from the company's US plants are free to use locally. Now North America's demand is made of composite wood products, insulated. Driven by materials and adhesives.
In Asia, sales in 2018 increased by 8%, and demand for large-scale infrastructure projects such as automotive projects and district heating is driving the region's growth. He added that the new Chinese plant is starting production and will be at the end of this year. Before the full operation.
In Europe, sales of third parties have hit sales, reducing sales by about $20 million. Peter Huntsman explains: 'The fundamentals of demand in Europe remain optimistic and the market is growing.'
According to Peter Huntsman, 75% of the company's MDI business comes from a higher-margin differentiated system business.
The company's sales in the first half of 2018 were $4.6 billion, an increase of 18% from $3.9 billion in the first half of 2017. The company's total profit for the first half of 2018 was $1.1 billion. By comparison, 2017 The income for the first half of the year was $895 million.