Nine Republican state attorneys general have voiced strong opposition to Union Pacific's proposed $71.5 billion acquisition of Norfolk Southern. In a letter to the Surface Transportation Board, they argue that the merger would lead to excessive market concentration, reduced competition and potentially higher prices and lower service reliability, ultimately harming both American businesses and consumers.

The US plans to remove tariffs on certain products from Argentina, Ecuador, Guatemala and El Salvador, with a focus on food items that are not grown in the US. The agreements are expected to be finalized within two weeks and will likely include commitments to refrain from imposing digital services taxes on US companies.

The American Chemistry Council released the following statement on USTR's announcement of new framework trade agreements with Argentina, Ecuador, El Salvador and Guatemala. This quote may be attributed to Chris Jahn, ACC's President and CEO.

ACC applauds USTR's announcement of new framework trade agreements with Argentina and other countries. Our industries in Argentina and the United States are long-standing supporters of a pro-growth, deregulatory agenda that supports new value chains where the US and Argentina have a competitive advantage, such as mechanical and advanced recycling, and helps ensure a level playing field against unfair trading practices from other countries. Read more.

A potential rare earths agreement between the US and China could be finalized by Thanksgiving, according to US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent. "I am confident that post our meeting in Korea between the two leaders, President Trump, President Xi, that China will honor their agreements," Bessent says.

Chemours and Olin, supported by the American Chemistry Council, are urging the Environmental Protection Agency to relax a workplace exposure limit for carbon tetrachloride, a feedstock chemical, to ensure the continued production of refrigerants with low potential for global warming. The companies argue that the limit, which was set last year, should be increased from 0.03 parts per million to 1.5 parts per million to comply with the American Innovation and Manufacturing Act.

The Environmental Protection Agency has closed out the last of a series of Toxic Substances Control Act Section 21 petitions from industry groups that sought changes to rules from the administration of former President Joe Biden. The American Chemistry Council withdrew its petition Oct. 16, and the EPA confirmed this action Nov. 7.

General Mills and Procter & Gamble are funding systems to enhance flexible film recycling, responding to extended producer responsibility laws and sustainability goals. Initiatives such as the United States Flexible Film Initiative and CalFFlex aim to make recycling financially viable by subsidizing material recovery facilities, highlighting a shift where brands view recovery infrastructure as part of their supply chain.

Researchers at Tokyo Metropolitan University have introduced a method to depolymerize polyethylene terephthalate using alcohols and an iron catalyst. The technique breaks down PET into valuable compounds with yields of up to 99.9% at mild temperatures, demonstrating its potential for scalable recycling.

Leadership during the age of AI will belong to those who can use the technology as a tool without losing sight of the limitations of AI, writes Naphtali Hoff, an executive coach. "The leaders who thrive long-term will be those who wield AI responsibly -- ensuring it amplifies human potential rather than erodes it," Hoff writes.

Global manufacturing expanded slightly in October with the JP Morgan Global Manufacturing PMI edging h