Ineos Plans 60 Job Cuts at Hull Plant Over Competition, Energy Costs

Ineos, a major chemicals company, is cutting 60 jobs at its Acetyls plant in Hull, East Yorkshire, due to rising energy costs and the influx of cheap, carbon-intensive imports from China. These imports, produced using coal and emitting up to eight times more CO₂ than Ineos's UK operations, face no trade barriers in the UK or Europe, unlike in the US where tariffs have been imposed. Ineos has called on the UK government and the European Commission to implement anti-dumping tariffs to protect the UK and European chemical sectors from unfair competition. The company warns that without such intervention, more plant closures and thousands of job losses will occur across the industry. The decision follows recent closures at Ineos facilities in Scotland and Germany, highlighting broader challenges in the European chemical industry related to high operational costs and environmental regulations. Ineos emphasizes its commitment to supporting affected workers and safeguarding the long-term viability of its operations, having also invested in cleaner technologies at the Hull site.