INEOS Acetyls Cuts 60 Jobs at Hull Plant Amid Rising Energy Costs and Surge of Low-Cost Chinese Imports

INEOS Acetyls Cuts 60 Jobs at Hull Plant Amid Rising Energy Costs and Surge of Low-Cost Chinese Imports

(IN BRIEF) INEOS Acetyls will cut 60 skilled jobs at its Hull Acetyls plant following mounting challenges from high energy costs and a surge in cheap, high-emission imports from China. The company warned that these carbon-intensive imports, which emit up to eight times more CO₂ than UK-produced chemicals, threaten not only local employment but also the UK’s low-carbon industrial progress. Despite a £30 million investment to reduce emissions by 75%, INEOS says a lack of tariff protection leaves British producers at risk. The company is urging the UK Government and European Commission to impose anti-dumping measures and address structural trade and energy issues before more plants are forced to shut down.

(PRESS RELEASE) LONDON, 7-Oct-2025 — /EuropaWire/ — INEOS Acetyls has announced that it will cut 60 skilled jobs — around 20% of its workforce — at its Hull Acetyls plant in the UK as a result of sustained pressure from soaring energy costs and what it describes as anti-competitive trade practices. The company says cheap, carbon-intensive imports from China, which emit up to eight times more CO₂ than INEOS’s low-carbon UK production, are flooding the European market and forcing local producers to compete on an uneven playing field.

These coal-based imports, which have already been restricted in the US through effective tariffs, face no trade barriers in the UK or Europe, putting domestic manufacturers at a severe disadvantage. INEOS is now calling for urgent government intervention — including anti-dumping tariffs — to protect UK and European chemical producers from what it considers to be unfair competition. Without such measures, the company warns, further closures and job losses across the sector are likely.

“This is a very difficult time for everyone at the Hull facility,” said David Brooks, CEO of INEOS Acetyls. “We have a leading-edge, efficient and well-invested site, and our team is highly skilled, professional, and dedicated. Making the decision to cut 60 roles was not taken lightly. We explored every possible alternative, but faced with unsustainable energy costs and artificially low-priced imports, we’ve been left with no choice. Our priority now is to support our colleagues and protect the long-term future of the site.”

The Hull plant has been at the forefront of industrial decarbonisation in the UK. INEOS recently invested £30 million to transition from natural gas to hydrogen, a move that reduced its CO₂ emissions by 75% — the equivalent of removing 160,000 cars from the road. Despite this progress, the company warns that continued exposure to global dumping practices threatens both jobs and the UK’s green transition.

INEOS welcomed the UK Government’s recent reversal of its decision to penalize the Hull site under the UK Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) but cautioned that broader structural issues around energy costs and trade policy remain unresolved.

“This is a textbook case of the UK and Europe sleepwalking into deindustrialisation,” Brooks added. “INEOS has invested heavily at Hull to cut CO₂, yet we’re being undercut by carbon-heavy imports from China and the US. Without meaningful action on energy, carbon, and trade, we will keep losing factories, skills, and jobs — and once these plants close, they never return.”

ENDS

Media contacts

INEOS Agency ineos@firstlightgroup.io
Richard Longden (Richard.longden@ineos.com)     +41 7996 26123

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About INEOS Acetyls

INEOS Acetyls is a global producer of acetic acid and a range of derivatives. It is the largest producer of acetic acid, acetic anhydride, and ethyl acetate in Europe. In the US, the INEOS Acetyls business has been a leading supplier of acetic acid and acetic anhydride to North and South America for more than 45 years. And across Asia, the business provides acetic acid and commercial services across the region. It is one of the largest acetic acid suppliers in Asia, with a strong reputation in the industry for following world-class standards of production.

About INEOS

INEOS is a global petrochemicals manufacturer, comprising 29 individual businesses. We operate 154 facilities in 27 countries throughout the world, employing 24,500 people. INEOS makes the raw materials and energy used for everyday life. Its products make an indispensable contribution to society and are essential in applications ranging from the preservation of food to the provision of clean water; from construction of wind turbines, solar panels, and other renewable technologies to the construction of lighter and more fuel-efficient vehicles and aircraft; from medical devices and pharmaceuticals to clothing and apparel. In recent years INEOS has diversified with the launch of INEOS Automotive and a sports portfolio including Manchester United, OGC Nice, Lausanne Sport football clubs, as well as Mercedes AMG Petronas Formula 1 and the INEOS Grenadiers cycling team.

SOURCE: INEOS