Ineos Cuts 60 Jobs in Hull, Citing Cheap Chinese Imports and High Energy Costs

Sixty workers at Ineos's Hull facility received devastating news this week as the petrochemical giant announced significant job cuts, representing approximately one-fifth of the site's workforce. The company pointed to two primary factors: crippling UK energy costs and what it describes as China's "anti-competitive practices" flooding the European market with cheap imports.

This move reflects broader challenges facing UK manufacturing, particularly in energy-intensive industries like chemicals and steel. Ineos specifically highlighted how Chinese exports, redirected to Europe after being priced out of the US market by Trump's protectionist policies, have created what they call a "displacement" effect that's undermining European producers.

For the affected employees in Hull, this means uncertain futures and difficult transitions. The job losses represent not just statistics but families and communities facing economic hardship in a region that has historically relied on industrial employment.

The situation echoes similar pressures across UK industry, where high energy costs combined with global market shifts have created perfect storms for manufacturers. As one worker put it, "We're caught between rock and a hard place—expensive energy at home and cheap products from abroad."

Industry analysts note that without policy interventions addressing both energy affordability and trade imbalances, more UK manufacturing jobs could be at risk. The Hull cuts serve as a warning sign for other energy-intensive industries struggling to compete in an increasingly globalized market.

Read the original reporting at The Times