2022_digital_yumpu_final

CBA
Supporting
the industry for nearly 100 years
The Chemical Business Association (CBA) has been the voice of the UK chemical supply chain
for almost a century. Tim Doggett, CEO of the CBA, explains how the industry’s fortitude has seen it
through the challenges of the past few years.
There can be no doubt that the past
few years have seen an incredible
number of challenges across all industry
sectors. Although the word
‘unprecedented’ has been much
overused by the mainstream media, it
really is the only way to describe the
compound impacts of Brexit, a global
pandemic, a climate change crisis, and
now the geopolitical fall-out from the
conflict in Ukraine.
When the British Chemical and
Dyestuffs Trading Association was
founded in 1923, its founder members
could have no more envisioned such
dramatic changes over such short a time
than they might have imagined their
organisation playing such a key role in
navigating those changes. Yet, nearly a
century after its foundation, the Chemical
Business Association (CBA) will be
celebrating its upcoming centenary, not
just in acclaiming our industry’s advances
in technology and globalisation, but also
by continuing to support the UK chemical
supply chain as the impacts of the past
few years’ events continue to resonate.
supply chain, along with an extensive
and in-depth range of expertise and
knowledge. It also provides us with
unique insights into recent challenges
associated with chemical supply chains.
In addition to battling COVID-related
challenges, companies have had to deal
with regulatory changes and increased
bureaucracy due to Brexit. New
legislations covering imports from, and
exports to, the EU were compounded by
disruptions to international supply chain
routes. Chemical supply chains have
experienced multiple disruptions,
including the ongoing shortage of HGV
drivers, an issue which has intensified
in recent years. There is continued
impact of manufacturing plants closing
(or running at reduced capacity) due to
the pandemic, shortages of raw
materials, and rocketing energy costs,
while distributors have struggled with
Tim Doggett
became Chief
Executive of the
Chemical Business
Association in
early 2021
disruptions in manufacture and supply,
and considerable impacts on cost. To
give just one example, ethoxydiglycol is
a widely used solvent, used to improve
Supply chain
The CBA has grown to be the voice of
the UK chemical supply chain,
representing distributors, manufacturers,
traders, warehouse operators, logistics
and transport companies, many of whom
are SMEs and who are the main industry
interface providing products and services
to thousands of UK downstream
chemical users. Such a diverse
membership gives a distinct advantage
and a 360-degree view of the chemical
Figure 1. CBA members experiencing issues with the chemical supply
inaccessible chain (Q3–Q4 supply 2021) chain partners,
the texture of skincare products and to
12 www.w2bchemicals.com WHERE TO BUY CHEMICALS Directory 2022-23