What evidence does the article cite to suggest the chemical industry is entering a period of deglobalization?

The article cites two main pieces of evidence: first, the Iran War is causing companies to question the wisdom of long supply chains; second, the sharp downturn is prompting firms to pull back from less competitive regions, exemplified by LyondellBasell Industries and Sabic selling off assets in Europe and Shell divesting its Singapore complex.

How does the article illustrate the historically multinational nature of the chemical industry?

The article illustrates the chemical industry’s long-standing multinational character by noting that Solvay, a Belgian soda ash producer, opened its first US plant near Syracuse, New York, in 1881, and by highlighting the 1958 joint venture Dow Badische Chemical—established by BASF and Dow in Freeport, Texas—as emblematic of the post-World War II wave of internationalization, with the site remaining home to integrated chemical complexes vital to both companies to this day.