Not surprisingly, the global economic recovery is continuing more quickly in regions where COVID-19 is under control and vaccinations have been widely rolled out. After an estimated contraction of 3.3% in 2020, the global economy is projected to grow at 6% in 2021, moderating to 4.4% in 2022, according to the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

The shift from brick-and-mortar to digital shopping had been under way for some time when the COVID-19 pandemic hit. Since 2017, ecommerce revenues have risen from an estimated $1.4 trillion to $2.4 trillion, or about 2.7% of global output.

As a vital industrial link between a turbulent oil and gas market and changing consumer needs, the chemical industry has been tested by the COVID-19 pandemic.